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Is A Residential Solar Energy System And Wind Power Generators In Tandem A Good Idea?

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:28:17 +0000

Residential solar energy systems and wind power generators are becoming more popular. More and more people are finding the benefits of generating there own electricity to power there home. There are some situations where you may need both a residential solar energy system and wind power generators. Here we will take a look.
With Solar energy, it can work out good to have in your home, but only if you get a moderate amount of sunlight. This is a similar problem to wind power. Wind power generators are only effective, with a moderate amount of wind.
If you have a lot of sunlight, then a residential solar energy system will be of great benefit, and you will not need to look for alternative sources of energy. Likewise a lot of wind could mean that sticking with a wind power generator may be your best option.
If you find you live in the west of the US, you may have great sunshine, and a residential solar energy system maybe all you need, but what about if you are stuck in a part of the world where blistering sunshine is not a common thing?
In the UK for example, there are summer months with days that are very sunny. Residential solar energy systems are similar to a thermometer. As sunlight is more, and hotter, it means you get more power, less sunlight means less power.
In either case, a deficit will mean you just don’t have power. An option that many homes that switch to wind or solar power decide on is to have a connection to the electric company. This makes a great option, as you can get to have constant electric, and any excess, you maybe able to sell back to the electric company.
If you are in an area that isn’t very sunny or very overcast with clouds, then you may need a wind power generator that can supplement when there is no sun, but a lot of wind. This poses a few extra problems or benefits, however you see it.
Investing in a residential solar energy system is going to be a costly affair. Though the energy you get will be for many years, even decades, it still could mean that you still have to pay for electric, especially if you don’t have the sunshine.
The problem with investing in residential solar energy systems and a wind generator is that you likely have to invest twice the amount of money. This can mean a longer time to make a return on investment.
It is always advisable to seek advice from the company you plan to buy the energy system from, as they can give you an indication of whether you need a residential solar energy system, wind power generator or both.
The benefit with both is that with the excess energy you can, in most cases, sell it back to the electric company. It can be a great feeling, having the electric company send you a paycheck a few times in the year.

Is A Residential Solar Energy System And Wind Power Generators In Tandem A Good Idea? is a post from: wordpressrobot.com

DIY Wind Energy – Unlock the Power of the Wind

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:39:00 +0000

Many changes have taken place in our country in recent months. With the election of President Obama and a Democratic Congress, more emphasis is being placed on eco-friendly endeavors. We, as a nation, are becoming more serious by the day about developing alternative energy sources.

DIY wind energy is being used throughout the world to create electricity to power homes. It is not only easy to do but it is inexpensive as well. Using wind turbines for residential use are an excellent option for individuals to generate their own electricity. It is not necessary to fill fields with huge wind turbines on a local or national level to begin to use alternative energy sources.It is amazingly easy to build a residential wind turbine. Windmills, as they are often called, require very little experience to building. Easy to follow plans are available that lay the process out step by step.A residential wind turbine, or windmill as some people call them, can be built by someone with little to no experience working with their hands. They are surprisingly simple to construct, as long as you have the right plans to follow along with.A windmill, or wind turbine, uses the power of the wind to generate kinetic, or physical, energy. The wind catches the blades and causes them to turn. This turning motion is the energy source that creates the power that is then stored for use as electricity. Windmills have been used for generations to turn wind into power. We are all familiar with the windmills in the Netherlands. This is exactly the same concept. Windmills have been the subject of many paintings and photographs. They are interesting and even beautiful to look at, but they have a very practical purpose. These traditional styled windmills were used to harness the power of the wind to crush grain into flour. We are now using them for a different purpose but the methodology is the same. Wind turbines work very effectively to create the electricity needed to power our homes.The only difference being that instead of using the power of the windmill to crush grain into flour, we are harnessing it to generate electricity to heat our water and to run our computers, refrigerators, stoves and any number of other appliances.The vertical wind turbine is much more efficient. There is more space available for extra blades and these extra blades will pick up even a slight breeze. Therefore, you do not need a lot of wind to produce power. Secondly, a vertical wind turbine is smaller and fits in smaller spaces. They can be used on decks and patios in apartments and condominiums. It is now possible for anyone to create electricity from DIY wind energy with either a traditional wind turbine or a vertical wind turbine. This DIY project will also save you money when it comes time to pay your utility bill each month. As we do our part as individuals to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels and non-renewable resources, we will have a collective impact on improving our environment and decreasing our carbon footprint.As we have noted in this article there are many, many ways in which we can tap into the power of diy wind energy to create electricity to power our homes. There is also of course, the fact that we will be doing our part to use earth-friendly forms of energy as opposed to nasty fossil fuels that pollute our world.

DIY Wind Energy – Unlock the Power of the Wind is a post from: wordpressrobot.com

Surprise! Coal & Nuclear Power are Keys to Obama?s Energy Plan

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:43:31 +0000

[Editor's Note: This is the eighth installment of our “Outlook 2009” series, which looks at the global investing outlook for the New Year.]President-elect Barack Obama has made no bones about wanting to jump-start the renewable energy markets – pledging $150 billion for the development of biofuels, solar and wind power, other alternative energy sources during his first term.But what might the new administration mean for more traditional – and more reliable –energy sources?Oil is always the first energy source to spring to mind. But it’s hardly a solo act – coal and nuclear make up the other two-thirds of the top fuel trio. Coal delivers 50% of U.S. electricity needs, and nuclear power brings another 20% to the table.The cold truth is that demand for energy of all types – and especially electricity – is going to keep advancing, domestically and worldwide. And developing alternatives to coal and nuclear will take time. For instance, tying wind and solar into the existing power grid will be enormously expensive and is likely to pose massive technical and engineering problems.In fact, according to the International Energy Agency, renewable energy isn’t likely to make a meaningful dent in meeting the world’s energy needs before 2030, if then.And regardless where the power comes from, our appetite for electricity will continue to skyrocket. Across the planet, overall electricity consumption is expected to double by 2030, increasing by 17 trillion kilowatt hours. While electricity demand will “only” increase by 50% in the U.S. market by 2030, demand will increase 400% in China and six-fold in India.Our research indicates that President Obama will have very little flexibility in solving our short-term energy problems once he’s sworn into office next month. While he may prefer the environmentally friendly alternatives, most of those replacements are far from fully developed.The bottom line: Obama’s apparent preference for renewable energy aside, coal and nuclear power are fully deployed, and in widespread use, meaning they’ll remain the backbone of our energy sector in the New Year – and for years to come.Even so, it’s well worth factoring in all the possible players as we examine energy-sector outlook – and the accompanying potential profit plays – for the next 12 months.

When it comes to future energy profits for investors, coal and nuclear will continue to be the “dream team” for years to come. Coal will provide the answer to our short-term and intermediate energy needs. It’s plentiful, it’s cheaper than other available alternatives, and a big percentage of the world’s power plants burn it.Nuclear power offers a long-term solution to energy shortages and a clean solution to global warming, as well. Uranium-fueled nuclear plants are cheap to operate, can run for long periods without refueling, and cause little pollution.While there is widespread distaste for coal-fired power plants that spew billions of tons of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the air, there’s no doubt coal will continue to be the dominant player in the electricity game for some time to come.A full 50% of the electricity U.S. consumers use is generated by coal, and coal is king in the rest of the world, as well. According to the IEA, coal accounted for 42% of all worldwide electricity consumption in 2005. But get this – the agency predicts coal use will explode by 73% over the next 20 years. That’s the largest projected percentage increase of all energy sources.As you might suspect, China and India use 45% of world’s coal and will be responsible for 80% of that increase. China, alone, uses more coal than the United States, Japan and Europe combined. China is utterly dependent on coal to run its factories and assembly plants, with coal supplying 80% of its electricity. The Red Dragon also is the world’s top producer of steel, a process that’s also a big burner of coal.But while China is coal’s largest consumer and producer, the United States controls 27% of the world’s proven reserves, the biggest-single percentage on the planet. That puts this country front and center on the worldwide coal stage, and President-elect Obama’s energy policy in the spotlight.The president plays a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s energy policy, naming top officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.Obama has proposed an economy-wide cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. His system – which would set an overall emissions limit, then require polluters to buy allowances at public auction – would increase electricity rates and discourage coal consumption in the U.S. market. President-elect Obama even has stated that any utilities building coal-fired plants could go bankrupt buying pollution allowances.And on Capitol Hill, newly emboldened Democrats recently tackled global warming and other environmental problems by choosing Sen. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., to head the House of Representative’s Energy and Commerce panel. Waxman has already signed onto legislation that would ban any new coal-fired power plants that aren’t built using new technologies that capture carbon dioxide and store it underground, a key part of the Obama energy plan.Luke Popovich, a spokesman for the National Mining Association, said he believes Obama will be pragmatic about the need to keep coal in the nation’s energy mix.

