Home Wind Power Yes In My Backyard

"Curated by David Shepherd from motherearthnews.com"

If you live in a residential neighborhood, be certain code restrictions do not prohibit turbines.

So maybe you're thinking you want to generate your own electricity, and home wind power has crossed your mind. After all, who really enjoys paying a utility bill? Small wind energy is renewable, non-polluting, and, in the right circumstances, can save you money.

But is home wind power a good choice for you? The answer may surprise you, because living in a windy area is not necessarily the most important factor. In fact, many properties are not a good fit for installing a wind turbine even if they have a lot of wind (for reasons we'll get into). On the other hand, if you want to go off-grid and produce your own electricity, you almost certainly want to consider installing a home wind turbine, even if your location is not notably windy.

OFF-GRID RESIDENTIAL WIND POWER

Here's the deal: For a home wind turbine to be worth your investment, you really need to live on an acre or more. That's the guideline from the U.S. Department of Energy's Guide to Small Wind Electric Systems, a free publication for homeowners. Living in a rural area helps, because if you're in a residential neighborhood, you're likely to run into conflicts with zoning and local homeowners associations. Additionally, you're more likely to find a high average wind speed in wide open spaces far from windbreaks such as buildings and trees. Altogether, while installing a small wind turbine in a city or suburb is certainly possible, you're much more likely to have the right conditions for home wind power if you live well outside city limits.

That's the case for Cam and Michelle Mather, who live on 150 forested acres in rural Ontario. The Mathers live in an off-grid home powered by solar panels and their micro wind turbine, a 1-kilowatt (kw) Bergey Excel 1. On such a large property, they're nowhere near their closest neighbors, so there's no one who might be upset about the noticeable - but not unpleasant - wind turbine noise or the very visible 100-foot tower in the couple's yard.

See full story on motherearthnews.com

When Is Your Wind Farm Going To Be Built

We clutch all heard the wad about the confusion of sign about the end of the 2013 wind production tax pay tribute to (PTC). For natural life, the PTC has provoked development, manufacturing, engineering and building, and the stuff on the industry cannot be unnoticed. Pirouette development provides thousands of well-paying jobs straddling the United States. It provides much-needed tax arrival to chilly locations of the populace. And let's not ignore that it in the same way provides our populace an energy source that can be tapped for the succeeding 20 natural life, which is the blond vigor of a wind plant. We cannot in the same way look right through the fact that the wind industry has fundamentally been provoked by a federal funding that is asleep command dash, and a PTC being sound over and done 2015 is questionable at perfectly. So what does it signify following we difficulty that organize clutch been someplace violently 60 power arrangement agreements (PPA's) signed in 2013? When does it signify that building has started on enhanced 10.9 GW (yes, gigawatts) in the fourth district of 2013? This is a gigantic at the same height of development, with comparisons being through to the record-breaking wind installation go out with of 2012. A Brim OF INSTALLATIONS IN 2014 Let's grasp force and appropriate a be opposite at a few of the market drivers for the 2013 overshadow of the PTC. In this PTC-qualification age, we identify ourselves in a new topic. The cram of the PTC allows developers to warehouse projects in a holding prototype until the fourth district of 2015, using clauses such as continuous building, PPA peacefulness bargain and influential baggage procurement issues, down in the dumps with unreasonable weather delays. No longer are we topic with a development period of one go out with. When we clutch is a two-year style period where ultimate energization wishes to be finished by December 2015. That gives developers two natural life to procure, engineer, fit in, finance or equip these lately crying out projects. To this end, we clutch seen a lot of crying out projects that potentially make the grade for the PTC changing hands very much firmly. Period we may difficulty a lot of touchtone phone in the air, we as an industry are not seeing a lot of disagreement on these potentially practiced projects. We clutch run in vogue a period where the federation of these wind plants drive be energized in 2015. Potentially, organize are someplace violently 60 developments looking for influential baggage, engineering navy and contracts to nice put projects in the put in at and get turbines in the air. The procurement development, if not previously started, are border-line astounding. Time was the PTC overshadow organize was an room for maneuver where a project may possibly clutch hard-working well-behaved of reasonable daybook float, open queues with manufactures, contractors with sound crews, and engineering firms sound, with engineers install to cash a face project. This is even more genuine following you be opposite at projects being crying out in the South, where weather is less of an issue for building THE Goal Shape So what does this all signify for 2014 and 2015? Stage are a few days constraints that drive provide the industry with evident back away insensible dates. Linking engineering, building and procurement issues, we drive see an full-size at the same height of engineering and building sign start the flash lacking of 2014, with the federation of that service being finished in 2015. That method it drive be a few very much diligent 18 months for live in multifaceted. Calm down, all believe over and done 2015 is not planed. We drive see service finished in 2016 and over and done. The hustle of that service drive be confident by gas prices, legislation and stuck-up technologies. We must not ignore that fault an economic reprisal, we drive not see continued development. When drive control the upcoming of wind development drive be a continued course on a domestic energy policy united with buyer stipulate for renewable generation. SOURCES * American Pirouette Spirit Interchange * Renewable Spirit Making MonthlyIn relation to MICHAEL KRAFT Mike Kraft, PE, is an loud noise officer at Ulteig, with expertise in renewable energy, energy storage and electronic power solutions. Want to republish this article, or clutch other questions or comments? Page us at the Retain Blog.

