Wind Power is for the Birds

The Basics of Wind Power Wind energy generates mechanical power or electricity via a wind turbine. The actual power can be channeled to basic mechanical tasks, or a generator, which in turn, turns the mechanical power into electricity. As a renewable resource, wind is among the top technologies involved in providing renewable energy, projected in 1990 to offset billions of pounds of carbon...

The Real Cost of Renewables

Renewables-Cheaper or Better? Or Not? According to the Institute for Energy Research, states with mandates around renewables, particularly wind and solar,  are experiencing energy costs significantly higher than during the pre-mandate period. And, conversely, thoses states that have maintained a strong focus on fossil fuel have experienced the opposite.  The following article provides...

Distributed Generation – A Solution or Challenge?

Solar Panels On-site or decentralized generation is commonly referred to as distributed generation. It supplies electricity from sources that are at or near the point of consumption rather than that from large, centralized sources such as utility-owned coal, natural gas, oil, or nuclear power plants. The majority of these distributed systems include: Renewable energy sources such as sunlight,...

Introduction to Renewable Energy

Simply defined, renewable energy is energy that emanates from natural resources (e.g. sunlight, wind, and tides) which can be naturally replenished. There has been a significant push since the start of the 21st century to incorporate these sources of energy into an overall portfolio. By 2008, 19 percent of global energy consumption was satisfied by renewable energy sources. The main drivers of...

Energy Storage – Essential to Renewable Energy

Electric energy storage has becoming a more dominant topic of the overall energy management discussion primarily because of the: Increased production of electric vehicles being plugged into outlets for recharging every evening, Advent of net-zero homes, and Expansion of intermittent solar and wind generation into the mainstream of energy supply options. As these factors begin to take on greater...

Impact of Renewable Energy on Electric Transmission

Renewable Energy Impacts Transmission Grid Wind Power - Alternative/Renewable Energy The anticipated increase in renewable electric power generation (particularly wind power) will most likely be satisfied by the trend toward non-utility companies building only transmission facilities.  These trends are: Largely driven by the advent of independent power producers (IPPs), vertically integrated...

Wind Turbine Syndrome – The Newest Objection

Wind Turbine Farms Never underestimate our ability to raise objections to change, be it technology or societal driven. Wind power, which currently accounts for 1 percent of the electricity generated in the U.S., has traditionally wrestled with four issues in achieving its ambition of representing 20 percent of the energy produced in the U.S. annually. These objections view wind power...

Basics of Wind Power in the U.S.

Current and Potential Usage According to American Wind Energy Association, there is more than 9,000 MW of generating capacity attributed to wind power. These units provide 25 billion kWh of electricity or one percent of the power generated in the U.S. each year. They also estimate that wind power could potentially account for 10.8 trillion kWh per year – equal to the amount of energy in 20...

Distributed Electric Power Storage

Distributed Electric Power Storage The storage of electrical power has been an age-old challenge facing the electricity industry. A number of electric utilities are now in the process of placing equipment in residential areas that is capable of storing several hours of electricity supply. These localized or distributed technologies include lithium ion batteries and underground compressed air...

Green Energy Sources

Environmentally friendly and non-polluting sources of energy are gaining a foothold in the international community’s efforts to plan for future electricity needs. Typically, the focus on green energy includes creating a renewable energy portfolio (e.g. bio-fuels, geothermal, wind, hydro power and its related wave and tidal technologies, and solar with some consideration for nuclear power) and...