Wind power has been growing at a pace that rivals that of the solar industry. The worldwide generating capacity of wind turbines has grown more than 25% every year for the past decade, reaching nearly 60,000 MW in early 2006. In Europe, the growth has been phenomenal. In 1994, the total installed wind generated power capacity of the European Union nations was 1700 MW. In 2005, wind generators produce more than 40,000 MW. Germany alone has more than 18,000 MW of wind power capacity, thanks to a politically aggressive system of construction. The northern state of Germany, Schleswig-Holstein, currently provides one quarter of its electrical demand with more than 2400 wind turbines, and in some months wind power provides more than half of the state’s electricity.

Spain has 10,000 MW of wind capacity. Denmark has 3000 MW. Great Britain, the Netherlands, Italy and Portugal each have more than 1000 MW.

In the U.S., the wind power industry has also accelerated dramatically. Power generation capacity due to wind has increased 36% recently. Even though wind turbines produce only 0.5% of the nations electricity, the potential for expansion is really quite large, especially when the Great Plains states are considered. North Dakota, for example, has greater wind power resources than Germany, but only 98 MW of generating capacity is installed there. If the U.S. constructed enough wind farms to fully tap those resources, the turbines could generate as much as 11 trillion kWh of electricity, or nearly 3 times the total amount produced from all energy sources in the nation last year.

The reservations about wind power come partly from utility companies that are reluctant to use the new technology. Although opinions vary on how wind turbines will affect landscape use, everyone agrees that they must be balanced against the social cost of the alternatives. Because our energy needs are growing very quickly, rejecting wind farms will often result in the construction or expansion of fossil fuel burning power plants that have a much more damaging environmental effect.

In other words, it is feasible for Europe to generate three times as much power as it needs by the year 2020.

The study confirmed that wind energy, if so desired, can play a major role in achieving the European energy targets and that there are extensive wind energy resources in Europe. The report, called ”Europe’s Onshore And Offshore Wind Energy Potential”, shows that wind energy potential is massive, and really capable of creating almost 20 times the energy demand in 2020.

Potential inland wind energy locations are concentrated in agricultural and industrial areas in northwestern Europe. In addition, the largest offshore potential can be found in areas in the North Sea, the Baltic seas and the Atlantic Ocean, with even some opportunities in areas of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea’s.

Europeans could put wind generators further offshore, but due to the significantly greater costs it is unlikely that they will go too far offshore. The deep offshore potential is unlikely to contribute in any significant way to the energy mix within the time frame of the study.

Areas of high wind speeds that will best accommodate wind turbines will require major changes to the grid system to accommodate the distribution of all of this newly generated power. Congestion and overloading would otherwise be a problem.

The conclusions were welcomed by the European Wind Energy Association. They said, “The EEA clearly recognizes that wind power will be key to Europe’s energy future. Now that oil prices are again on the rise, the EEA report sends a reminder to Europe’s policy makers that wind power is a clean and proven energy technology and Europe is the world leader.”

Things look promising.

In San Francisco recently, the first ever-fully manufactured version of a pre-fabricated home designed by Michelle Kaufman was debuted. The home is called mkLotus®. As a dwelling, it is coyly understated, yet slick and offers the highest level of modern, sustainable living.

What separates this from the other homes of the future, though, is that it is available right now. After just a few months lead time, a load of technologies and materials will be assembled into one modular unit and delivered to your construction site.

The mkLotus® is a small unit, comprised of one bedroom, one bathroom and a living and dining area. It features water recirculation, a very high energy-efficient foam insulation, LED lighting, a “growing roof” that keeps rainwater from splashing into the gutter and a water storage basin that provides you irrigation for the landscape. It has a 1.5 kW solar panel system that produces enough electricity for most of your needs.

Solar Panels And Wind Turbines Aren’t The Only Way To Save Money

The house is built off-site which reduces construction waste upwards of 70%. Nearly all of the materials such as floors, walls, countertops, doors, and light fixtures in the home are made of recycled, energy-efficient and eco-friendly produced materials. The kitchen sink even has a low flow faucet.

The neat part of this whole thing is that really, not much of the technology is right on the cutting edge. Yes, it is modern, but not necessarily cutting edge. Kaufman says, “We need to look back before the Industrial Revolution, before we had the mechanical means of controlling indoor climate.”

All of this is made into a very livable, though small, space. The only sacrifice seems to be a limit of closets, but I’m sure they will work that out in future designs. This design is extremely sophisticated and makes 700 ft. seem very spacious.

Unfortunately, however, the cost is a bit high. With all the options, the single bedroom more home lists at $249,000. That is about $356 per square foot, and that does not include installation site preparation or the property itself. It is true that you will experience significant savings on your monthly utilities, but that savings comes at over double the building cost of your average home.

Still, though, this is one of the first and no doubt the most expensive. Keep an eye on it and learn from them; you may get some good ideas for your own.

For more information check out Michelle Kaufmann’s site at http://www.mkd-arc.com/.

Thanks for the effort, Michelle Kaufmann et al; you are doing good work.

The plant will cost $18.3 million and cover up to 30 acres on the Academy grounds. It is the first part of a long-range plan to shift the school’s power demands to completely renewable resources.