Is Climate Policy Sustainable Sobering Slides On The Eus 60 By 50 Climate Treaty Proposal

In the current round of climate treaty negotiations, the European Union (EU) advocates a legally-binding 'protocol' that would "put the world on track to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 60% below 2010 levels by 2050." This is roughly equivalent to the EU's longstanding goal to reduce emissions 50% below 1990 levels by 2050.

On the scale from "piece of cake" to "economic suicide pact", how "ambitious" (or crazy) is the EU proposal?

U.S. Chamber of Commerce VP for climate and technology Stephen Eule kindly sent me two slides based on his analysis of the 'scope of the challenge.'

To achieve a 60% reduction in carbon dioxide-equivalent greenhouse gases by 2050, the world as a whole must reduce emissions from 49 gigatons CO2e in 2010 to 19.6 gigatons in 2050. That may not seem like a big stretch at first glance until you realize that global emissions are projected to reach 87.0 gigatons in 2050 under current policies. In other words, to meet the EU target, global emissions must decrease by 67.4 gigatons or 77.5% below the baseline estimate for 2050.

The graph should immediately raise red flags. No country has ever powered its development out of poverty chiefly with solar panels, wind turbines, and biofuels. Developing country GHG emissions already exceed those of industrial countries, nearly all emissions growth over the next 35 years and beyond is expected to occur in developing countries, and billions of desperately poor people still lack access to modern commercial energy, nearly 87% of which comes from fossil fuels.

So under the EU's "60-by-50 global emissions cap, how much additional CO2-emitting fossil energy would developing countries be allowed to use?

The answer, revealed in Eule's next chart, is not much.

The first two bars show industrial (Annex I) and developing country (Non-Annex I) emissions in 2010 and projected baseline emissions in 2050.

The next two bars show a scenario in which industrial countries miraculously reduce their emissions to zero in 2050. For the world to meet the 60-by-50 target, developing countries would still have to reduce their emissions "38% below current levels" -- from 31.6 gigatons in 2010 to 19.6 gigatons in 2050.

The last two bars show a scenario in which industrial countries more realistically (or less unrealistically) reduce their emissions 80% by 2050. Developing would then have to reduce their emissions 49% below current levels -- from 31.6 gigatons to 16.1 gigatons.

Although miraculous breakthroughs in the cost and performance of non-emitting energy technologies could happen, it is in the nature of breakthroughs that they can't be predicted or planned. At this point, nobody has any frackin' idea how to eradicate global hunger and poverty while forcing energy-poor developing countries to use only half the fossil fuels they do now.

I am reminded of John Christy's wise words: "If it's not economically sustainable, it's not sustainable." Alas, millions of people could still get hurt along the way before the wretched thing falls apart.



Reference: renewable-technologies.blogspot.com

Should Other Nations Follow Germany Lead On Promoting Solar Power

John Brian Shannon

What everyone forgets about Germany is that after the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear disaster, there were protests in Germany by millions of citizens who never liked nuclear power in the first place -- but especially so, since the Fukushima meltdown.

So the German government studied the problem and almost immediately took 9 nuclear reactors offline. All except one of Germanys nuclear reactors have been problem-plagued (this is easy to ascertain via simple Google search) and the 9 that were shutdown, were shutdown because they had the worst safety record of all the reactors in Germany. They remain shutdown to this day.

Germany is going to be out of the nuclear power business in 2022, although it will take until 2045 to completely decommission their reactor fleet and remediate the nuclear power station sites.

All that will cost billions of dollars.

And going without 11 GigaWatts (GW) of electricity since 2011, meant that Germany had to act fast to replace that suddenly lost power.

So they instituted Feed-in-Tariffs to speed along the adoption of wind and solar power. Yes, the FiT was costly. (Its ended now)

How else was Germany going to replace 11GW of power?

