Posts Tagged ‘renewable energy sources’
Remanufacturing Provides New Life To Used Turbines
January 24th, 2010 | 
Author: Remanufactured or used turbines are a vaible option for many seeking to take advantage of clean and renewable wind power. Schools, small and rural communities, farms, and businesses are just a few of those taking part in the repowering of aging and decommissioned wind systems. These renewable energy users are operating systems with the same nameplate capacity as new, but at a fraction of the price.
With the renewed interest in alternative and renewable energy sources over the past decade, along with renewable energy mandates and government incentives, new investment capital has been pouring into developing more efficient machines with higher output capacities. Wind turbine technology has rapidly advanced over the past decade. Many manufacturers are now building turbines with name plate capacities of several megawatts.
The 1979 oil and energy crisis in the United States spurred the installation of thousands of wind turbines in the American Southwest. Today’s turbines are producing as much as one hundred times the power of smaller wind turbines that were installed during the early 1980’s California wind rush. Denmark too was one of the first countries to adapt wind power on a larger scale. But now the Danish government has decided that the number of wind turbines should not be increased, and consequently wind turbine operators must take down existing generators, in order to get permission to build new ones.
It can be financially advantageous to erect a wind turbine with a larger nameplate capacity before the existing wind turbine is technically outdated. This is especially the case for Denmark, as the Danish government financially supports these repowering solutions. The advancement in technology, and financial incentives, is allowing wind farm operators to significantly increase their electricity production out of the same area of land both in the United States and in Europe.
However the existing wind turbines are often in good condition, and have many years of power producing life left. Some companies are “remanufacturing” these turbines and claiming they will continue to operate for an average of twenty years or more with proper maintenance. But not all remanufacturing companies are the same.
If a second hand turbine is properly remanufactured, every part and system from top to bottom will be overhauled. Bearings will be replaced, generators rewound, brake systems renewed, blades and towers inspected and cleaned. Most importantly the “gear box” will get the most attention. This is the system that endures the most wear as it’s designed to spin one thousand revolutions per minute for fifteen, twenty or thirty years. To take it a step further, the best remanufacturing companies are updating the control systems with new, digital, computerized systems that can be monitored remotely through the internet.
The most important thing for buyers is to make sure the company selling the remanufactured wind turbine stands behind their finished product. Most remanufacturers offer at least a one year warranty. Good companies will offer at least a two year warranty and the option of an extension. It’s also important for consumers to check with their states renewable energy incentives programs. Some states like Ohio require a five year warranty in order for the turbine to be eligible for their subsidy schemes.
Jason Jacobs is the Head of Operations for FESCO Direct Wind Energy Division Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/remanufacturing-provides-new-life-to-used-turbines-1768604.html
and a member of the executive management team. FESCO Direct is a leading global provider of new, used and remanufactured wind turbine equipment. With corporate headquarters in the U.S.A., the company provides full service installation to retail customer’s worldwide and discounted equipment solutions for wind energy professionals.
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Renewable Energy Sources For Dummies….Let Us Break It Down For You
It seems like every time I turn on the news or open the morning paper there is something about ‘renewable energy sources’. I felt like I had been living under a rock because I wasn’t sure at all of what this was or how it would affect me. So, like many of you I decided to research it.
Renewable energy basically stands for ‘natural resources’. So renewable energy resources are ways of obtaining energy through natural things we can find in our environment.
Examples of renewable energy resources which you have most likely heard of are wind and sunlight. A few sources of renewable energy that you may not have heard of as I had not are water, rain and tides.
Wind Power
A renewable energy source you may have seen in recent years is the wind power resource. Usually wind power is seen in the form of a wind turbine or windmill. A windmill works like this; as the wind powers the mill in circles, energy is created.
So, the more wind more energy will be created. Because of this, countries tend to put their wind turbines in areas where stronger and more consistent winds are known to be. These areas are usually in high altitude sites and near the oceans.
