Phoenix Rising: Renewable energy good news comes to light after Hurricane sandy

Nashua, NH-as sandy devastated parts of North America three weeks ago, hundreds of current wealth generation were threatened. According to SNL, there were energy, 731 operational power stations above 10 MW or greater in the path of the storm. These facilities 20 nuclear power stations, 80 coal plants, 237 gas power plants and 394 plants of various other types of fuel, hydro power, solar energy, biomass and wind were power plants including.

Although Sandy left many customers in the dark, most of the power outages were to actual generating assets caused by distribution and transmission line damage rather than damage. In other words, were ramped at least three nuclear power plants on "Grid overload-garde", SNL, also, that a nuclear power plant, the Exelon's Oyster Creek in New Jersey reported an emergency declared said event during the storm, due to flooding of the work of the circulating water system. The emergency event was the third heaviest on the NRC event matrix.

How to survivors through the rubble and hit the hardest work seven restore a semblance of life, which they had before the storm, be we all remembered the power of mother nature and his ability to destroy, what man has several decades building. The damage that left behind by the storm many people request for further use "safer" forms of energy and meaningful measures to combat climate change.

Renewable energy takes both calls. Reducing our dependence on CO2 will serve spouting fossil fuel-fired power plants reduce the alarming pollution that our planet has been warming since the industrial revolution has. In addition, the renewable energy systems are strong, safe and resistant to damage.

We offer here a few tidbits of the encouraging news for renewable energy. Here many people are still suffering from the damage the storm caused one to inspire six ideas.

Caribbean and southeastern coast wind turbine rate even with sandy

Barely a week after Hurricane sandy, Northern power systems, that 74 of its wind turbines, including three in the Caribbean, was announced on the path the hurricane sandy and were not damaged by the high winds. According to Irene, a category 3 hurricane that hit Sandy was the second powerful Atlantic in 2011 storm, Northern power turbines within one year hit and run all turbines affected easily as expected.

"The losses from Hurricane Sandy experienced that how powerful nature can be a tragic reminder," said Troy Patton, Northern power systems President and CEO. "Directly into the path of many of our turbines on the East coast of the United States, the Caribbean, were the hurricane Sandy but none were damaged by the high winds. We have Northern power systems continue to produce the experience and commitment, which are safe and reliable."

As evidence for the design of the Northern power turbines of as soon as each turbine Sandys hurricane winds, recognized it entered automatically in safe mode. Conditions returned to normal, electricity resumed each turbine, the company said.

Asia report: One week of suffering for China Solar Panel manufacturers

Sydney-China's beleaguered solar panel manufacturer has another hit this week announcement either shipping demotions or job cuts in response to global oversupply and higher production costs at the last import prices, bound by the U.S. Government.

Trina solar, posted a loss for the past four consecutive quarters, slashed guidance quarter citing industry-wide oversupply and lower prices. The Chinese solar-panel maker now estimates shipments in the third quarter were the 375 MW to 385 MW range, compared to the previous guidance of 450 MW to 480 MW, as margins were squeezed by anti-dumping duties in the United States and an inventory write-down.

Trina said in September that it will cut an unknown number of jobs as part of a more comprehensive cost-saving measure was. This week the Suntech was set to announce job cuts, say it three production shifts to reduce and cut the workforce at its Goodyear, Arizona solar panel production facility.

The world's largest producer of solar cells, said by the U.S. Government increased the rising cost of the solar cells the costs for the production of solar cells in the US tariffs on solar cells come to rates, last year on aluminum frame, an important input for the manufacture of solar panel.

"Following our decision to invest in Arizona, have unnecessary upstream barriers more difficult and more expensive in the manufacture of solar cells in the United States made also this new tariffs limit our ability, the Suntech solar advanced imported from China, using technology," said Mick McDaniel, managing director of Suntech America.

Travis Hoium in the Motley Fool writes: "it should now be clear that Chinese solar companies are no longer powerful companies, as they are currently constructed. "Not only the edges are so low that it would be difficult to make a profit, they have all debt, which makes them less competitive than healthier suppliers."

Hoium has negative impact on Chinese solar stocks for some time, but in general such as LDK, Suntech and Yingli has kept, limited to that with so much debt that it is unlikely that she could ever compete, his strong negative opinions.

But a result report by Canadian solar, coupled with also updated instructions leads to believe Hoium ", that China's solar industry finally bankruptcy or be bailed in any form."

Australia urged with renewable energy policy stick

SYDNEY--Australia's renewable energy target should be retained in its current form to avoid, undermining the confidence of investors in wind, solar and geothermal energy, according to the Government Adviser on climate change.

Australia should keep, by his goal to 41,000 gigawatt hours electricity from renewable sources by 2020 to get the climate change Agency due said today in a preliminary assessment of the policy before its final report in December.

The goal should be maintained although the country on track to reach would originally after the authority around 25 percent of its power from renewable energy instead of the 20 percent. Some makes Australian unit, TRUenergy Holdings Pty Ltd. companies including CLP Holdings Ltd., said that the target account for the decline in demand for electricity and to cut costs should be reduced.

"The challenge is a reasonable balance between encouraging more investment in renewable energy, what to persistent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the cost of the system to household and business consumers of electricity," according to a statement the climate agency.

Significant investments on the basis of the existing legislation with more planned was made, Bernie Fraser, the Chairman of the authority, the statement said. Scaling over leads to only modest reductions in electricity bills by 2030, according to the authority which was set up on July 1, advise the Government on its climate policy.