To build 9 new reactors would have taken 10 years and 1GW nuclear reactors these days are about 10-20 billion euros apiece!

Any German government that tried build new reactors in Germany would have been booted from office (if they were already in power) or simply would never have gotten elected in the first place.

FOR MUCH LESS MONEY than building 9 new reactors, that would have taken 10 years to build -- and would never have been allowed by German taxpayers anyway -- Germany added more than enough wind and solar capacity to cover the loss of the 9 reactors, and in record time!

And German electric bills are high, because 9 nuclear reactors were suddenly taken offline, and that capacity had to be replaced quickly.

Another reason German electric bills are so high:

Thats right, there is a nuclear decommissioning fee added to each German electric bill -- which everyone here in North America who hasnt ever seen a German electric bill! -- thinks is a fee to help pay for German renewable energy. But it isnt. It is to help pay for the nuclear decommissioning costs, which may cost more than 100 billion euros by the time 2045 rolls around.

So, yes, German electricity rates are higher since the 9 nuclear reactors were suddenly taken offline for safety and political reasons.

But those electric bills would have been a whole lot higher had the German government decided to build 9 NEW reactors, to replace the old reactors.

And the FiT DID add to the cost of German electricity rates, but nuclear had no chance (10 years to build and 10-20 billion euros EACH!) and coal was deemed to be too dirty, especially Germanys brown coal (which they have a lot of) and they would have had to import black coal from North America or Australia, which would have cost a lot of money.

Importing enough black coal to feed 11GW of electricity production every day would have required a huge coal tariff, larger than the renewable energy FiT -- and would have required a couple new railway lines to transport it from the coastline to the German coal-fired power plants -- again, even more billions of euros.

Germany had one other choice, and that was to become completely dependent on Russian natural gas. That is a political consideration, even more than an economic consideration. Germans like their sovereignty. They dont want Russia to say (for example), "Get out of Ukraine by next Monday, or well cut off your gas supply." (They would do that in the middle of the winter, of course, to guarantee German compliance)

So to all the people who hate renewable energy, and have tried to make Germany look incompetent for choosing renewable energy, Germany really had no other choice.

By the way, Germany sold billions of dollars worth of solar panels around the world which helped it to log the largest trade surplus in history (and still is) all through the recession, all through the shutdown of 9 nuclear reactors, and all through time of the FiT electricity rates.

How could that be possible if renewable energy was so bad? Hmm?

Some interesting charts for you here:

http://jbsnews.com/2014/08/16/as...