“He presumably would be sensitive to the impacts of energy policies given the perilous state of the economy,” Popovich said.

But while U.S. utilities may eventually be forced to tighten emissions rules and increase rates, Obama’s renewable energy plans will have very little impact on U.S. coal producers in the near future.

The world needs coal. We have it. And we’re going to sell it.

In the first half of 2008, U.S. coal exports increased by 13 million short tons, or 50%, over first-half 2007 shipments, according to the IEA. Strong global demand for coal, combined with supply disruptions in several key coal exporting countries (Australia, South Africa and China), were the primary factors behind the increase.

But lately, coal prices, along with the prices of other fossil fuels, have suffered from the global economic crisis, and from a resurgent U.S. dollar. An 80% decline in global shipping rates has also fostered competition from other exporters, like Australia, which can now ship farther and compete with U.S. exporters.

As a result, the price of Appalachian Coal on the New York Mercantile Exchange (CME) has fallen to less than $80 a ton from $143 in July.

This will have a negative impact on coal producers until the world economy is able to gather itself back up and build up a new head of steam.

But don’t expect the slump to last long. China’s economy is getting a shot in the arm from a gigantic $586 billion stimulus package, cementing growth expectations for 2009. Expect U.S.exports to accelerate when that kicks in, probably in the second half of 2009.

Since the stock market usually leads economic indicators by six-to-nine months, right now is a good time to be looking at candidates for your investing dollar. But you should be cautious about pulling the trigger. Watch construction activity in China – especially steel demand in the late spring – for the first signs of a rebound in coal prices.

When you think things are ready to take off, Peabody Energy Corp. (BTU) and Arch Coal Inc. (ACI) – the largest U.S. producers – are worth a look. For those who like to play a basket of shares, the Market Vectors Coal exchange traded fund (KOL), or ETF, provides the desired diversification. All three securities are trading at discounts of at least 80% from their July highs, and currently trade at bargain basement multiples.

If you want a coal play that bets directly on China, Money Morning Investment Director Keith Fitz-Gerald likes Yanzhou Coal Mining Co. Ltd. (ADR: YZC), one of China’s biggest coal suppliers. It produces lots of high-grade, low-sulfur coal, which burns cleaner and therefore fetches a premium price. The company boasts profit margins of 22%, when the industry averages half that. The company profits are up a blistering 364% in the year’s first three quarters, compared with a year ago. The stock trades at only three times earnings and has a dividend yield of 4.3%.

Nuclear power is attractive to the energy industry because it produces electricity on a predictable, 24-hour basis – earning it the industry sobriquet of “base load” power. Coal and hydroelectric plants are the only other power sources that also rate that label. Such alternatives as wind, solar or biofuels do not.

During its term, the Bush administration tried to spark a “renaissance” in the construction of nuclear power plants. And during his presidential campaign, Sen. John McCain stood firmly behind the industry’s hopes of building 45 new reactors by 2030.

Interest in new types of reactors seemed to hint at least at the beginnings of a new start. But President-elect Obama has been lukewarm on nuclear. He acknowledges that nuclear is one of several viable components of the nation’s energy portfolio – the current 104-plant fleet provides 20% of America’s electricity – but has questioned its safety while emphasizing a need to diversify the nation’s energy mix with more wind, solar and other renewable sources.

“That’s sort of like my wife saying she’d support divorce under certain situations,” says William Kovacs, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vice president of environment, technology, and public affairs.

In fact, the Barack Obama/Joe Biden New Energy for America Plan, while recognizing that nukes provide 70% of our non-carbon-generated electricity, says that “before an expansion of nuclear power is considered, key issues must be addressed including: security of nuclear fuel and waste, waste storage and proliferation.” It goes on to say that the team of President-elect Obama and incoming Vice President Joe Biden “do not believe that Yucca Mountain is a suitable site as a long-term repository for spent nuclear designed for long-term storage. In any case, the earliest the storage site could open would be 2017, and that was before Republicans lost control of the Senate.

With Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., firmly opposed to nuclear waste storage in his home state – and with the Obama administration ready to hold the industry’s feet to the regulatory fire – any plans to expand the nuclear industry in the United States now face a high hurdle.

But nuclear proponents are hardly impotent. The Nuclear Energy Institute, the industry’s most powerful lobbying group, helped craft the Energy Policy Act of 2005 with more than $12 billion in subsidies for nukes.

Maintaining nuclear energy’s current 20% share of generation would require building three reactors every two years starting in 2016, based on U.S. Department of Energy forecasts. Right now, some 17 companies and consortia are pursuing licenses for more than 30 nuclear power plants with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

But the last operating license for a nuclear plant in the United States was issued in 1978, and the approval process takes a minimum of 24 months after site approval, which can take years. Expect lots of public comment and infighting in Washington, as applications wind their way through the approval process at the NRC.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world is racing ahead with plans to up the ante in the nuclear power game. There are currently 440 nuclear reactors in 31 countries that generate about 16% of the world’s electricity.

Uranium-fueled nuclear energy is rapidly gaining global acceptance as a clean, reliable alternative to such dirty-burning fossil fuels as coal and oil. In a twin bid to combat global warming and keep up with soaring demand for electricity, countries are rushing to build nuclear power plants. Under current projections, 630 reactors will be operating in 55 countries by 2030.

It’s the new technologies those reactors are designed around that are aimed at allaying the public’s perception about the safety of nuclear power. Toshiba Plant & System Services, which has built 112 plants in the past 12 years (more than any other company), is working on a “mininuke,” according to Forbes magazine. Called the “4S” (short for Super-Safe, Small and Simple), it uses a bath of molten sodium to produce steam twice as hot as steam from water-cooled reactors. The 4S can crank out as much as 50 megawatts of power, easily enough to fire up a small factory, or to service an entire town that’s located off the main power grid.

On top of that, the mininuke can go 30 years without refueling, as opposed to typical reactors, which must be fed every 18 months. And the 4S will be safer, because the reactor core is deep underground, well protected against a terrorist attack or earthquakes.

China and South Africa are working on so-called “pebble-bed reactors,” one version of which is filled with 100,000 billiard-ball-sized spheres of coated uranium that are cooled by helium. That eliminates the need for enormous pressurized water-cooling systems and million-dollar containment domes, making them virtually meltdown-proof.

U.S. firms are also on the trail of smaller and safer designs. A Santa Fe, NM company called Hyperion Power Generation Inc., is working on a hot-tub sized design, which eliminates the need for the notoriously unstable uranium control rods. U.S. giant General Electric Co. (GE) is working on new, more efficient designs, as well.

No matter how you slice it, the fuel for the reactors in those plants all depend on a scarce commodity – uranium. Flat out, there’s just not enough “yellow cake” to go around. It takes seven to 10 years to transform a uranium discovery into a fully operational mine. With that kind of lag time, it’s clearly almost impossible for supply to keep up with demand.