Overall, wind as a renewable energy source is one of the more preferred sources as it is proven to work efficiently. There are no tricks to wind power; as long as there is wind there will be an energy source.
The only criticism of wind power however as a universal renewable energy resource, is that in order to fully provide sources of energy to the world or even parts of the world, there would have to be wind turbines everywhere and critics fear we do not have enough land for that.
Water power
Another renewable energy source which you have most likely seen several times in your life but maybe weren’t aware it was a source of renewable energy is water power.
Water power as a source of energy can be in the form of hydroelectric energy, micro hydro systems, damless hydro systems, ocean energy in the form or marine current power, ocean thermal energy conversion and tidal power, and wave power.
Water as a source of renewable energy is a little more difficult to explain and to understand. While wind power is something you can see and is something abstract that you can actually imagine taking place, water power as a renewable energy resource is a bit more complex.
Imagine that there is actually energy in the water of the oceans, streams and lakes. Now, imagine that energy is 800x more powerful than energy in the air provided by the wind turbines.
If you want to get technical, this is because water is 800x denser than air but for simplicity sake let’s just say water is 800x more full of energy than the air and wind.
So, if you take all this energy and put it in one area such as is done with a dam, you can use that power from the water as energy. This is called hydroelectric energy and can be seen in the form of a dam. There are also renewable energy sources that utilize water however are not in the form of a dam.
These sources are called Damless hydro systems. Damless hydro systems utilize the energy from water such as rivers and oceans without using a dam. The ocean is a huge source of renewable energy. A main source of energy from the ocean is called Tidal Power. Essentially, we use tidal power for energy by ‘capturing’ the energy from the tides.
There are two ways in which to capture energy from tides. The first way is to capture energy from the tides in a vertical direction. What this means is, when the tides come into the shore, water levels in pre-setup basins rise and then the tide rolls out.
The water that was captured in the basin that was setup is then put out through a turbine (like the wind turbine but for water) and the potential energy is stored until it is used.
Tidal power
The other tide energy source is from tidal motion in a horizontal direction. This means that we are using tidal stream power kind of like wind turbines but we are using generators for the tidal streams.
Again, imagine that water is 800x times more full of energy than the air and wind are. This means the little bit of water that is captured from the tides can provide that much more energy than the air and wind going through the wind turbines.
Wave power is another water powered source of renewable energy. Like the tides and the windmill, wave power is gathered by wave power machines which capture the energy released from the waves. This source of renewable energy has reached a commercial level recently as well.
Using ethanol for your vehicle is another renewable energy source which has been particularly popular in the media lately. Surely you have heard of hybrid cars well, using ethanol instead of pure gasoline to run your vehicle is one step to being close to hybrid.
Basically, ethanol is not pure gasoline so right there we are going to improve our environment. Ethanol is a blend of alcohol and sugar combined with already existing gasoline to create a lesser percentage of pure gasoline to run a vehicle.
The use of renewable energy resources is bringing many nations together because they are seeing eye-to-eye on this issue. Currently nine countries have decided to implement a universal renewable energy resource agreement.
These nine countries are Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Implementing a universal renewable energy resource program or agreement has been a very big undertaking however is having very positive results.
Through the various countries and continents coming together and cooperating in identifying ‘best practice’ solutions for the renewable energy resource movement, nations have been coming together and agreeing on many of the most important issues facing on our planet today.
Neelima Reddy, author of this article writes for TheNewEcologist.com know more about green living, green news, eco systems, green products, home & garden, alternative energy, design & architecture etc.. Visit Green Living Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/renewable-energy-sources-for-dummieslet-us-break-it-down-for-you-1684053.html
You Are the Problem, You Are the Solution
It is time to rectify the mistakes of past unplanned development. Effective and quick solutions are required for the revival of the environment of the Earth. This is not going to succeed with the efforts of just one person. Everybody has to take conscious steps to ensure sustainable living conditions.
