Electical Contractor

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) reported the U.S. market for small wind turbines with 100 kilowatts (kW) capacity or less grew 78 percent in 2008, with a total of 17.3 megawatts (MW) of new installed capacity, offering evidence that consumer demand for clean energy options is rising.

New flexible solar cell technology developed by a group of engineering researchers at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, has been installed at a bus shelter on campus to power lighting for nighttime transit users.

Wind power may have the potential to drastically alter our nation’s electricity consumption and reduce harmful emissions of greenhouse gases, but it will be of little use to energy consumers if the power generated can’t travel easily from the turbine to the plug.

The various forms alternative energy generation share a number of problems. Cost tops the list, when compared to traditional fossil-fuel-based systems.

In April, Madison County, Ind., commissioners adopted an ordinance amending the County’s Land Use and Development Code with regulations for the development of wind farms. The ordinance sets standards for such issues as setbacks, height, access and safety. Tax issues also were addressed.

The new green economy is expected to decrease the billions of dollars spent each year on foreign oil, reduce carbon emissions and create millions of new jobs for Americans. While solar energy is promising, wind energy is booming.

Researchers have developed a technique that uses sensors and computational software to constantly monitor forces exerted on wind turbine blades, a step toward improving efficiency by adjusting for rapidly changing wind conditions.

The University of Lleida (UdL) in eastern Spain has patented a concentration solar power module that produces heat, cold and electricity and that can be integrated into a building’s facade or roof.

Anyone who has ever played in the surf knows the crushing power of waves, and many have schemed of ways to harness that energy and convert it into electricity. Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell both toyed with the notion.