Until recently, the market reflected the scarcity, rising as high as $137 a pound in 2007. But lately, despite the global shortages, uranium prices – in sympathy with other commodity prices – have nosedived.

Prices have fallen 40% this year, leading to a sharp decline in the share prices of mining companies, and eviscerating the financing for extraction projects. In the last month alone, six uranium mines in western Colorado and Utah were either put on hold or closed.

Some experts lay the blame for this current credit squeeze squarely at the feet of hedge funds – who they blame for buying up uranium – and banks no longer willing to lend money.

“Hedge funds were selling off their uranium to raise cash, and the prices just plunged,” said George E.L. Glasier, chief executive officer of Energy Fuels Inc., a Canadian junior miner that recently put a Colorado mine project on hold as part of a “capital preservation” strategy brought on by the credit crunch.

Uranium prices fell to $75 early this year, and fell as low as $44 this fall. The spot price now is $55.

With the worldwide growth in the industry – and a classic supply/demand imbalance in the making – someone is eventually going to have to pay the price. History shows when uranium prices move higher, uranium stocks almost always hitch a ride North. So when uranium prices advance – most likely to new highs – expect mining stocks to rise in virtual lock step.

But notwithstanding global growth – for now, at least – Obama’s energy plan and the mothballing of mines makes any uranium play a long-term proposition.

Besides Toshiba (PINK:TOSBF), the stocks to consider include Cameco Corp. (CCJ), the largest U.S. producer; and General Electric, which has a presence in the commercial nuclear power market here and overseas. Also, take a look at Rio Tinto PLC (RTP) and BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP), huge international mining firms with large uranium deposits. Each of these firms would stand to reap substantial profits from a resurgent price in yellow cake.

However, regardless of what uranium does, coal is still the 800-pound gorilla in the energy world. In the United States, no matter how lofty our environmental intentions may be, it’s unlikely coal will be regulated out of existence anytime soon. That’s especially true overseas, where coal is playing a crucial role, fueling the transformation of such countries as China and India from “emerging markets” into first-order powerhouse economies. Given that, the world market simply can’t replace coal anytime soon, either.

As for nuclear power, safety improvements and other technological solutions make nuclear energy a viable energy source for the long term, eventually grabbing a bigger piece of the energy pie – especially overseas.

The bottom line: The economic outlook for both coal and nuclear power is upbeat. Investors might look at both energy plays when considering how to allocate their portfolio – for the New Year and beyond.

[Editor’s Note: Money Morning’s “Outlook 2009” economic forecasting series last looked at the outlook for retail sales in the New Year. Next up: Latin America. Check out past series stories, which have underscored that uncertainty will continue to be the watchword for at least the first part of the New Year. Little wonder, as the global financial crisis continues to whipsaw the U.S. financial markets in a manner that hasn’t been seen since the Great Depression. It’s almost enough to make you surrender. But what if you knew, ahead of time, what marketplace changes to expect? Then you’d be in the driver’s seat – right? You’d know what to anticipate, could craft a profit strategy to follow, and could then just sit back, watching and waiting – and finally profiting from – the very marketplace events you anticipated.

R. Shah Gilani – a retired hedge fund manager and a nationally known expert on the U.S. credit crisis– has predicted five key financial crisis “aftershocks” that he says will create substantial profit opportunities for investors who know just what these aftershocks are, and how to play them. In the Trigger Event Strategist, Gilani describes how investors can use these aftershocks, or “trigger events,” as gateways to massive profits. To find out all about these five financial-crisis aftershocks, and about the trigger-event profit strategy they feed into, check out our latest report.]

To read more click here.

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Surprise! Coal & Nuclear Power are Keys to Obama?s Energy Plan is a post from: wordpressrobot.com

Alternative Energy Solutions In A Time Of Power Crisis

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:59:48 +0000

It is unofficial – but around the world many of us agree on one thing: it is very likely that there will be an energy crisis in the future. We all know energy is a big issue in the contemporary world, and we have been convinced that humanity is at a crucial crossroads in its history because we face an energy shortage. Many experts believe this problem can only be solved by the use of alternative energy solutions.

By energy, I mean the fuel that drive our cars, give us electricity and enables us to enjoy modern amenities we feel so vulnerable without. Fossil fuels have been the prime source of energy for human society since the beginning of the industrial revolution. These fossil fuels have been the muscles, which have enabled us to progress and develop to such dizzying heights. We face a problem in the 21st century because our stocks and reserves of these fossil fuels are running low; this news is worsened by the fact that these reserves cannot be renewed. Many governments and private agencies have started promoting Alternative Energy Solutions to overcome the looming energy crisis caused by the depletion of the non renewal’s sources of energy that all fossil fuels – coal, all oil and natural gas – represent.

Alternative Energy Solutions include all prime movers that can use a renewable natural resource to produce energy. This may be wind, thermal energy from the earth, and wave action in the shores and solar energy from the sun. Alternative energy resources can also include new technology like fuel cells. However the primary fuel humanity has long depended on has been oil. We now know from our own projections that the oil reserves in the world are slated to be unviable by 2050. Simply put, the world is running out of gas! In addition, not to mention, time.

The utilization of other forms of energy is therefore very important. When we speak of alternative energy, it usually means the production of electricity via the use of some natural and renewable resource. What are these renewables, one may ask. Someone else may extend this line of questioning and say: Are these renewable resources as efficient as the fossil fuels? Below are some answers.

Wind energy is the word that comes to mind whenever people talk of renewable energy sources. Humans have harnessed the wind to drive machines since medieval times. In the 21st century we use wind turbines to produce electricity. As a source of power, wind is an excellent option. Wind turbines generate electricity by rotary motion that is caused by the airflow.

Some of the negatives associated with wind energy and wind turbines lie in the unpredictability of wind. For example, no wind means the turbine does not rotate and electricity is not generated. Sites are another problem; rows and rows of wind turbines are just not feasible in a city of a few million people. The most important issue however lies in cost effectiveness, most power companies are still reluctant to invest in or buy their power from companies that use wind turbines. This is changing as governments around the world have started subsidizing power generation through alternative sources like wind.

There are other possible sources of renewable energy; tidal energy uses the energy of the ocean and is an effective though rather geographically limited source of power, thermal energy from the earth taps geysers and other underground sources of heat. This is a very important source of energy in places like Iceland – it is also geographically limited in its suitability. Nuclear energy can be considered a potentially inexhaustible source of power. However, it could have many dangerous complications and most environmentalists fear its use.

New technological innovations like fuel cells are still a long way off from truly becoming substitutes to the fossil fuel powered internal combustion engines that have driven us all this far down the road. Indeed looking at all the possible sources of alternate energy and especially renewable, wind and hydroelectric projects are the only two viable long term sources, solar power is a potentially huge alternative source of energy but it has a technological handicap-we do not posses the engineering expertise to make better solar cells. Solar cells are also very costly to produce and are not cost effective – even less so than wind.

Given all the setbacks we currently are unable to overcome, it will still be some time yet before we can throw away the polluting but efficient, fossil fuel guzzling machines that we so fondly know as cars. The use of alternative energy sources is a very important area of research and demands humanity’s attention.

As soon as fuel supplies run out on us, we may have to go back to that ultimate transport machine to take us places: our legs.

Alternative Energy Solutions In A Time Of Power Crisis is a post from: wordpressrobot.com

Performance of Combined Power System With Design of Energy Storage Controller System

admin — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 17:42:43 +0000

Abstract -We investigated a small isolated hybrid power system that used two types of power generation; wind turbine and diesel generation. The interaction of diesel generation, the wind turbine, and the local load is complicated because both the load and the wind turbine fluctuate during the day. These fluctuations create imbalances in power distribution (energy sources are not equal to energy sinks) that can affect the frequency and the voltage in the power system. The addition of energy storage will help balance the distribution of power in the power network. For this paper, we studied the interaction among hybrid power system components and the relative size of the components. We also show how the contribution of wind energy affects the entire power system and distribution and the role of energy storage under the transient conditions caused by load changes and wind turbine startups.