Role Of The Online Forums
This is where green blogs enter in the picture. These forums suggest green solutions to abate or correct the problems that have upset the environmental balance of the Earth. Green solutions are an emergency response to minimize the negative affects of human activity. All that is required is a small change in lifestyle. Most of the emissions that cause global warming are life-style emissions. It is important to modify the way of living instead of exploiting the existing resources leading to environmental repercussions and a struggle for natural resources.
There are some simple but vital tips that you can consider for a cleaner planet:
* Why go for strong toxic chemical cleansing solutions? Use vinegar, baking soda, and lemons as cleansing agents for your house. These can keep your home clean on a minimal budget minus the harsh chemicals in some cleaners.
* Carry your own reusable bags made of cotton, hemp, paper, or nylon instead of plastic bags.
* Try to stick to organic food. These are healthier and contain no harmful chemical like the genetically modified products.
* Many experts on climate change have called for a sharp reduction of GHF emissions to 40 percent below 1990 level by 2030. This can be done by an increased use of renewable energy sources, implementing green building policies and diverting waste from landfills. Changing land use and transportation patterns would also check the emission output. Encouraging the use of green fuel and the use of bicycles to work are one of the ways of bringing down pollution levels.
* City buildings and traffic lights can use energy efficient light emitting diodes (LED-s) to reduce the level of CO2 output.
* Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL-s) are a great way to conserve electricity.
* Renewable means of energy can be harnessed by purchasing wind, solar, and geothermal power. It should be the aim of all governments to generate at least 35 percent electricity from clean sources of energy by 2020.
Some of the green solutions are expensive. What is more important is to subsidize them, to make them accessible to everyone. It is everybody’s responsibility to contribute their own small way.
Commoncircle.net is an online networking site for people who are interested in sustainability, permaculture, environment, green building products and green solutions. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/you-are-the-problem-you-are-the-solution-1643404.html
What can You Do to Protect Earth’s Biodiversity?
Human activity is responsible for much of the loss of biodiversity currently being experienced. Natural extinction is being accelerated by human populations wiping out entire ecosystems for development and single crop farming. Destroying naturally diverse vegetation destroys the life sustained by that habitat. We already know the effects of deforestation on global warming, but do we stop to think about the thousands of animal and insect species that are affected?
Each part of an ecosystem interacts with itself, but that ecosystem in turn interacts with other systems. Any disturbance to the dynamics of one system can and does have an effect on the other systems it interacts with. Global warming is a contributing factor in loss of biodiversity. Loss of biodiversity adds to global warming. Humans need to share the responsibility of fighting both. Apart from lobbying national and local government to introduce initiatives and programs to preserve biodiverse areas, there are things we can do in our own homes that will make a difference.
- reuse and recycle wherever possible
- save water, energy and fuel
- remove invasive species from your garden
- plant a water-wise, indigenous garden
- build a pond, bird boxes and plant wildflowers to attract wildlife, birds and insects into your garden
- grow your own organic vegetables
- use environmentally friendly pesticides and household cleaning products
- buy products that support sustainable development projects
- support local initiatives like river clean-ups and wetland restoration
- use renewable energy sources
- don’t buy hardwood products from unsustainable sources
- when on vacation, don’t buy coral, shells and ivory or animal skins
- visit nature reserves – your entrance fee helps sustain the reserve
- support wildlife conservation organisations, with donations of time or money
- petition against unfettered development and industrial creep
- report pollution to the relevant authorities.
Teach your children to value our planet’s natural resources, care for the environment and all its inhabitants. Small steps taken by many today will add up to giant leaps in our future.
Take the first step today, and start protecting our planet’s biodiversity now. For more green tips, green news and green products, visit http://www.green-community.info Taking small steps to make a big difference in our future! Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/what-can-you-do-to-protect-earths-biodiversity-1594010.html