The Real Cost of Windpower

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

4th Annual Wind Power Conference Held in Turkey

4th Annual Wind Power Conference Held in Turkey
Today is the second day of the 4th Annual Wind Power Conference, taking place in Istanbul, Turkey.  A number of people have said “why Turkey?” Well, for the clever investor, Turkey represents a real jewel in terms of wind power development. For starters, its economy is growing, something to be noted in comparison with Europe and… Read the rest

National Geographic Showcases England’s Greenest Island

National Geographic Showcases England’s Greenest Island
The Isle of Wight, 2 miles off the South coast of Britain, is a diamond shaped island that has some fine views, a fine annual music festival (the 1969 one featured the Doors, Jimi Hendrix, and Bob Dylan), an amazing castle (Carisbrooke), and is where my parents used to take me for holidays (Sandown and Shanklin)!  … Read the rest

UK to Import Wind Power from Ireland

UK to Import Wind Power from Ireland
The UK Government is considering plans to import wind power from Ireland to the National Grid via cables under the Irish Sea. The power would then be fed to areas in North and West Wales to up to three million homes. Element Power said the £6bn scheme could save consumers billions of pounds as it is… Read the rest

UK Coalition Government Must Display Leadership

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

Denmark Create High-Tech Wind TurbineTest Centre

Denmark Create High-Tech Wind TurbineTest Centre
6 October saw the inauguration of a state-of-the-art Wind Turbine Test Centre at Østerild, Denmark. It’s the world’s first purpose-built test site than can accommodate the tallest masted wind turbines produced today, under optimum wind conditions. Given that Denmark has but 7 years to meet its energy target of half of its energy consumption having been… Read the rest

Wind Turbine Innovations

Wind Turbine Innovations
The saying “when the going gets tough, the tough get going!”  is one the can be applied with gusto to the wind turbine industry. The current recession has seen re-doubled efforts to improve designs and squeeze out more for less across turbine manufacturers. These include complete wind turbine redesigns as well as the smaller evolutionary steps… Read the rest

250Mw German Coastal Wind Farm Developments Delayed by Porpoises

250Mw German Coastal Wind Farm Developments Delayed by Porpoises
It’s generally agreed that the cost of building and commissioning off-shore wind farms is more than onshore wind farms. But the cost of   German projects to build a massive wind farm is now going to cost a lot more, due to the danger to thousands of  porpoises. The project  will cover an area that is eight… Read the rest

Is This the End of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines?

Is This the End of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines?
No one would deny that San Diego based Helix Wind’s Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) were captivating to watch in motion. Both their corkscrew motion and their efficiency in terms of space taken compared to conventional wind turbines caught everyone’s attention five years ago. However in may of this year, Helix Wind was forced to auction… Read the rest

Nuclear Power is Too Expensive- “It’s a Gas and Wind World Today”

Nuclear Power is Too Expensive- “It’s a Gas and Wind World Today”
Last year, there were forecasts that electricity generated from nuclear plants would be cheaper than, or about the same price, as natural gas. But Jeff Immelt now says no. And he should know- he’s the CEO of GE! Jeffrey R. Immelt is the ninth chairman of GE, formerly General Electric, the atomic/nuclear industry pioneer.  He is… Read the rest