Looking for security

"Legal certainty for investors in equipment for renewable energy is absolutely the top of my mind" climate said change Minister Greg Combet yesterday after a speech in Sydney on Oct. 24 "it would be a lot to convince me that must it make changes to the current target system setting renewable energy."

Australia's strategies for emission reduction and clean energy encourage investment from a$ 100 billion ($104 billion) over the next four decades can drive, Combet said. The Government set a price of $23 per metric ton of carbon emissions for about 300 of its largest polluters for the year which began on July 1 with a market-based system to in 2015 start.

"There is a lot about the RET although how," said adjustment past makes cost of about a$ 25 billion, reduce could Melbourne-based TRUenergy, in a statement in September.

Wind power adds jobs and prosperity increases in rural communities

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The first study, detailed econometric methods use effects of wind makes installations in a 12-state region between 2000 economic development and a positive net increase in annual shows 2008 measuring independent personal income and jobs.

"For every megawatt additional wind in County A, one would expect a $11.150 increase of income", said Ryan wiser, scientist and Deputy group leader in the electricity markets and the policy group at LBL. Along with the increase in income, there was also a average 0.48 increase in net jobs and wiser added that net job action is useful only if most are greater than 1 MW wind farm.

"There is no doubt that affected communities, especially rural communities from these projects," said wiser. "We are not prepared to say whether [] are essential or non-essential, but some counties development significantly positively affected by wind are."

By the USDA Economic Research service, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL) and the national renewable energy laboratory study focused on 1,009 counties in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, North and South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota.

The region was chosen because it has the highest concentration of the best land-based wind resources in the United States, as also the highest degree of wind makes development with the exception of California, Oregon and Washington [see map]. It was also selected to "Highlight a contiguous area of the country with relatively homogenous characteristics."

Until now, wiser said: studies on the economic impacts of the wind makes development uses "input-output analysis", the the effects of a change, such as a wind farm in the economy creates forecast a model of the local economy. "Modeling is great, but we wanted to determine whether there was an observable effects of wind development on these counties in the past, the in-place perspective" he said.

The $11.150-pro-MW-boost in personal income independent and 0.48 per MW net employment arise an average 0.22% increase in personal income and 0.4% job growth from 2000 to 2008.

Wiser explains that the actual percentage according to the level of employment and income in one of 1,009 respondents counties varies the effect. He said "Because counties with a higher population and income, the effects of the wind only a fraction of the total be".

Sage said that the numbers are "a bit misleading low.", because we only wind development in the past, and it's already much developed since 2008 was in addition he said the study group people a change in a wind sector job as a positive gain in employment, only as an increase of in income are not if it contain one. The study group chose use personal income instead of earned income account for things like royalties to a landowner for wind turbine installation, wiser said.

Such an investigation was not possible so far, wiser said. "It requires enough wind development in the past to follow, that are available." "If [USDA] come to me 4 years ago, I would have said that it determine econometric impact insufficient development."

The study "the effects of wind development on county-level income and employment: A review of methods and an empirical analysis" energy economics can be purchased via the website of the magazine. The study is summarized in a fact sheet from the U.S. Department of energy (DOE).

Turbine test: setting standards for smaller devices

LONDON--A global increase in the small and medium-sized wind turbines is to set of challenges for the examination and require new standards and certification in the UK and elsewhere.

Small and medium-sized wind turbines worldwide ever more popular, perform increases the need for confidence in their ability, as planned, safe and reliable both. This resulted in a complex and sophisticated testing and certification regime. So what they are testing challenges and how can they best be addressed?

The test criteria for small and medium-sized wind turbines are driven largely by the international standards. For example UK micro generation certification scheme (MCS) - includes wind turbines with a nominal capacity of less than 50 kW and area swept a rotor less than 200 m² - wind Orten heavy reliance on the British Energy Association (BWEA) small wind turbine performance and safety standard, which in turn refers to a set of international standards in the IEC 61400-series.

There in the United States and Canada, but instead on the AWEA is not dissimilar criteria 9.1 standard leave. The small wind Certification Council (SWCC) is the currently leading activity on this in North America.

BWEA both the AWEA standards are supported by and rely on IEC 61400-2: 2006, according to which the design criteria for small wind turbines. The "dash 2" standard gives guidelines for the design of a small wind turbine, which either a simplified download approach or a more aero-elastic modeling approach or a combination of the two.

The standard applies to the design of the horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) and vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT). In addition, there is a requirement to test the durability, safety and function of the transmitter.

Standards to come

The next edition of the standard (Edition 3: 201 X) is expected to be published in the near future. To deliver this next edition, an IEC maintenance team has worked very hard for two years and has reviewed many of the criteria in the light of the experience and current best solutions.

The resulting new version of standard give greater leadership, among others on the use of simplified load approach and dealing with extreme wind conditions.

The performance of the turbine is judged on the basis of the criteria in the IEC 61400-12-1: 2006, which makes performance standard and IEC 61400-11: 2003, the acoustic performance standard. A review of these two aspects is a turbine for a particular wind regime, purpose and location.

Medium wind define requirements

A UK-medium wind standard is currently in the design stage and probably will not be published before the end of this year. Forward, is to be hoped that the international community will eliminate the perceived problems with medium-sized wind turbines to a UK standard. While unlikely, they are medium-sized turbines that are the mainstay of the wind farms of the future, probably at an important role play distributed and collaborative projects in the wind, i.e. a reasonable standard is supported by Government incentives likely everyone will benefit in the long term.