Index Terms – wind turbine, diesel generator, hybrid power system, renewable energy, energy storage.

I. INTRODUCTION

Windmills were used to pump water and mill grain, along with many other uses [1, 2, 3, 4].

Today, wind turbines are used for similar purposes (i.e., water or oil pumping, battery charging, and utility generation). One important aspect of wind turbine applications, especially in an industrial environment, is that wind turbines generate electricity without creating pollution. Wind turbines are also well suited for generating electricity in isolated places with no connections to the utility grid [2,3,4]. However, in isolated applications, especially very small applications, the power system components (sources and loads) are limited, and the system networks are weak in many cases. Thus, any changes in the power input or output of one component may affect the rest of the system more dramatically than in a larger system where the smoothing effect of many components benefits the overall system. In this paper, we analyze a hybrid power system consisting of a wind turbine, a diesel generator, a local load, and energy storage. We also present the impact of energy storage on the power system performance. The results and conclusions of this analysis apply to similar hybrid power systems.

II. SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

The system has two types of generation: the diesel generator and the wind turbine generator (Figure 1). The

energy storage can act as a load or as a generator depending on the need. The diesel generator provides smooth output power, whereas the output power of a wind turbine depends on the wind velocity. As the wind velocity varies, so does is the power generation. For example, if the wind speed changes very smoothly, the output power of the wind turbine will also change very smoothly. On the other hand, wind turbulence causes the output power to fluctuate. Figure 1 is a single line diagram that represents the analyzed power system. The wind turbine has an induction generator with a capacity ranging from 40 kW to 225 kW. At low wind speeds, the generator operates at 900 rpm with a rated capacity of 40 kW. At high wind speeds, the generator speed is 1,200 rpm with a rated capacity of 225 kW. We used 150 kW of energy storage as a buffer to operate as a load or a source depending on the need. This paper discusses only fixed-speed wind turbine generation and does not cover variable-speed wind turbine generation [5]. The diesel engine, which has a rated capacity of 400 kW, is operated in parallel with the wind turbine to supply the load. The local loads are mostly residential and light loads. Other loads include water pumps, compressors, and heavy equipment. An 80-kW water pump represents the transient condition of a heavy load.

Fig 1. One line diagram of power system

III. COMPONENTS OF POWER SYSTEM

The system we discuss in this paper consists of four major subsystems: a diesel generator, a wind turbine generator, heavy (industrial) loads, and energy storage. In the power system network, the balance of active power and reactive power must be maintained. The diesel-genset, then, must be able to keep the power balanced when the wind turbine or local load varies. This task is easy to accomplish provided the diesel genset is sufficiently sized. Although they are important, we will not cover the details of the dynamic model for electric machines used in the simulation. Many good textbooks are available on this subject.

A. Diesel Generator

In terms of an electrical system, a diesel generator can be represented as a prime mover and a generator. Ideally, the prime mover is capable of supplying any power demand up to rated power at constant frequency, and the synchronous generator connected to it must be able to keep the voltage constant at any load condition. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the diesel generator. The diesel engine keeps the frequency constant by maintaining the rotor speed constant via its governor. The synchronous generator must control its output voltage by controlling the excitation current. Thus, as a unit, the diesel generating system must be able to control its frequency and its output voltage. The inertia of the diesel genset, the sensitivity of the governor, and the power capability of the diesel engine all affect the diesel generator’s ability to respond to frequency changes. The ability of the synchronous generator to control its voltage is affected by the field winding time constant, the availability of the direct current (DC) power to supply the field winding, and the response of the voltage control regulation mechanism.

Figure 2. Diesel generator control block diagram

B. Wind Turbine

The main components of a wind turbine are the rotor of the turbine, which is the prime mover, and an induction generator. In general, the rotor is connected to the generator via a gearbox that matches the rotational speed. The simplest system uses a fixed-speed turbine. A fixed-speed turbine must rely on the blade-stall condition to limit the output power when the winds are at high speed. Note that, although the rotor speed of an induction generator varies with wind speed, the speed range is within a 1% to 2% slip. On the other hand, the wind speed variation may range from 5 m/s to 25 m/s; thus, in terms of the wind turbine, the induction generator operates at a relatively “fixed speed” compared to the range of wind speed variation.

C. Induction Machines

Most electric machines used in industry as prime movers are induction motors. Two applications of induction machines in the power system network fall within the scope of this study: one as the generator on a wind turbine and the other as a motor driving large pumps and compressors. By its nature, an induction machine is an inductive load. This machine absorbs reactive power either as a motor or generator. The reactive power absorbed by the induction machine comes from the line to which it is connected. In a hybrid power system, the reactive power comes from the synchronous generator of the diesel genset. In a wind turbine generator, a fixed capacitor is usually installed to supply some of the reactive power that the induction generator needs. Figure 3 shows the equivalent circuit of an induction machine connected to a power system. The power system is represented by infinite bus Es and the line impedance is represented by reactance Xs.

Figure 3. Equivalent circuit of an induction machine connected to power system

D. Various Loads

In the power system considered, there are two major loads. The first is a large water pump representing a typical industrial load. The second is a collection of loads for which the size and power factor can be programmed throughout the day to represent a typical village load. The voltage at the terminal of the load varies as a result of a voltage drop across the line impedance. The voltage drop across the line impedance varies depending on the size of the current and the power factor of the load. The terminal voltage for a wind turbine generator (VS), as the output current of induction machine, varies from start-up to generating mode. During start-up, voltage drops significantly at the terminal voltage of the induction machine. The voltage drop across line impedance is caused by the current surge during start-up. In addition, the phase angle of the stator current is very large and lagging. The combination of a poor power factor and a lagging, large current surge creates a voltage dip at the terminal of the induction machine during start-up. Thus, a start-up of short duration is preferable to a prolonged one

E. Energy Storage

The energy storage can be of different types (i.e. flywheel, battery, hydrogen/fuel-cell, hydropower etc.). In this paper, we assumed energy storage with a power converter interface to the power network. The power converter is connected to the energy storage at one end. With variability of wind resource, energy storage is an excellent contributor to the power system. The energy storage behaves like a large buffer to accommodate the unequal instantaneous energy in the power system. Ideally, at any instant of time, there should be a zero net exchange between the energy sources and the energy sinks (both real and reactive power). If this balance is not achieved, the voltage and frequency of the system changes to maintain equilibrium. At any instant, the energy storage behaves either as an energy source or energy sink depending of the mode of operation.

Figure 4. Energy Storage control block diagram

It is assumed that the energy storage has a power converter interfacing the power network. Although it is possible for the power converter to function as a reactive power compensator, the cost of a power converter is very expensive compared to other means of reactive power compensation currently available in the market. Keep in mind that the size of the power semiconductor in the power converter is limited by its current limit and its voltage limit. Thus, minimizing the current passing through the power switches will minimize the current rating of the power converter and will lower the cost. For this paper, we only used the power converter to process real power in and out of the energy storage. Figure 4 shows a block diagram of energy storage control algorithm. It uses frequency deviation to indicate a real power imbalance in the system. The frequency deviation is also used as the feedback to control the energy storage output. If the load power demand is higher than the power supply available, the frequency of the diesel generator will slowly drop. Other energy stored in the system includes the kinetic energy in the turbine blades, the diesel generator inertia, and energy in the inductors and capacitors, etc.

