DIY Wind Turbine- The Cost of Wind Energy
April 21, 2012 by Abel Ferguson
Filed under Green Energy
DIY Wind Turbine- The Cost of Wind Energy
Article by John O Toole
Wind energy is presented as an alternate to harmful fossil fuels, and it is gaining importance with time.And now many households are turning to wind and sun to reduce their energy costs with wind power and solar energy.
DIY wind turbines are used to utilize the energy of the wind and a lot of work has been done to make them more affordable. However, buying a wind energy system still requires a large investment, but there is a way in which you can cut costs significantly.
This technique to cut costs involves making your own wind energy turbine. Wind turbines are available in large and small sizes. Building your own turbine means that you will be able to control costs to a certain extent.
Wind energy systems have different components like a generator, rotating shaft, gearbox, mounting tower, etc. An understanding of how to put together the whole system is necessary for building your own turbine wind generator but this type of information is freely available online now.
Diy wind turbine manuals can help you with the entire process. These manuals contain instructions and diagrams that explain things in a step by step manner so that you do everything correctly. Many do it yourself guides and manuals are available online and the basic components can be purchased at most hardware stores.
Building your own turbine is a very practical way of providing electrical energy for your house. Small wind energy turbines can be used to power household appliances and lighting.
You have the choice to either choose a horizontal-axis wind turbine or a vertical-axis. In horizontal-axis turbines the blades are facing the wind direction, while in vertical they can be in different directions. Horizontal-axis wind turbines are the most commonly used.
The vertical-axis turbines are more suitable in places where wind direction can vary frequently.
You can setup your own wind energy system for as low as $ 200. A Diy wind turbine is economical and clean and will payback the initial investment in about 3 years.
Clearly there is a huge benefit to the environment also and you can play your part in reducing environmental pollution.
Download your FREE ebook “Solar Power For Energy” at FreeEnergyMagnetMotor.com now and discover how you can reduce your home energy costs and be kinder to the planet with clean, renewable sources of energy such as wind power, solar power etc.
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50 KW VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINE
April 30, 2011 by
Filed under Green Electronics
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25 KW Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
April 12, 2011 by
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Siemens chooses Hull for wind turbine plant generating 700 jobs
January 20, 2011 by drjohnmcgowan
Filed under Green Energy
• Associated British Ports will build £100m berth in Hull
• Siemens plans to invest £80m to build a wind turbine plant
German engineering conglomerate Siemens has selected Associated British Port’s (ABP) Hull development to build what will be Britain’s first major offshore wind turbine manufacturing plant.
The decision means that ABP is in line to receive about £20m for the development from the government’s ports upgrade fund, which energy secretary Chris Huhne fought to save from the spending cuts in October’s comprehensive spending review. Siemens’ proposed plant will also create about 700 jobs and the news will be a boost for Hull, which has beaten off competition from ports in Teesside, Sunderland and the Humber which had also been shortlisted for the project.
Siemens will announce today that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with ABP over its Green Port Hull proposed development at Alexandria Dock. The two companies have yet to sign a formal binding contract.
Under the plan, ABP would build a £100m deepwater berth at the port capable of handling the new generation of large offshore wind turbines. It would be one of the biggest single investments ABP has made in Britain. Siemens also wants to build a new £80m wind turbine plant on the site.
The two companies hope to sign definitive agreements this year. Siemens, together with General Electric and Mitsubishi, which also plans to build similar plants in Britain, had threatened to go elsewhere if the £60m ports funding had been withdrawn. It is understood that Siemens was looking at alternative sites in western Denmark to build a plant to make turbines for the North Sea.The two companies will work to develop the plans for the new Siemens plant and export facility at the Port.
The news from Siemens and ABP will also be a shot in the arm for the government’s attempts to create new jobs from the “green economy”, particularly from the manufacturing of wind turbines, which are being rapidly installed off the British coast.
Industry sources estimate that the proportion of UK-sourced components in onshore wind farms is as low as 6%, with companies bemoaning the missed opportunity for British manufacturers and the wider economy as vast sums are now being spent on renewable energy.
Some government advisers believe the state could do more to promote British turbine manufacturers, for example by introducing specifications for UK wind farms that would benefit domestic firms.
Wind turbine maker Skykon in administration
January 6, 2011 by drjohnmcgowan
Filed under Green Energy
• 120 staff sent home from Scottish plant without pay
• Scottish parliament had provided £2m in rescue funds
Britain’s nascent wind manufacturing industry has suffered a blow after the owner of Scotland’s only large turbine plant went into administration.
The plant near Campbeltown, owned by Danish firm Skykon, has been closed and more than 120 staff sent home without pay after Ernst & Young was appointed as administrators this week.
A spokesman for the administrators said several expressions of interest had been received for the business and that staff would be updated next week.
The future of the plant has been uncertain for several years. The Scottish government last year agreed to provide a £9m rescue loan to persuade Skykon to buy it from Danish rival Vestas. But Skykon has been in insolvency proceedings for months in Denmark after a slowdown in wind turbine orders across Europe. Only about £2m of the loan has already been paid. Ernst & Young declined to comment on whether the Scottish government would get that money back.