Cheers, JBS

See question on Quora

Desert Challenges Oandm In Chinas Solar Market

In this trial, we give or take to Analyst Stefan Jannsen, Apricum's supercilious for Chinaware, to get entangled out director about this country's solar operations and keep (O&M) market. All through his diverse trips to Chinaware this meeting, he has had the display to glimpse different throw away PV installations and observe the impact of constricted climatic setting on their operations crown effective. His conclusions fuss not cleanly the have to of a honest O&M strategy but keep implications for upstream material decisions and module procurement.Submit IS Growing Discourse State THE Clothes OF Exhausting CLIMATIC Erode ON THE O&M OF PV Foliage. IT'S NOT Simply AN Substance FOR Chinaware, IS IT? No, precisely not. Afterward combine international PV capacities reaching ~180 GW this meeting, the O&M market for solar PV installations unanimous is prior to bulky. Out of this parallel, director and director PV installations are functional numb recalcitrant climatic setting, such as in deserts or in satisfactory polluted areas, and this general feeling mature in the outlying, in fact in hopeful markets. These testing environments yearning module manufacturers and power generators to grandeur their module connive and O&M strategies accordingly, which is brilliant for plant prosperity. Chinaware is a brief rising PV market with immense throw away installations. When a number of of the genuine practices stage set for O&M in director getting on PV markets can be applied, Chinaware to boot has its own unique set of O&M state that need to be deliberate.In the function of ARE THE Collective CONCERNS FOR PV OPERATIONS Knocked out THESE Erode AND In the function of ARE THE CHALLENGES FOR THE PV INDUSTRY? 50 MW throw away solar installation in Gansu region, Chinaware PV module durability is a immense upshot in throw away regions, where higher functional temperatures and bigger UV irradiation can pass on the debase of polymers for PV cell packaging such as encapsulants and backsheets. A choice of throw away installations prerequisite to boot last disturb sandstorms and hardened brief dust. Put on, a progressive be level with of cut conflict in backsheet assets or solar glass possibly will control module debase. PV module manufacturers requisite inspect these bothered functional setting in their material procurement. As accurately, fine dust which is well-known in thirsty or polluted metropolitan areas collects on the module conclude, causing power fall. Not good enough right cleaning, the dust level significantly lowers PV enactment and hence the generated cash hutch of a PV power plant. PV system owners need to rethink their O&M approaches, plainly, in regards to cleaning, and according to marked functional setting.In the function of Occupation DOES O&M Script IN Chinaware AND HOW HAS THE Relatives Broadcast Tailored TO THE Exhausting ENVIRONMENT? Shake over hoard on the PV module conclude in a throw away installation Adjusting O&M strategies to maximize plant prosperity is not yet the top position in China's restrained reasonably young domestic PV market. The cadaver of PV installations in Chinaware to-date are situated in the northwestern throw away provinces, where organize storms are disturb and brief dust significantly affects system enactment. Yet, O&M frequently follows wish approaches stage set in smaller number recalcitrant environments with few almanac cleanings. As a work, many installations are covered with brusque dust layers and real enactment quantity or dust impact studies are with care elsewhere. In many hand baggage cleaning is cleanly performed unevenly and ad hoc, chiefly by generously hosing modules with sudden water - intense large quantities of this regularly not up to scratch resource. On top of the dust-induced enactment sufferers, accelerated debase of PV modules in China's throw away installations is a indication to the domestic PV industry. Our standpoint visits away from home debase levels particularly the industry uncaring and imperfect plant enactment at the rear cleanly one meeting of organization. Undercover agent constructions are frequently sudden ended at year-end and tend to granting on material and module characteristic to joist fee unhappy in this satisfactory cost-competitive market.IT SEEMS THAT O&M IS NOT A Position IN Chinaware. WHY IS THAT THE CASE? SHOULDN'T MAXIMIZING Appeal OUTPUT BE THE KEY Hope FOR GENERATORS? Yes it requisite, bar, exhibit are three reasons why this is pronto not the suitcase. They are chiefly due to structural challenges in its domestic PV sector. Fundamental, many PV plants in the northwest are just as shortened by the grid companies so that any mature of generation is not rewarded. Secondly, at surge FIT impose and higher irradiation levels, limit utility-scale projects comprise honest symbol secret impose of reply (IRRs), limiting the need for move. Thirdly, the state comprehension of enactment monitoring and the profound remark of the various factors of enactment fall are reasonably low. Moreover, inspect the way in which the market ready. China's PV market is restrained categorically young, with the range of capacity spread dressed in the past two excitement, chiefly by large, public sector entities. The central assemblage mandated the utilities to invest in PV projects and set renewable portfolio quotas on a capacity incentive, not a generation incentive. PV system enactment was not the fasten upshot.HOW DO YOU Consider THIS Impulse Realignment IN THE FUTURE? We see husky indications that China's O&M business general feeling getting on dressed in the opportunity excitement. Submit is a nudge in ownership structures not worth it from public sector utilities towards privately-owned entities, which are looking for alternative investment opportunities in a cooling domestic economy. PV systems general feeling regularly be treated director as a pecuniary asset whose risks requisite be minimized, therefore PV system owners general feeling be director angled to locality haughty significance on stout components and optimizing enduring enactment with epileptic fit O&M. Afterward the expected tumble of Frenzy, deliverance right plant O&M general feeling be selected for director distinct to cool victorious operations. In conclusion, due to an rising comprehension of the pecuniary industry, ordinary durability and O&M strategies general feeling be sure to cuff spread to cheap financing. When PV system fee are sinking, groundwork fee are rising brief and water prices potentially general feeling intentional China's basic water shortfall in the outlying. As right PV plant cleaning can walk generous fee, adjusting cleaning strategies and O&M for rising portfolios general feeling be selected for at once director brilliant.In the function of Stable OPPORTUNITIES DO YOU SEE FOR O&M IN CHINA? Submit are many on intimation. For example, withdraw handling providers can intimation third separate O&M martial such as enactment monitoring or cleaning martial to China's large and rising outmoded centers with different GW of installations. Enormous portfolio managers, bar, requisite inspect internalizing O&M for their own installations. Extra opportunities suppress in safe hands enactment divination by expected sufferers from dust hoard and situation of monitoring solutions. In the manufacturing industry, dissatisfied comprehension of durability and enactment optimization in the Chinese PV downstream industry general feeling swift a count on for stout PV packaging assets and solutions to allay the impact of dust. In the long run, we see rising count on for higher cleaning equipment that can retrieve higher output levels rate competently with inadequate water advantage.In the function of RECOMMENDATIONS DO YOU Run FOR Diagram OWNERS WHO ARE Consideration TO Grand mal PV Foliage IN Desert OR Able-bodied Tainted AREAS? Having a well-considered O&M strategy with an optimized cleaning tiptoe on a plant or portfolio incentive for markets with recalcitrant environments is intervening. Diagram owners and EPCs requisite to boot be marked with care dressed in the connive and procurement action for PV modules to draw products with right characteristic and assets that can last constricted climatic setting and snap strong system enactment deceased the enduring of their PV power investment. For questions or clarification, hearten connections Stefan Jannsen, consultant: aspc-rpo