F. Balance of Energy in the System

In the isolated system we studied, the balance of real and reactive power must always be maintained. The balance of real power is maintained by the governor of the diesel generator. The balance of reactive power is maintained by the exciter of the diesel’s synchronous generator. When the load demands more power than the diesel and the wind turbine can produce, and the diesel engine has reached its highest limit, as the loads continue to increase, the governor of the diesel cannot push more power, and the rotor speed of the diesel will start to drop. The frequency of the generator will then drop until balance is reached or the system collapses. The voltage in the system is also an indicator of the balance in the system. When the reactive power demand from the loads is higher than what can be provided by the diesel generator, the capacitor, and other means of compensation, the system voltage will drop. Although the size of output and input of the energy storage is adjustable, it is limited by its ratings. For this paper, we assumed that the energy storage is capable of storing and providing long-term energy to the power network to maintain system balance. In reality, only a limited amount of energy can be stored. We will not discuss energy analysis in detail in this paper. In practice, the energy will be stored when the wind turbine produces enough power and the diesel is operating under light load. The actual loads are divided into critical and non-critical loads. Critical loads are supplied at all times and non-critical loads are served only if there is enough source and it will be shed off the system when the voltage or frequency drops below the allowable limit. With the existence of sufficiently sized energy storage, it is possible to serve all the loads (critical and non-critical) all the time.

IV. DYNAMIC ANALYSIS

The case studies look at different aspects of major power system components in the power network. The first case study investigates the diesel power component. In the power network, a diesel generator must maintain system balance by responding properly to power changes.

A. Case Study I: Diesel–Wind Turbine Interaction

A diesel generator consists of a diesel engine and a synchronous generator. The diesel engine is responsible for controlling the frequency and keeping it constant through its governor. The synchronous generator is responsible for controlling the voltage via its field winding and voltage controller. Undersized diesel engine: The ability of a diesel engine to change speed is its accelerating or decelerating power. The diesel accelerates when the input power is higher than the electrical output power of the generator (including losses).

The diesel decelerates when the input power is lower than the electrical output power of the generator (including losses). An oversized diesel engine does not have problems accelerating or decelerating, but an undersized diesel engine may create problems, during, for example, the start-up of a wind turbine or large compressor. Figure 5 illustrates a condition where the diesel is undersized with respect to the load. The genset frequency and the terminal voltage of the wind turbine generator are shown on the top graph, and the real power of the diesel, wind turbine, water pump, and local load are shown on the bottom graph. At start-up, the wind turbine uses the smaller, 40-kW generator to motor up and bring the induction machine up to speed. Because the wind speed is low, the wind turbine operates at low output power, and the local load is set to 200 kW. The diesel engine has a rated power of 400 kW. At t = 2 s, the wind turbine is turned on. As we can see, the voltage dip and the frequency dip are not very large, because the wind turbine is started using a smaller generator

Figure 5. Voltage, frequency, and power to illustrate

an undersized diesel genset

At t = 10 s, the 80-kW water pump is started up. The startup time for the water pump is longer than that of the wind turbine because the wind turbine is started when the rotor speed is close to the synchronous speed and the wind turbine also gets some help from the wind. The voltage drop is not very significant, but the frequency of the diesel drops about 3%. The diesel output power increases to cover the real power needed, whereas the contribution from the wind turbine is insignificant because the wind is low. For a short time, the induction generator enters the motoring range between t = 10.8 s and t = 11.3 s. After the condition is restored, at t = 14 s, the additional local load (300 kW noncritical) is turned on, bringing the total load to 580 kW. Because the diesel can carry only up to 400 kW and the wind’s contribution is very small at about 40 kW, the voltage and frequency start decreasing, and the voltage and frequency sensors detect the change. If the frequency drops below 95% and the voltage drops below 90% for an elapsed time of 0.5 s, the controller will drop the additional load (300 kW) and keep the critical load (200 kW) to regain the voltage and frequency. After the load is shed at t = 14.5 s, the frequency and voltage eventually return to normal. When the frequency drops, the wind turbine’s power contribution suddenly jumps because of a sudden increase of generating slip. Eventually, the genset frequency increases again for a short period and the induction generator enters into the motoring condition (between t = 14.5 s and t = 15 s). This condition worsens if the mechanical time constant of the wind turbine rotor (including the blade) is higher than the diesel genset time constant. In other words, the changing of the genset rotor speed is much faster than the changing of the wind turbine rotor speed. The response to the load change is shown by how fast the governor corrects the frequency and how fast the generator’s field excitation control reacts to the voltage changes. Undersized diesel engine with energy storage: As shown in the previous subsection, an undersized diesel engine cannot supply all energy needed, and it must shed some of the non-critical load to retain power-system stability. To remedy this situation, a 150-kW energy storage is installed to bring the combined output of the diesel genset and energy storage up to 550 kW. Figure 6 shows the improved power system after the energy storage is added. The same simulation is performed except it is now equipped with an energy storage. There is a significant improvement in the frequency regulation after the storage is installed to stabilize the system. The non-critical load (300 kW) survives even during low wind conditions. The frequency dips during the wind turbine start-up and the water pump start-up, and when the 300 kW load non-critical load is switched, it is reduced dramatically. Obviously, the capability of the energy storage to deliver a large amount of power instantaneously plays a major role in restoring the frequency of the power system. An additional benefit is noticed in the system voltage behavior of the wind turbine. Because the change in the frequency deviation presented to the wind turbine induction generator is small and smooth, the behavior of the stator current at the induction generator is also smooth. Thus it reduces the Ldi/dt and overall voltage drop across the line.

Oversized wind turbine:

When the wind power output exceeds the power required by the load, the synchronous generator of the diesel genset becomes a synchronous motor that tends to accelerate the rotor speed of the diesel engine. The excess energy from the wind power, then, tries to drive the diesel engine. Because the diesel engine has only a small braking capability resulting from engine compression, the frequency control can be lost when the extra power generated by the wind turbine is sufficiently high.

Figure 6. Voltage, frequency, and power to illustrate

an undersized diesel genset with storage

In Figure 7, the diesel generator has a rated power of 400 kW, the local load is initially set to 280 kW and at t = 4 s, and the local load is set to 100 kW. When the diesel is started, there is only a local load of 280 kW. The wind turbine is then started at t = 2 s with a 225-kW induction machine. Although the diesel genset is rated at only 400 kW and the wind turbine is started with a 225-kW induction machine, the effect of wind turbine start-up on the power system is very mild, mostly because the induction machine current is limited by a soft start. A soft start is a device that limits starting current during start-up. It consists of a pair of back-to-back thyristors installed in series with each phase of the motor winding. Because the firing angle of the thyristor can be controlled, the size of the starting current can be adjusted by controlling the firing angle of the thyristors. As we can see (Figure 5), the same wind turbine (225 kW) draws a starting power of 300 kW, but after the soft start is installed (Figure 7), the power surge during start-up drops to about 100 kW. After the wind turbine enters generating mode (at about t = 2.5 s), the local load (280 kW) is shared between the diesel genset (55 kW) and the wind turbine (225 kW). The voltage and frequency are maintained constant, and the diesel genset

Figure 7. Voltage, rotor speed, and power of an

oversize wind turbine

generates only a small percentage of its rated load (about 13%). This makes a significant contribution to fuel savings from the wind energy. At t = 4 s, the local load is reduced from 280 kW to 100 kW; the wind speed stays the same. As a result, the wind turbine tries to supply 225 kW, but the only load available is 100 kW. As a result, the synchronous generator of the diesel genset turns into a motor (negative power), the governor loses its speed control, and frequency runaway is triggered. This is an example of the wind turbine being oversized compared to the local load. In such a case, a dump load (water heater, water pump, battery charger, etc.) is usually deployed to keep the diesel genset generating, which prevents it from motoring. Minimum power generation of the diesel genset is usually pre-set (for example, 15%–40% of the rated load). If the generated power of the diesel genset is less than the preset value, the dump load should be deployed. The dump load must be sized so that the diesel genset will always generate power above its minimum set point. The dump loads are normally non-critical loads used to store excess electrical energy in another form, such as heat (water or space heater), electric charge (battery charging), or potential energy (water pump). Oversized wind turbine with energy storage: As shown in the previous subsection, an oversized wind turbine can drive the system into an unstable condition because of the inability of the diesel engine to keep the frequency constant. An energy storage installed in the power system network is not only useful to remedy the undersized diesel engine but also for cases where there is an excess power produced by the wind turbine. Without energy storage, the wind turbine can drive the synchronous machine into motoring region and the frequency output will be out of control. With a power converter to interface between the energy storage and the power network, the energy storage is capable of quickly absorbing excess power generated by the wind turbine and hold the generator rotor speed from a runaway condition. As shown in Figure 8, the frequency runaway can be prevented by using energy storage to capture the excess power in the power network.

