World Wind Watch | Green Energy News

April 2, 2006 – Vol.11 No.2

WORLD WIND WATCH.

The sun doesn’t shine all day. Rarely does the wind blow steadily all day long, day after day. Solar, wind and tidal energy are intermittent sources of energy, but is this a problem?

No, according to a lengthy study by the UK Energy Research Center (UKERC).

After reviewing more than 200 studies, the UKERC concluded that:

-- Renewable energy, such as wind energy, leads to a direct reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

-- The output of fossil fuel power plants on the same grid as the renewable energy will have to be adjusted to cope with fluctuations in wind output, but the overall savings in emissions is worth it.

-- 100-percent back-up for individual renewable energy sources is not necessary. Additional back-up capacity is needed to keep energy supplies secure, but it is possible to work out and plan for what’s needed.

--- A wide geographical dispersion and diversity of renewable resources will keep intermittency costs down. While the wind may have stopped blowing at one wind farm, another on the same grid may still be churning.

For the full report, and more findings, visit the UK Energy Research Center at http://www.ukerc.ac.uk .

Constellation NewEnergy, a subsidiary of Constellation Energy based in Baltimore, Maryland, has agreed, under a 10-year contract, to buy all the power from the yet-to-be-built $130 million, 90-megawatt Redington wind farm near the Sugarloaf Mountain ski resort in Maine.

The power purchase agreement between Constellation NewEnergy and Maine Mountain Power, a division of wind developer Endless Energy, will allow for business customers to purchase wind generated electricity for a ten-year, fixed-price contract. Customers won’t experience the price volatility of fossil fuels. Local utility Western Mountain Power will initially offer the wind energy to nearby medium and large-sized businesses, schools, colleges and hospitals.

Redington, set to have 30, 3-megawatt turbines, still needs final approvals. Visit Constellation at http://www.constellationenergy.com/ Endless Energy at http://www.endlessenergy.com/ .

Southwest Windpower, which claims to be the world leader in small wind turbines, has received $8 million in capital to develop a small wind turbine for homes that will be 60 percent cheaper to own and operate than those now available.

The company says small wind turbine sales have increased 50 percent in the past two years and they would like to expand their portfolio of wind products which now range from 400 - 3000 watts.

A variation of the company’s line of Air X turbines is produced by Zephyr in Japan which, on its own, has developed the new state-of-the-art Dolphin turbine. While it’s only speculation, Southwest’s new turbine might be a variation of the Dolphin. Visit Southwest Windpower at http://www.windenergy.com/ , Zephyr at https://www.zephyreco.co.jp/