Archive for category Renewable Energy

Different Sources of Renewable Energy

Posted by in Renewable Energy on September 22, 2011

By Thomas B. Chuong

Natural sources of renewable energy are those that will not diminish. Some of them include hydropower, biomass, wind, and tidal. These are all similar to alternative power sources. We will review a few of these different types.

Hydropower was originally used in water mills, but with the advent of turbines this source of renewable power now generates electricity. Dams are built to form reservoirs and offer a potential to harness the power generated by the height of the falling water. Water flows down the tunnels in the base of the dam, turns the turbines, and generate electricity. It is controllable and very economical. But it also has the lowest chance of growth as the majority of good sites have already been used.

Biomass utilized organic materials to generate power. It is one of the oldest and earliest types using fire. Wood or coal is burned to produce heat to turn water into steam which turns a turbine, and this process generates electricity.

Wind power is an ancient method that was used to turn windmills. Nowadays, wind is use to generate electricity or pump water. Windmills were common in medieval England and Holland, because they were used to grind corn and pump water in the Americas. Modern windmills were developed in the 1970′s and Denmark was the only country that pursued the idea. The coasts of Europe installed windmills to capture offshore wind.

Last but not least, tidal energy uses the power of the tides; they are predictable as they follow a cyclical pattern. This energy source has used for many years, in Northern France to grind cereals. In countries like the Philippines, the country has installed tidal windmill farm in 36 approved sites. The estimated capacity of these tidal windmill farms could reach 300 Megawatt which would include wind, solar, and geothermal efforts.

With steady technological advancement in renewable energy, we will soon have different sources of renewable energy available for commercial and residential use.

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The Importance of Renewable Energy

Posted by in Renewable Energy on September 22, 2011

By Gretchen Canedo

Renewable energy is an energy produced from easily-replenished sources like the sun, wind, water, biological and geothermal processes. Compared to fossil fuels and coals, these natural resources are usually referred to as clean forms of energy since they do not produce harmful emissions and polluting agents into the atmosphere and thus have a very minimal environmental impact during the process of production which is a very good factor in the preservation of our environment.

It is undeniable though that investing in renewable energy does not come cheap but if we are to think about what the costs of continuing the usage of coals and fossil fuels will do to our environment, I think it’s fair enough. Just consider the damages brought about by the effects of global warming, to sum it all, it may worth more if not equal to the amount needed for the facilities required in the production of renewable energy. And since there are no more harmful emissions therefore it is non-polluting, thus; a more healthy society is likely achievable.

The benefits of using renewable energy is not limited to being replaceable, it extends to the creation of jobs through the different projects initiated by several companies and agencies supporting the use of this energy source. By using this form of energy a nation’s dependence from oil-producing countries will alleviate. Instead of spending money for importing energy why don’t we invest it in the maintenance and acquisition of more equipment for the production of renewable energy? It makes more sense to invest to something that both the present and the future generation can benefit. We cannot exhaust the limited resources that we have because if we do what else could we give to our children in the future.

Let’s not think about how hard it will be to achieve a green world nowadays but how harder it is to restore a world from destruction. It takes millions of years before the world can regenerate new sources for the world to consume and we can only hope that they are produced even before we use up the already limited stocks. Shifting from the conventional sources of energy to the renewable sources is not an easy transition. It can greatly affect not just the economy but also the consumption of every house (residential or industrial) however we should always consider the environmental aspect and the societal needs if we are to decide which energy source we should maintain and use.

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Clean Green Renewable Energy

Posted by in Renewable Energy on September 22, 2011

By Brendan Mckenna

Electric wind farm turbines at Yambuck and Codrington in South West Victoria Australia.

My daughter, my wife, and I attended the an open day to Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the “Pacific Hydro’s” Codrington wind farm. We had no idea what to expect, but were in for a pleasant surprise. My Nine year old daughter “Erin” bypassed the usual kids stuff and quickly ushered us onto the bus for the 2 hour wind farm tour at nearby Yambuck /Codrington.The tour departed from Port Fairy at 10am, it was a pleasant trip to and from the Yambuck wind farm, and our local guide briefed us with some interesting facts.

What we learnt along the way:

The exact location of each tower is carefully calculated along with wind measurements of the area recorded by dedicated wind test towers.There is no chance of the towers falling over as the base foundation is made up of a massive concrete and steel reinforced pad.The turbines are constantly adjusting the direction and pitch of the blades to maximise efficiency. They automatically shut down if the wind becomes too strong (Greater than 50 Knot wind)

Acoustics:

Standing next to the base of the wind turbine you can clearly hear the swish of the rotating blades; I noted that the sound was well within my comfort zone. To give you some idea, the ongoing swish, swish, is similar (possibly less) than that of cars whizzing past at about 40 kilometers. The sound of the turbine generator can be heard if you put your ear against the base of the steel tower, otherwise the turbine itself is practically inaudible.

Power:

Pacific Hydro estimates that all of their operating projects combined produce enough clean electricity to power 600,000 homes each year. The Codrington Wind Farm produces enough power for about 10,000 homes each year

Carbon Friendly:

Pacific Hydro has calculated a rough saving of 7 million tonnes of greenhouse gas pollution since its project began operating and are aiming at avoiding a further 4 million tonnes every year with new projects coming online around the world.

Wildlife and bird Strikes:

I expected to see the odd dead bird, around the base of the mast, not so, If there is a problem with bird strikes then there was no evidence of it on our visit, the official feedback on this alleged phenomenon it is very rare if it happens at all. We noted that a handful of cows were grazing randomly around the base (as close as 5 meters) of the turbine towers. The cows were clearly indifferent to the turbines and spinning blades, they slowly wandered away to another paddock when we arrived.

Alternative Land uses:

It took me a full minute after arrival at the wind farm before I totally dismissed the idea of building a house on this magnificent land (Truly beautiful landscape overlooking the Southern Coast of Victoria.) The wind at the base of the towers was exceptionally strong, and a great place to visit., be sure to take a wind jacket.

Aesthetics:

I am told that a range of colours were considered for the turbines and masts. The white grey colour was chosen specifically as it best blends in with the surrounding cloud line. Most people I have spoken to including my daughter and wife find the wind towers an interesting addition to the beautiful coastal landscape. My daughter is always the first to point them out when we are driving down that way.

Environment:

“Erin” also discovered Pacific Hydro latest “Green Innovation.” The small handout sheet was impregnated with plant seeds so that you can plant the info sheet in the garden and with a little water and time a number of small plants will grow. Erin also noticed that the environmentally friendly paper was printed using vegetable based inks.

The Future:

Upcoming wind farm installations in the United Kingdom and Europe are aiming at a 5 megawatts power capacity per tower per year. Just twenty such towers would produce around 100 mega watts capacity a year, a vast improvement on those built 10 years ago.

I believe that the new age turbines could be swapped over when an older turbine becomes superseded or problematic. According to Pacific Hydro Wind Farm production costs have fallen more than 75 percent over the last 25 Years, there is no reason why this trend should not continue.

Pros:

Clean green renewable energy, very much pollution free. Turbine and Mast Technology is always getting better. Today 5 megawatt offshore wind turbines are being installed in the UK and Europe

Cons:

Cost, On today’s market you need approx 2000, 5 megawatt wind turbines to equal the capacity of one large modern,” 2011 Post Fukushima Japan Nuclear Power Plant.”

Conclusion:

Pacific Hydro’s 10th Anniversary celebrations of the Codrington Wind farm and tour were a great success. There is clearly a big future for this type of clean and green technology particularly in remote areas. Australia has the land, with affordability being the key factor to the future.

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