Wind Science • Wind Power For Every Home

Flagging Up the Future of Wind Power?

“You got me flipping like a flag on a pole/Come on baby let the good times roll!” The words of the song were brought to my mind when I came across some interesting research recently. When one thinks of wind energy one thinks of large towering majestic turbines spinning atop hills or in arrays beyond the… Read the rest

Wind Power… With no Wind!

As we all know, when the wind is blowing, the electricity is generating. When it’s not, it stops. The problem of storing wind-generated energy for the times when the wind isn’t blowing is one that occupies us as much as new wind turbine designs does. But a revoloutionary approach from researchers at the world renowned Massechussetts… Read the rest

The Sound of Wind Turbines

Opponents of wind farms claim that there are high levels of infrasound and low frequency sounds that are generated by wind turbines and that these pose a potentially serious threat to communities near wind farms. This is called wind turbine syndrome by some people, and a lot of research and experimentation by manufacturers of turbines, government… Read the rest

Why are Wind Turbines White?

Do you know why wind turbines are invariably white in colour? Henry Ford, the father of mass production famously said of his Model T-Ford, you can have any colour as long as it’s black. It seem the same is true of wind turbines. Except that the colour is white. Given that some people claim that they… Read the rest

Solution To The Wind Power Battery Issue?

One of the major problems with wind power is the (in)ability to store the power generated. When it is windy, everything is fine and dandy. But on calm days in Winter, how are you going to power your home? There may be a solution at hand: Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) SLAC National… Read the rest

Sailing Close to the Wind?

Wind turbines are springing up all across the globe as Governments harvest one of the cleanest renewable energies, the wind. The majority of wind turbines are the traditional three-bladed turbines, and while they may be getting larger, and more efficient, there’s a limit to the efficiency achievable with a bladed wind turbine. It’s known as Betz’… Read the rest

The Real Cost of Windpower

I must confess to sometimes getting very exasperated with the grumbles and complaints voiced by some consumers, politicians, economists, and of course the fossil fuel lobby, when they point to the fact that windpower is more expensive than traditional carbon-generating fuels. It’s like saying that advertising and programmes to ween people of cigarettes are expensive, and… Read the rest

UK Coalition Government Must Display Leadership

The UK coalition Government of Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, led by David Cameron, boasted of their green credentials when they came to power. About to introduce an energy bill into Parliament in the next few weeks, it is essential that the Coalition shows its political leadership, and its grasp of economic analysis, and listen to what… Read the rest

WORLD WIND MAPS – WORLD WIND ATLAS – DIRECTORY

World Wind Maps – Wind Atlases of the World. This article provides you with essential links to world wide wind maps. The maps contain data on the wind speed and wind direction in a region. Typically, a climatological wind atlas covers hourly averages at a standard height (10 meter) over even longer periods (30 years). You… Read the rest

The Worlds First Floating Wind Turbine Launched In Norway

GALWAY, IRELAND – 15th September 2009 – The world’s first full-scale floating wind turbine, StatoilHydro’s ‘Hywind,’ took to the high seas last week for a two-year trial that will lead to wind turbines that can be deployed in much deeper waters than currently possible. Is the future of wind power floating off the Norwegian coast? Floating… Read the rest