New, Split-up Corruption-Proofed MMS Gets Application for Off-Shore Wind

Author: EcoFriendly

Jul 13

The breakup of the Minerals Management Service into three separated parts after the drilling disaster exposed the depths of the corruption of the old MMS, has also yielded a new focus on clean energy from the ocean, and a 700 MW off-shore wind project off of Long Island may be the first test of corruption-free permitting.

A consortium of New York utilities has just applied for a permit to start feasibility studies required to build a 700 MW off-shore wind farm that would be sited off the coast of Long Island.

At 14 miles out to sea, the turbines would be scarcely visible from land. The New York Power Authority, which gets 75% of its power from hydro, had originally tried for a much smaller 150 MW farm there in 2003, but the project had been shelved in 2006, due to escalating cost estimates at that time from developer NextEra. The new consortium comprises New York utility ConEd, the Long Island Power Authority, and the NYPA itself, which is the largest state-owned utility in the US.

The application goes to the Obama administration’s newly formed Bureau of Ocean Energy (BOE) which will focus more developing on renewable energy rather than primarily fossil energy as MMS did. But, unlike the MMS that it replaces: to prevent corruption, it will neither grant the permits nor collect the royalties.
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World’s 1st Skyscraper with Built-In Wind Turbines (The Razor)

Author: EcoFriendly

Jul 13

World’s 1st Skyscraper with Built-In Wind Turbines (The Razor)

143 meters tall, rising above the crowd in Central London, Strata SE1 (or “the Razor” as it is popularly called, due to its sharp, angular design), is the first skyscraper in the world “to have electricity-generating wind turbines built into its core design ‘fabric’.”

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Cell Phone Chargers to go Green

Author: EcoFriendly

Jul 13

Cell Phone Chargers to go Green

Today cell-phones have become an integral part of our life and are the most used mode of communication. More prevalent the use of cell-phone, more imperative is the need to curtail eco-pollution that emanates from the huge number of still-in-use and out-of-use cell phones. Toxic products like lead, mercury, cadmium and other materials pose [...]
Posted in: Future Energy, Industry, Solar Power

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Tech college to collect data from wind turbines

Author: EcoFriendly

Jul 13

Tech college to collect data from wind turbines

From an article by Allison Wickler in the Manitowoc Herald Tribute Reporter:

Lakeshore Technical College’s research could provide information for turbine buyers

MANITOWOC — Andrew Hrlevich said his first experience climbing the tower of a wind turbine was a little intimidating.

“But like anything, you get better with practice,” Hrlevich, 20, said, which he’s done by climbing the Vestas wind turbine installed at Lakeshore Technical College in 2004.

Hrlevich, a wind energy technology student, helped Seventh Generation Energy Systems of Madison with the recent installation of LTC’s third wind turbine, the 50-kilowatt Endurance, on LTC’s Cleveland campus. The second, the Entegrity, was installed in June.

Both are funded by We Energies, and will be part of research that students will be involved in, said Doug Lindsey, dean of trade, industry and agriculture.

LTC has tracked daily energy and wind production for the Vestas since it was installed, Lindsey said, while it also has been used for student training and provided energy to campus buildings.

“We have probably the most-researched, midsized turbine in Wisconsin,” he said.

But for this project, the college will operate the three turbines “head to head” for a year, tracking things like electricity output at different wind speeds and how much maintenance they require — “kind of like Consumer Reports does,” Lindsey said.

Watch video of the turbine installation.

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Home Energy Management solution by GE: Nucleus

Author: EcoFriendly

Jul 13

Home Energy Management solution by GE: Nucleus
GE’s new Nucleus serves as home energy command center; innovative technology puts energy choices in hands of consumers

GE (NYSE: GE) today unveiled Nucleus™, an affordable, innovative communication and data storage device that provides consumers with secure information about their household electricity use and costs so they can make more informed choices about how and when to use power.

GE’s Nucleus brings the promise of the smart grid into consumers’ homes. As utilities deploy smart meters, the Nucleus will collect and store a consumer’s household electricity use and cost data for up to three years, and present it to consumers in real-time using simple, intuitive PC and smart phone applications, helping consumers monitor and control their energy use.

Nucleus is the first product in GE’s Brillion™ suite of smart home energy management solutions that will help consumers control their energy use and costs. In addition to Nucleus, GE’s Brillion suite will include a programmable thermostat, in-home display, a smart phone application, and smart appliances for the entire home.

“Currently consumers have little more than a monthly utility bill to determine what they’re using and spending,” said Dave McCalpin, GM, Home Energy Management. “GE’s Nucleus with Brillion technologywas developed to provide real-time information for more control over household energy costs and consumption. It serves as the command center for energy and cost conscious homeowners to make smarter, more informed decisions.”

By 2012, US utilities are expected to install more than 40 million smart meters.1 These digital meters enable utilities to charge “time-of-use” rates for electricity throughout the day. When demand is low, electricity will cost less, and when demand is at its “peak,” utilities will charge more to encourage off-peak consumption.

With these new pricing plans, however, comes the need for innovative technologies to help consumers manage their usage. Along with monitoring their whole-home energy consumption, consumers will have the option to automatically adjust thermostats or alter the consumption of GE Profile™ appliances with Brillion Technology in response to utility price signals.

Future Brillion options will also include alerts to assist consumers with daily tasks, such as when to change the refrigerator’s water filter or when the dryer cycle ends. Software upgrades will further enable Nucleus to monitor water, natural gas, and renewable energy sources, as well as plug-in electric vehicle charging.

www.GEBrillion.com