Green Energy News | May 3, 1998

May 3, 1998 – Vol.3 No.5

ENERGIES... week of May 3, 1998

WATCHING THE WIND BLOW. Visitors to www.wisconsinwindproject.com can view real-time performance data for two new wind turbines. Power output and other data is posted every fifteen minutes and can be downloaded to spreadsheets for long term evaluation by wind energy aficionados.

The two turbines in the “Low Wind Speed Turbine Project” are planted in prairie farmland outside the Town of Glenmore in Brown County, Wisconsin where wind speeds average 13 miles per hour. The German-built Tacke 600-e turbines have a rotor diameter of 151 feet and can provide power for up to 450 homes when running at full capacity.

Public and industry access to the performance data is for educational purposes, research information and as a marketing tool for wind energy. DENet (tm) is the energy monitoring and management system for the turbines. Information on DENet can be found at http://www.wpsenergy.com. Internet hosting is provided by Wisconsin Public Service.

Other recently announced wind projects in America’s heartland include two low wind speed turbines to be used in Wisconsin Energy’s Energy For Tomorrow (tm) renewable energy option program, and three similar turbines in Minnesota to be used in Cooperative Power’s (CP) Wellspring Renewable Energy Program.

SOLAR POWERED INTERNET. United Solar, in a joint venture with Sky Station International to be known as Sky Solar L.L.C., will provide photovoltaic products for Skystation’s planned stratospheric broad band communications network. The lighter-than-air stationary platforms hovering 70,000 ft (21 km) above major metropolitan areas will provide low-cost Internet access, telephone and videophone service.

Under clean solar and fuel cell power the airships can remain stationary or move under their own power for redeployment, or can be brought back to earth for refurbishment. Overall cost, of course, will be far cheaper than space-based satellite systems which require expensive launch vehicles and satellites.

United Solar makes a wide variety of PV solar products including PV roofing shingles and metal roofing for building-integrated PV systems. Aerospatiale of France and Alenia Spazio of Italy will do major development work on the platforms.

SOLAR POWERED FLIGHT. NASA and AeroVironment have announced details of their semi-perpetual flight, solar-powered. propeller-driven aircraft. The Centurian will have a wingspan of 206 ft (longer than a Boeing 747) and weigh only 1100 pounds. Solar panels from SunPower of Sunnyvale will provide electricity to drive 14 motors of 2 horsepower each. The wing mounted panels wll be “bifacial” - collecting rays on both sides through clear plastic wing skins - to absorb sunlight reflected from earth or cloud tops.

The Centurian is expected to soar above 100,000 feet. Sorry, no seats available. The aircraft is a drone used for research.