2GreenEnergy Supporter Gary Tulie writes from his home in scenic Buckinghamshire, England (pictured): Hi Craig, I have wondered for a long time how big wind turbines might eventually get. This article indicates a possibility of reaching 50 MW per turbine. With …
Category: Wind Energy
Cheap Wind and its Value To Humankind
In the United States, there are now 50,000 wind turbines, generating 70 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, enough to power 19 million homes. The cost of wind-generated electricity is down 66% since 2009. It is now nearly 5% of American electricity, …
Another Note to the Pro-Nuke People
Predictably, the pro-nuke group of which I’m a part took issue with my defense of renewable energy. They pointed out that a) one single member does not speak for the group as a whole, b) there are some really bright …
High-Altitude Wind: Examining the Merits
Here’s something for all you fans of high-altitude wind. There are at least a dozen variations on the theme, but the concept here, in brief, goes like this: energy is extracted from the high-velocity wind aloft as a kite, attached …
Despite Nay-sayers’ Claims, Renewable Energy Is a Huge Industry
I don’t have a problem with comments on the site that challenge my own bullish viewpoint on renewable energy; in most cases, they provide an interesting counterpoint from which everyone wins as a result. I DO have a problem with …
Despite Nay-sayers’ Claims, Renewable Energy Is a Huge Industry Read More »
How Can I Increase Wind Speed and Thus Maximize the Power Output of My Turbine? You Can’t
I often come across claims that wind shrouds serve to concentrate the wind’s power; I’ve seen dozens of variations on this theme over the years. The bitter truth is that this doesn’t work, for reasons explained in the article linked …
Wind Turbines Are a Danger to Birds and Bats
A reader submits an idea for a wind turbine in which birds and bats are protected by forcing the wind to blow through a screen. I respond: The power output of a wind turbine is proportional to the cube of …
Tagged with: birds are thousands of times more likely to be eaten by cats, birds are thousands of times more likely to fly into plate glass windows, birds are thousands of times more likely to get hit by cars, power output of a wind turbine proportional to the cube of the wind’s velocity, Wind Turbines Danger to Birds and Bats
Renewable Energy Is Important; The Grammar Used To Describe It Perhaps Less So
The good people at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) sent me an email just now with the subject line: “Changes is in the wind,” promoting the fall symposium. I wrote back: Sounds like a great event. Not to pick …
Renewable Energy Is Important; The Grammar Used To Describe It Perhaps Less So Read More »
New Ideas in Wind Turbines
A friend writes: Just came across this in a shared LinkedIn post … re: a wind turbine with blades shaped like a Nautilus shell. Yet another wind turbine idea … is it a good one? No, but I love stuff like …
Wind Energy ca. 1983
The other day I had a cup of coffee with a venture capitalist who echoed something we’ve all heard repeatedly through the years: the most important ingredient in the success of a start-up is market timing. Yes, good ideas, seasoned …