Figure 8. Voltage, rotor speed, and power of an

oversize wind turbine with energy storage

B. Case Study II: Charging the Storage Under Normal Condition

The energy storage will be charged only when there is an energy surplus from the wind and the required network load is very light. Because the governor of the diesel generator will always maintain the frequency constant, the output power of the diesel generator is an indicator of the power within the system available to charge the energy storage. One benefit of charging the energy storage during this condition is that the efficiency of the diesel engine is at its peak when it is operated near its rated power. Thus, when a surplus of power is detected within the system, the energy storage will be charged and some energy will be stored within the system. The amount of energy and the size of charging power depend on the size of the surplus power. The charging process will be stopped when the energy storage reaches its limit. Maximum charging current is also limited by the energy storage and by the power converter interface. Figures 9 shows the charging process. Initially there is enough wind speed to start the wind turbine. The diesel generator is supplying a constant load of 280 kW (power factor = 0.995 lagging) all the time. As the wind turbine generates full power (225kW), the diesel governor redistributes the load and there is a load sharing between the wind turbine and the diesel generator. As the transient settles out, it is shown that the diesel generator is contributing a very small amount of power to the load, thus the charging mechanism is started. The energy storage is charged slowly until it reaches its limit.

Figure 9. Real power flow in the power system

In Figure 9, the charging of energy storage during normal condition is limited to 75 kW, which is about 50% of the rated power of the capacitor. This limit ensures that the power converter still has enough headroom to deliver or absorb power during an emergency. For example, if there is some loss of the loads in the power systems, the energy storage must absorb the loads loss to avoid a sudden change in frequency. Similarly, to compensate for a sudden load increase to the power systems (e.g. the water pump is started), the energy storage must release energy to the power system to keep constant frequency at the diesel generator. As shown in Figure 9, the real power used by the energy storage to stabilize the frequency takes precedence over the charging power used to charge the storage. This can be seen especially when the water pump is started at about t = 15 seconds.

V. CONCLUSION

After presenting an overview of the components of the power system under investigation, we described the operating characteristics of the components as they relate to voltage and frequency variations in the power network. The analysis shows the dynamic interaction among the wind turbine, diesel engine, large loads, and energy storage. It also demonstrates the dynamics of real power balance and how the system is stabilized with the controlled energy storage. The voltage regulation is very minimal and the frequency regulation is controlled very closely. The voltage regulation is controlled mostly by the balance of reactive power in the system and the time constant of the excitation system of the generator. The frequency regulation depends on the energy storage control, the size of the energy storage, the total inertia in the system (temporary energy storage).Many technical solutions can be implemented to remedy the shortcomings covered in this paper. However, as in any power generation system, the economic implications of the solutions must be carefully considered.

REFERENCES

[1] E. Muljadi, L. Flowers, J. Green, and M. Bergey. 1996. “Electrical Design of Wind-Electric Water Pumping.” ASME Journal of Solar Energy Engineering 118:246–252.

[2] J.T.G. Pierik and M. De Bonte. 1985. Quasi Steady State Simulation of Autonomous Wind Diesel Systems (Status Report). Report No. ECN-85-091. Petten, The Netherlands: The Netherlands Energy Research Foundation.

[3] A.J. Tsitsovits and L.L. Freris. 1983. Dynamics of an Isolated Power System Supplied from Diesel and Wind. Proc.IEEE 130, Part A, No. 9:587–595.

[4] J.T. Bialasiewicz, E. Muljadi, G. Nix, and S. Drouilhet. 1998. “RPM-SIM Simulator: A Comparison of Simulated versus Recorded Data. “Proceedings of WINDPOWER ’98.” Bakersfield, California, 423–432.

[5] E. Muljadi and C.P. Butterfield. 2001. “Pitch-Controlled Variable-Speed Wind Turbine Generation,” Transactions of the IEEE-Industry Applications Society.

Performance of Combined Power System With Design of Energy Storage Controller System is a post from: wordpressrobot.com

How Wind Power and Solar Energy Can Save You Thousands Annually

admin — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 17:29:42 +0000

Utilizing wind power and solar energy or the power coming from the sun’s rays has many benefits. Let us take a closer look on each of them.•Solar energy saves money.In 2006, we saw the highest jump on residential electric rate. In some areas of the country, asmuch as a 60% increase was seen. Some cities in the state of Florida experienced an increase just this month (Jan-09) to start out the new year with. Many experts agree that the trend will likely continue in the years to come. This means that you have to pay larger sums of cash to sustain your monthly electric consumption. However by producing your own power, with the use of eitherwind power, solar energy or both you can prevent paying the high cost of energy – especially now when energy prices Keep fluctuating. Should American households switch to other types of alternative energy the nation’s spending on imported oil will diminish greatly.•Both Wind Power and Solar Energy are environmentally-friendly resources.The issue of global warming is a serious problem and it can not go away on it’s own. It is a Global concern which means that people all over the world need to take part in it’s recovery. The use of renewable resources, such as the ones in this article is a fantastic way for everyone to take part in doing their share to help save this planet, Using these two resources will have a great impact on our planet recovering from sustained damage already done if it were a worldwide effort. They are both sustainable and renewable unlike gas, coal and oil that most utility companies use. They do not produce any byproducts so they can’t pollute the air or do any harm whatsoever. Since they don’t emit greenhouse gases, they simply can’t contribute to global warming. Using wind power and or solar energy reduces demand for fossil fuel and reduces the nation’s dependence on foreign energy sources.

•Government gives incentives to those who use alternative forms of energy.

Many people are still discouraged to install these remarkable marvels because of various reasons. Costs is one reason, procrastination is another one and ignorance, not having a full understanding of just how effective this technology really is and staying in the dark ages of evolution and not excepting the giant step that it has made in progression. Some states like California offers federal tax credits as much as $2000 and up front rebates that covers 20% to 30% of the total system cost for systems that are required to be installed by contracted companies in this field rather than being able to take full advantage of DIY offers where home owners who are capable of installing their own systems via wind power generator and solar energy kits that can be purchased for as little as $100-200 dollars. These type of kits also comes with very explicit instructions in both text and video tutorials plus support. These types of offers are relatively good considering the substantial increase of energy costs in recent years. They are very practical when it comes to just how much money they can actually save home owners in other wise month to month high power bill expenses. Along with tax credits home owners can also expect substantial property value increases too!Note: Due to the increasing number of households who want to switch into alternative forms ofenergy, the incentive levels decline. Check with your state government for the rates it offers if you are thinking about making a switch.•Wind Power and Solar Power systems alike are dependable and require little or no

maintenance. Wind Power systems are typically windmills/wind turbines that have built in generators mounted right behind the propellers which are powered by the wind and as they spin generates electrical current which goes through inverters to adjust the current as it is saved in batteries for use to power homes or any appliance, whatever the intention of construction was for. Applications for usage is not limited.Photovoltaic (PV) cells or solar panels that are used in solar power systems are capable of providing electricity also. The only difference between solar and wind is solar gets it’s power from the sun and wind gets it power from generators which are mounted inside windmills. Neither require little or no maintenance. Solar panels like wind power generators lasts for 20 years ar more before needing to be replaced. Both are excellent resources for sustained reliability. Generally wind power and solar energy systems are installed together for a more consistent, more reliable energy resource. When the wind isn’t blowing the sun can charge the solar panels and when the sun is down and the wind should be blowing the wind generator can help in the power production process. This article MUST NOT be changed or altered in any way. ALWAYS include the resource box with the article when you publish it. You may publish this article on your blog or website, you can email it to your subscribers and submit it to the various online article directories.

