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 …
Category: Wind Energy
Wind Turbines Are a Danger to Birds and Bats
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 …
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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 …
Opportunities in Small Wind?
Certain technologies become unfeasible below a certain scale. Concentrated solar power is one. Yes, you can take a solar cooker on a backpacking trip, but you certainly can’t set up a CSP plant on the roof of your house that …
Victory for the Wind Energy Industry in Scotland, and What I Hope To Be My Last Comment on Donald Trump
I expect to make this the last public remark I’ll ever be forced to make about Donald Trump—and I mention it only because of its relevance to the world of renewable energy: Trump has lost his court battle in Scotland, …
Brian McGowan, the Ultimate Renewable Energy DIY Guy
I keep meaning to take an extra day during one of my excursions to the East Coast and hang out with Brian McGowan, hands-on renewable energy guy extraordinaire, who lives near Philadelphia. Pictured left is a wall of his garage; …
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From Digital Trends: NewWind’s Arbre à Vent Is a Wind Turbine Designed for Cities
A friend writes: Happy 4th of July! I was at a coffee shop yesterday, and they had all these European magazines. I came across an article: THIS ‘TREE’ GENERATES ENOUGH ELECTRICITY TO HEAT YOUR APARTMENT. I thought you’d enjoy …
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Concept in “Small Wind”
I’ve been having a discussion with an inventor of a product in the “small wind” energy space (i.e., anything under 100KW) whose website is linked above. He had asked my advice about his concept, which is summarized as follows: The …
Wind Energy Is Making a Huge Contribution
A conservative reader who has displayed a circumspect attitude towards renewable energy notes: Wind, Solar, Wave, Bio-fuels, Geo-thermal, and lots of other alternate energy technologies, are valid subjects for research. I urge him to keep in mind that wind is …