However, the solar plant is going to be owned and operated like Colorado Springs Utilities and the electricity it generates will be shared with customers throughout the city.

The money comes from extra-base maintenance money that was added to the stimulus package. The Academy will transfer the cost of the utility, which will design and build the plant. In return, it gets an agreement that a portion of the base’s electricity comes from completely renewable energy sources, including solar power panels.

Lt. Col. Jace Davey, commander of the academy’s 10th Civil Engineer Squadron, says that the solar panel array will most likely be built along the eastern edge of the Academy near State Route 25 because that is the area of the Academy that gets the most sunlight.

The current plans involve building a facility that will convert enough sunlight with the solar panels to power more than 1400 homes.

The utility company has already been working with the military throughout the region to reduce its power use while generating even more through solar power.

This year the utility started operating a brand-new 12 acre solar panel plant at Fort Carson that generates enough electricity for over 500 homes.

The final arrangements with the Academy have not yet been made, but officials on both sides are optimistic about the process and hope to start generating electricity with solar panels within the next two years.

“It certainly adds to our renewable portfolio,” Romero said.

The solar plan is part of the academy’s effort to cut down its power bills. The school spends nearly $10 million a year on its utilities area.

“If you can cut back 10 percent, that’s $1 million,” said Lt. Col. Michael Greiner, the academy’s director of financial management.

The Academy disclosed that the details of the planned solar plant are going to be worked out in the next few weeks after the Air Force transfers the stimulus package money.

At that point the engineers from school and the utility will start work on building it.

Courtesy of Cascade Engineering

I like this design for a couple of reasons: first, the blades are “enclosed”, so you don’t have to worry about them flying off. Second, the whole package is really light, and light is good.

Product: Swift wind turbine

Cost: $10,000 installed and connected to the grid

Source: swiftwindturbine.com

A wind turbine, which is usually installed at the top of a tower, collects energy from the wind and converts it to electricity.

In other words, the wind spins the propeller which is attached to a generator. As the generator spins, it produces electricity. Depending on the generator, the electricity that is produced may or may not be compatible with your existing 120 V AC system. Many times, especially with homemade units, the generator will produce 12 VDC.

In a typical residential application, the home will use power from the wind turbine and the local utility at the same time. If the wind is blowing above what is known as “cut-in” speed, then the generator is spinning fast enough to produce electricity for the home.

If the wind is not blowing fast enough to turn the propeller, then all of the homes electrical needs are supplied by the utility company.

Typically, this is done automatically. You don’t have to run out and flip a switch when the wind starts to blow or when it stops to blow.

At the current prices of wind generators, it would be difficult to economically justify purchasing a wind generator that supplies 100% of the homes needs, even if the wind is blowing hard.

What Is The Cost Savings?

A wind turbine can lower your electrical bill buy as much as 90%. However in reality, savings of 30% or more realistic. It depends on the part of the country in which you live, much like solar power.

Look at the climate in your area regarding the average wind speed. You can get a pretty good idea of how cost-effective your wind turbine will be, based on this data.

What Size Turbine Is Best For My Needs?

The average home uses approximately 9000 kWh for electricity every year. That works out to about 760 kWh per month. Again, depending on the average wind speed in your area, a turbine rated in the range of 6-12 kW would be required to make a decent contribution to meet this demand.

Should I Consider Buying A Wind Turbine?

This certainly depends on where you are.

Some residential wind turbines can be pretty large and may not be suitable for urban or suburban homes. You may have HOA considerations.

However, as turbines become smaller and more effective, there may be a viable solution available for your home.

How Will Wind Turbines Help The Environment?

Wind turbines produce very little pollution and by using wind power you can offset pollution that would have been generated by your utility company. Over the life of a wind turbine, a small residential unit can offset approximately 1.1 tons of air pollutants.

Don’t I Have To Take Wind Measurements For A Year?

For most residential systems the cost of taking wind measurements is not justified. Wind resource data published by the U.S. Department of Energy is sufficient for an experienced evaluator to predict wind turbine performance. In very hilly or mountainous areas, however, it may be best to collect wind data before purchasing a system to ensure that your site is not in a sheltered area.

Will My Utility Allow Me To Hook Up A Wind Generator?

Current federal regulations require utilities to connect with and purchased power from small, that is less than 80 MW, wind energy systems.

Of course, the best way to find out the answer to this question is to simply call your utility company.

Will I Have To Change The Wiring In My House?

You won’t have to change any of the existing wiring, but you might want to add an extra breaker panel as part of the wind turbine system.

Do I Have To Install A Tower?

Usually, an 80 foot or higher tower is supplied with commercial wind turbines However, the choice is yours. The higher the better.

How Much Does A Wind Generator System Cost?

Commercial wind turbines can cost anywhere from $5000-$20,000 depending on the size, application and service agreements that may have been made with the manufacturer.

How Much Maintenance Is Required For A Wind Turbine?

Most wind turbines have very few moving parts and do not require any regular maintenance, as they are designed for a life span of up to 20 years.

Is A Wind Turbine A Good Investment?

Most commercial wind systems will read who their investments through utility savings within eight years. This varies on local conditions, the cost of local electricity and the initial price of the wind turbine.