All Rights Reserved (c) Copyright 2008 Solarenergycure.com

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Can Renewable Energy Power Islands Like Haiti?

admin — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:34:19 +0000

Ken Daniel, of Security Advisors Worldwide, or SAW, a renewable energy security advisory company contracted by Jetstream Wind, Inc. recently returned from the island of Haiti.

I understand that you and Security Advisors Worldwide had a very successful trip to Haiti. There doesn’t seem to be a great deal of media coming from this nation as to the daily lives of Haitians, the environmental issues they face, or the energy issues they’re looking at.

So that we can have a better picture, can you begin by talking about what it’s like for average citizens in Haiti on any given day?

Mr. Ken Daniel:

On an average morning in Haiti, people there don’t wake up to the possibility of electricity like we do here. They pretty much use coal to warm themselves in the morning. There also aren’t the refrigeration capabilities like here in the states, so they walk to the market everyday to get whatever food they can prepare and eat that given day.

As far as the issue of water goes, in the capitol of Port-au-Prince there was some running water, and I would see people on the exteriors of buildings filling up their water containers. But out in the rural areas, it’s more difficult and being pumped out of wells.

Along the roadways are fifty-five gallon plastic drums filled with water. Haitian citizens basically walk some distances to these to get their daily water since there aren’t many vehicles owned by private citizens.

There’s obviously not a large availability of electricity in Haiti, which seems odd in this day and age. Where does this issue stem from?

Ken:

There’s a hydro-plant that rests in-between Port-au-Prince and Hesh. It was actually built by Americans in the early part of the last century and has been around for a very long time. Put simply, it’s just old and doesn’t kick out enough power.

All of the power lines that we take for granted here in the US, actually have cobwebs growing on them in Haiti. And then, with the bad weather, hurricanes and such, there were numerous poles leaning at 45 degree angles with wires coming out of them.

The only real power was in the capitol of Port-au-Prince and it goes off regularly. Mostly though, what I saw were people with candles and bags of coal to cook their food. Really, unless you are a person with a little bit of money and can afford to be affluent, you can’t rely on the comfort of being able to depend on electricity.

With the hurricane situation, the lack of food and good shelter, renewable energy quite possibly could be the key to bringing in some the needed electricity to help with the situation.

This would be the first renewable energy technology being developed on an island, which is monumental. Would it be more difficult creating wind, solar, or hydrogen power on an island in the middle of the ocean as opposed to it being developed on a mainland?

Ken:

In this particular place, almost everything that is needed can literally be brought to the land. With hydrogen technology for example, an area of land is cleared where it won’t require much manipulation as this technology is easily able to be placed. An added benefit to that is there won’t be any deforestation.

With solar technology, another small piece of land within a vast spread of land is cleared and the technology placed upon it. Lines won’t have to be ran over long expanses of land for fuels, diesel, or natural gas. There won’t ever be an oil spill or pipes in the ground that corrode.

So it doesn’t seem to be too difficult. Exporting equipment out of the United States and importing to an island would be the main issue to be dealt with. Jetstream Wind would have to look at building an airstrip so that they can cargo fly equipment in. Most building materials would have to be imported from the U.S., which is 300 miles off the coast of Miami, and would either come in by cargo plane or shipped in by sea.

It would be a benefit to take the time and see if there was anything available on the island that can readily be used, salvaged and recycled.

The terrain in Haiti (being an island) is more than acceptable. There are mountains, which means the wind is constantly blowing across them. There’s plenty of sunshine shining on the hills that are vast, rounded and able to be navigated. Even the new hydrogen technology can easily be implemented there.

If Haiti were to bring renewable energy in, it could be put anywhere. It wouldn’t have to be placed in a major metropolitan area, and the power from the renewable energy plant(s) could run to the pre-existing grid. The hope would be, however that Haiti itself would help to re-build the infrastructure so that all of this power could get to the homes, schools, hospitals, businesses and other places where electricity is vitally needed.

The truth is that they would have to wait far longer to get any other type of an energy program in, such as coal for example. There are also some pretty severe issues with deforestation happening at present, and so I would think that renewable energy is really the only way to go for Haiti right now.

Looking at the environmental impact of renewable energy on Haiti, would you say that there would be any, at all, created from this technology?

Ken:

As compared to a coal-fired plant here in the United States, no, other than having to clear small pieces of land to put things on.

There are many countries that simply have to have energy right now, and this is by far the cleanest way to get it. Nuclear is not the answer. It leaves a long-standing residue as a result of that power. Natural gas and coal also lead to numerous environmental concerns.

The fact is that we can’t rely on oil for our needs any longer and I don’t want to see any more damaging changes in the land. This won’t. And the residue from this technology won’t be a bigger burden for the Earth. What’s cleaner than water?

But it really doesn’t matter what country it’s in as far as getting the renewables to work for people. It’s the technology that Jetstream Wind has that hits the central point of this whole thing. In other words, if the technology can get there and the transmission lines can get ran, then this can work almost anywhere.

Working through the issues of basic infrastructure, transmission, politics, and environment, a company like Jetstream Wind is the right answer for those people.

Did the Haitian government welcome you and the possibility of a Jetstream Wind collaboration?

Ken:

Yes. I was treated very well. I was able to meet with the US Ambassador to Haiti, the advisor to the President of Haiti, several Prime Ministers, and the necessary others that would become involved should we all come together and build a renewable plant there.

Other than simple barriers with the French-Creole language, it was a very successful meeting and everyone was excited. It went from one meeting to five or six, with them wanting me to speak with as many leaders as possible in my short time there.

This is a major project of which Jetstream Wind would probably want to share some sort of responsibility. How deeply would the country of Haiti be involved and responsible in re-powering their nation?

Ken:

The United States created a bailout for the auto industry. The country of Haiti will possibly need to create a financial bailout for their energy problem. They’re probably going to have to put some money into the system to start readying themselves for this type of project.

Having the years of experience in large military operations, I’ve learned to back-plan for anything. In other words, I can see the end result, but before I can get there I have to first go all the way back to where it begins. It begins by asking questions…a lot of them.

In order for renewable energy to be a reality in Haiti, the Haitian government has to ask themselves some questions so that Jetstream Wind and Security Advisors Worldwide can do our jobs.

How will they find the necessary people needed for this large of a project? How will they train these people? Where are the people located and where is the transportation going to come from to move these people? How will they communicate?

There is a lot of work to be done from taking out old transmission lines and putting in new ones, to breaking ground on the energy plant itself. Power poles will be placed on every block. New construction companies will be built, taking into account everything that goes with that including the huge amount of labor needed.

We can also take into account the education necessary to work with a project of this type, creating a national boost in knowledge. Anything from taking down a power line to managing a company with the large workforce will have to be covered.

It’s not only about the end result of the plant supplying renewable energy to the people. It also includes the entire scope of the process beginning with Haiti’s choice and ability to prepare for it.

In seeing the potential, meeting the representatives, and observing the culture, what is the one thing that you come back with?

Ken:

I come back with the insight that the country of Haiti is only a two and half hour flight from Miami. It’s not so far away that we can’t touch it with our assistance.