The prospects of production resuming at the plant are bleak. The number of new wind farms being planned in Europe is falling because governments are withdrawing subsidies to cut budget deficits while energy companies’ balance sheets are becoming increasingly strained.
Analysts are forecasting that in Britain this year the industry will see a big drop in orders for offshore turbines and other related equipment.
According to Douglas-Westwood the energy and renewables consultancy, there will be a 93% drop in installations of offshore wind farms in 2013 and some developers are concerned the dip could last several years if big projects planned for the North Sea are delayed. Typically, orders are received two or three years before wind farms are ready for installation.
Citigroup analysts said growth in new wind installations in Europe would be only 1% this year, after a 14% increase in 2010. Globally, the wind industry is still growing, driven by Chinese demand.
Vestas recently announced it was cutting 3,000 jobs, about 13% of its workforce.
Edinburgh’s role in Mitsubishi offshore wind turbine plan
December 3, 2010 by drjohnmcgowan
Filed under Green Energy
Japanese firm takes over Artemis in Loanhead and plans a further 200 jobs
Mitsubishi has pledged to invest £100m over five years in plans to turn Edinburgh and the Lothians into a ‘green energy hub.’
The company aims to create research and development hub for offshore wind technology, to try to help the Scottish government reach its renewable energy targets. Areas for potential offshore development have previously been identified, including one site on the east coast known as the Forth Array.
Unveiling a package of announcements today in Edinburgh, Mitsubishi announced it had acquired Loanhead-based Artemis Intelligent Power (AIP) – a company which grew from research into fluid power at the University of Edinburgh in 1994.
New ownership safeguards the 25 existing jobs and creates 30 new engineering posts at the firm.
Between Artemis and a new ‘Centre for Advanced Technology’ the Japanese firm says it hopes to create a further 200 jobs over five years to research new green energy technologies towards mass production.
They are yet to decide where the new centre will be. A spokesperson confirmed it would be somewhere within the Lothians and said announcements would be made in the coming months.
If the research is successful, Mitsuibishi and the Scottish government hope it will lead to the creation of a major offshore wind turbine manufacturing site in Scotland.
Win Rampen, the managing director of AIP, said it will continue as an independent technology company, with Mitsubishi taking 100% shareholding. He said:
“This marks a huge step forward for the development of our game-changing technology.
“Drawing on the breadth and depth of Mitsubishi’s expertise and skills, AIP look forward to accelerating our research and development work with a view to our technology being used in turbines in UK and European waters by 2015.”
Largest turbines on earth
First Minister Alex Salmond met officials from Mitsubishi this morning to reveal the plans to the national and local media.
They displayed images of Mitsubishi’s J-Series gas turbine, which the firm claims is the largest and most efficient gas turbine in the world. The images showed a montage of size-comparisons, including how they compare to the Scott Monument in Edinburgh.
Salmond said:
“Scotland is a leader in the development of clean green energy and boasts a world-class research and development base that is pioneering technologies that will have a global impact on combating climate change.
“I am delighted that Mitsubishi is establishing a presence in Scotland through the creation of a Centre for Advanced Technology and the acquisition of Artemis Intelligent Power.
“Mitsubishi’s decision to invest in Scotland demonstrates how Scotland’s renewable revolution is gathering pace and that we have the quality infrastructure and skilled workforce to deliver success in this rapidly-growing industry.
“As well as delivering new jobs and investment, over the long-term this announcement could result of the creation of a major offshore wind turbine manufacturing site in Scotland.”
Salmond pointed towards Scotland’s historical ties with Japanese sea trade. His aides confirmed negotiations between Scottish Enterprise and Mitsubishi had been taking place for more than a year ahead of today’s announcements.
He added:
“Mitsubishi has strong historical links with Scotland, with its origins in the Nagasaki Shipping company set up with the support of Thomas Blake Glover, the Aberdeenshire pioneer of Japanese commerce.
“The Scottish Government, Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise are doing all we can to secure substantial inward investment and to capitalise on our strengths and skills. I wish Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe every success on their ambitious plans as we work together and towards a low carbon future.”
Established ties
Mitsubishi already has working partnerships with Scottish and Southern Energy – the firm behind plans to build a biomass plant at Leith Docks.
Research and development will be the first step towards a five-year plan to get turbines up and working off Scottish coasts according to Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe chief executive Akio Fukui. He said:
“This exciting project squares the circle of Scottish-Japanese industrial history dating back to when Thomas Glover assisted in the creation of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in the 1800s. The first Japanese naval vessel was built in Aberdeen in the late 1800s in Scotland, and now the first game changing offshore wind turbine will be built here too.
“This builds on our existing partnership with SSE on low carbon energy developments, including offshore wind, and we are very pleased to be working with the UK and Scottish Governments to turn this vision into a heavy engineering reality.”