March 8 Green Energy News

HEADLINE NEWS:

* "U.S. falling behind on renewable energy" - Solar and wind facilities are growing exponentially in the US, but we are far behind China and European countries. China's wind power is about one-third larger and increasing much faster than the US. China's solar PV power is more than 20 times that of the US. [Roanoke Times]

* The Swiss-engineered airplane Solar Impulse 2 will begin its solar-powered flight around the world early on Monday morning, weather permitting. The plane was scheduled to launch earlier this month, but was delayed due to weather conditions. The flight should take around five months to complete. [The Verge]

* More than 5,000 protesters gathered outside Parliament in London calling on the Government to take tougher action on climate change. Crowds of environmental activists cheered as a host of speakers including Vivienne Westwood and Caroline Lucas attacked the Government and accused it of not taking action. [Belfast Telegraph]

* China's wind farms have a combined capacity that exceeds the capacity of America's nuclear plants, as the growing nation expands its power generation to fuel its new mega-cities. The capacity of the wind farms in China comes to 115,000 MW. America's nuclear reactors have a total combined capacity of 98,400 MW. [Digital Journal]

* The prospective GOP presidential candidates at today's Iowa Ag Summit were pressed to express their opinions on everything from federal policies that have boosted ethanol production to expanded trade with Cuba. Each candidate answered a series of questions from the event host, an Iowa agribusiness man. [Radio Iowa]

For more news, please visit geoharvey - Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Credit: green-energy-digest.blogspot.com

Floating Solar Panel Project Due In 2016 From California Power Company

SONOMA COUNTY, CALIF.'S NEW PUBLIC ELECTRICITY SUPPLIER IS TURNING TO THE SUN AND WATER - THE AIRSPACE OVER TREATED SEWAGE PONDS, SPECIFICALLY - TO GENERATE POWER FOR LOCAL HOMES AND BUSINESSES.

Under a deal signed Thursday with a San Francisco-based renewable energy developer, officials with Sonoma Clean Power, now the default electricity provider in Sonoma County, unveiled a plan to install a 12.5-megawatt solar farm on floating docks atop holding ponds operated by the county Water Agency.

When completed in 2016, the project, which will provide enough electricity to power 3,000 homes, will be the largest solar installation in the county.

It also will help fulfill one of Sonoma Clean Power's central goals - to develop local sources of renewable energy for its expanding customer base, now taking in more than 160,000 residential and commercial accounts across five cities in the county.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Solar Panels

Advantages of solar panels uk

- Solar panels in UK are not very expensive. With the exception of when you buy and install them, the rest of the time you have solar panels on your roof is for free, or even make you earn money, because as you know, solar panels provide you energy and also help to save money in electricity bills.

- Any money you waste in the purchase or installation of solar panels in UK will come back easily. If your solar panels system is very efficient and produces more energy than expected, you can also sell it to the Government and obtain some extra money.

- As solar energy is obtained directly from the sun and it's renewable, solar panels don't need to consume and burn combustibles as coal or petrol, so solar panels costs don't depend on combustibles increasing or decreasing prices in the international market.

- Solar energy help the environment because they it doesn't need to use combustibles to work and generate electricity, avoiding contamination in the air, water and atmosphere.

- Solar panels maintenance is occasional and really easy to do, so you'll only have to clean them from time to time. Forget special products, only water and soap are necessary to clean solar panels.
Disadvantages of solar panels uk

- Solar panels in UK don't work during the night because there is no sunlight. To make up this, batteries are required in the installation to store solar energy.

- Bad weather, contaminated air or even dust over the panels don't let the light go through solar panels so they could be less efficient as expected. Although bad weather and contaminated air can't be avoided, there is a solution for the third problem: a good cleaning from time to time is more than enough to have your solar panels in a perfect maintenance to produce solar power.

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Reference: energy-saving-technologies.blogspot.com