Little kids are walking distances, carrying the water they needed for the day. You have to remember we as a human race have also been to the moon. We’re building a space station. How is it possible that an island, so close to the United States is in the situation it is?

This has the capacity of creating and developing a whole new job infrastructure and economy. It is a prime example of renewable energy quickly effecting the situation for the better.

The capability is there to get it done. The land is there, the people are motivated, and the technology is ready to go. With the help of the Haitians in getting the infrastructure ready, a whole new way of life can arise from this for the people of Haiti, and also the same possibility for other people and nations all over the world.

What strikes me the most from our conversation about renewable energy is its ability to cross borders, boundaries, cultures, political policies, and even world religions without leaving heavy footprints of various unwanted agendas.

Thank you once again, Ken, for sharing this information showing how people and technology can come together to create a clean, economically stable world for our future and our children’s futures.

Click here if you would like more information about Security Advisors Worldwide (SAW).

Ornesha De Paoli

Green Ascension ~ Evolving People on an Evolving Planet

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Can I Really Power My Home With Wind Energy?

admin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:38:34 +0000

The Federal Tax Credits currently available in the US for upgrades for residential energy efficiency are significant enough to have many people thinking about energy efficiency remodeling. There is much discussion around the cost benefits of installing solar energy systems and even geothermal heat pump systems. But many homeowners are still asking, “Can I really power my home with wind energy?” The answer is “Yes!”

When most of us think about wind energy, we flash on images of huge turbines lined up in mid-western or off-shore wind farms. We see pictures of turbines 150 yards in diameter that sit 3000 feet above sea level. But wind technology is advancing daily. In fact, turbine design is advancing so fast that some of the wind-energy web sites are having difficulty keeping up!

Many farms and other residential and industrial facilities in rural areas have been using wind turbines for years to provide all power for their needs. But as interest in powering homes with wind energy grows, new technologies are producing quieter, more attractive, turbines that can be effective at lower elevations. In fact, there are new turbine designs that can be incorporated into landscaping design around homes.

The economics of wind power depend on where you live, how much wind is available on a continuous basis at what elevation, and whether you plan to invest in batteries to store excess energy. The economics of wind power also depend on whether you plan to install a stand-alone system to provide all of your energy needs or you plan to connect to the electric grid serving your area and use a wind energy system to generate power that you supply to the electric company in exchange for free energy. Either way, a small wind system could provide all of the power your home needs with wind energy.

You can now purchase a wind generator from Amazon.com and from several other online retailers. You can also purchase complete wind systems from the manufacturer. At the very least, you can do your homework online before you start talking with a local contractor. Most states currently require that wind power systems be professionally installed by certified contractors. Before you purchase any equipment from any source, you should discuss your options and what kind of systems are working for other homeowners in your area with your contractor.

Choices of turbines are generally based on the amount of wind power generated by the system. This is measured in kilowatts. For example, a 1.2kW turbine produces 1200 watts. A turbine of this size installed where there is an average wind speed of 12 mph will produce about 2000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. The cost of a wind system usually ranges from $3,000 to $5,000 per kilowatt connected to the grid. The cost could be lower for an independent system not connected to the grid. Turbines are expected to last about 20 years.

In most cases, the installation cost for a 10 kilowatt residential system will be about $35,000 to $40,000. In an energy efficient home, this system could meet all energy needs, eliminating the electric bill. The amount of time needed to recover the cost would depend on current average monthly electric bill (e.g., a home using $200 of electricity per month, would recover $2,400 of the cost each year) and the available purchase incentives. The incentives would begin with the current Federal Income Tax Credit of 30% of the cost of equipment and installation or $10,500 – $12,000. Many states also offer such incentives as investment tax credits, sales tax reductions, property tax reductions, and financing assistance. Many utility companies also offer a variety of incentives, including net metering, to wind system installation.

In short, it is entirely possible to completely meet the energy needs of an energy efficient home with a wind power system that could be expected to pay for itself in as little as 10 to 15 years.

Copyright 2009 by ABCD Publishing

Can I Really Power My Home With Wind Energy? is a post from: wordpressrobot.com

What Are the Advantages of Solar Energy? Economic and Environmental Benefits of Using Solar Power

admin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 17:29:06 +0000

In order to effectively understand the advantages of using solar energy, you need to get to know, initially, the ways solar energy is being generated. There are basically 2 forms of solar energy. We have the thermal solar energy and light solar energy. Thermal energy is believed to be an inactive solar. Its form of energy is made possible through the planning and the parts utilized to construct a house. If you incorporate windows that face the south and the objects that conduct heat, such as stone and brick, you could be able to reduce the energy you use and create energy efficient formation. The thermal energy generated through green solar power is utilized to warm water for solar hot water systems. The radiation coming from the sun creates light and heat which is seized by solar panels to generate electricity for home use.The major known utilization of green solar power is to cutback spending. Though green solar energy components come with a huge opening investment, but you will rip the benefits in years to come. This is so because it will provide additional electricity for your home use or all of the day-to-day electricity which your home requires. If you make your own solar panel, partaking in government refund and net metering, that is a system whereby you sell the electricity which you do not need to utility power firms. It will aid to lower the expenses of running a solar energy system, that is one of the economic benefits of using solar power. Again, solar energy systems need small to no upkeep maintenance after you have finished setting it up, due to the fact that majority of them require no moving components.The environmental benefit of using green solar energy is because it is environmental friendly. Considering the fact that our planet is in peril, that is the polar ice caps are decreasing and climate change is producing tragic storms worldwide, it is necessary we take action to reduce global warming and our reliance on fossil fuels. Solar power produces a clean energy, due to the fact that it produces small pollution and it doesn’t add to global warming.Green solar energy systems can be used by homes and businesses alike. If going solar cannot meet all of your energy needs, it can certainly reduce them. Utilizing green solar energy can save you money, but its greatest benefit is to the environment and our future.

Earth 4 Energy is a DIY manual which consists of videos and guides which you can easily use to build your own solar panel from home for under $200. If you want to live off the grid, now is your opportunity to build yours for less than the price of commercial made ones.Check it out at http://modospot.com/review/earth4energy.html

What Are the Advantages of Solar Energy? Economic and Environmental Benefits of Using Solar Power is a post from: wordpressrobot.com

Power Of Article Marketing – More Articles Mean More Sales Daily: Discover My How To Article Marketing Formula

admin — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:37:46 +0000

The power of article marketing! Do you what is the main secret of all article marketers? Would you like to learn one simple tactic they use to make as many sales as they can every day? Read on this article to find out my proven how to article marketing formula.

Power Of Article Marketing â?? How To Increase Your Sales Day By Day With Article Marketing Only?Â

Here is my How to Article Marketing Formula:Â

1.Â Â Â Create Daily Routine For Your Article Writing And Article Marketing.Â

Remember that article writing is the main soul of article marketing. When you produce more and more articles every day, your article promotion campaign can be even more powerful.Â

So define certain schedule for your article marketing campaign. I myself always write articles when I feel the maximum power of my brain. It is usually in the mornings. But I do article submission in the evenings when I feel tired and am not able to concentrate enough well to write quality articles.

2.Â Â Â Â Submit A Certain Number Of Articles Every Day.Â Â

It is very important to distribute new articles to top content directories each and every day. Why? â?? Because from SEO point of view, it is better to distribute 5 articles per day, than 10 articles every other day. Search engines prefer natural, regular link building, so in this way your sites can get higher pagerank within a few months and generate more and more sales day by day.Â

Â Conclusion:Â Â

Apply my How to Article marketing formula to find out the real power of article marketing. And then you will never hesitate about the effectiveness of this online marketing method.

Want to Increase Sales Through Article Marketing?

Power Of Article Marketing – More Articles Mean More Sales Daily: Discover My How To Article Marketing Formula is a post from: wordpressrobot.com