Category Archives: wind energy

Canada Keeps Pace With European Wind Energy Efforts

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The Europeans have always been in the lead when it comes to adopting the kind of green technology that includes the latest wind farm techniques and recent reports have them racing to place more clean wind energy off their coasts. In the last three years European wind energy efforts have more than doubled and plans to increase output continue to move forward.

Amid ever increasing fossil fuel prices and political pressure, more plans have recently been announced to bump up offshore wind energy capacity according to the European Wind Energy Association, or EWEA. Still called a niche industry, but one that’s rapidly growing, the offshore wind farm market will count for 8% of worldwide needs in 2016.

Not to be outdone, we’ve kept pace here in Canada. Currently we use only enough of what’s called our ‘massive’ wind energy potential to power 1 million of our homes, but there are hopes to harness the power of our three coastlines and windy mountains. The Canadian Wind Energy Association also advocates what they call a balanced energy diet whereby conventional electricity and the type generated by wind power compliment each other.

The proposed relationship between wind and hydroelectric is just one example of this suggested tag team. It’s proposed that over shorter time spans hydro can be used here in Canada to compensate for times when wind power isn’t as abundant. On the other hand, wind power is the clear choice to compensate when reservoir levels drop which is a forecast from the models derived from climate change.

There can be no mistake the push is on in Canada to make this sustainable resource one for the future in several provinces including Ontario. Consider the future plans for Canada’s biggest province when it comes to wind energy that encompasses:

· Plans to increase the province’s wind farm capacity by 2018. There’s a double-edged sword here when it comes to employment and revenue since the proposed 5,600 MW of new wind capacity will create 80,000 person years of employment. Good news for a province that has been ravaged by the hard times encountered by their manufacturing sector.
· Increased revenues in the forms of taxes and lease payments over the 20 year lifespan of the projects being proposed.

There are even those in the industry that are predicting bigger things than the current numbers support. In fact, one of the Canadian proponents of wind-based energy, CanWEA, is saying that this sustainable energy can support 25% of the nation’s electricity demands by the year 2025. A new way of thinking comes with any shift to clean energy and the problem has always been with detractors who say sustainable energy efforts don’t make room for job creation. Clearly that’s not the case here as the projections for 2025 are also including 52,000 new high quality jobs in the arena.

Across the globe, more and more countries are seeing the obvious benefits to looking into sustainable energy in general and wind energy specifically. From the wind farm techniques used off the coasts in Europe to our efforts at harnessing the power of this natural resource here at home, the benefits are becoming more and more clear.

Investing In The Future Of Wind Energy

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Wind Farm

As the world begins to change so to does our reliance on fossil fuels. Wind energy is one innovation that is helping the fledgling renewable energy industry make huge strides towards a change in the way we think about energy production.

New innovations in wind turbine technology are beginning to show that renewable energy is a viable solution for our collective future. There are always new and exciting things happening in research and development in this area, and the following is just a brief overview that proves entrepreneurs are looking to, and investing in, this latest technology.

Although the initial investment isn’t recouped at once, there is every indication that good returns come in after several years of operation. For example, did you know that:

Big American money is investing in this technology?
GE (General Electric) has made moves to build offshore turbines. They see the trends toward green technology and the ROI is getting more positive by the day. GE purchased a company only three years ago that makes direct drive components for these wind turbines and had originally planned to start marketing them in Europe first. They’ve been a force in the wind energy market for several years now. Today, as much as 50% of the new units being built are now sold in the United States.

Innovation comes in all shapes and sizes?
We are all familiar with the current look of the wind turbine, that all too familiar three-bladed design, but now it seems that the industry is taking on a new shape in the form of wind cubes. Just like the name implies, these are wind generators that are shaped like cubes. Since these are smaller than the full sized wind turbines, they are best used when set up on the roofs of buildings in urban and rural areas.

There are of course many other exciting new ideas when it comes to the world of green energy and wind energy. One that is turning some heads is kite-like turbines. These airborne turbines are tethered to the ground and generate energy while in flight.

Of course, the familiar design of the wind turbine is still the mainstay when it comes to producing massive amounts of wind energy.

South Korea is one of the countries in that area that is leading the way with plans announced last year to have a wind farm offshore that will cost an amazing $8.3 billion. There have been reports that there will be, once the project is completed, an estimated 500 turbines that will supply 2,500 megawatts of clean, renewable energy each year.

In other wind energy news, there are reports out of Africa that one of the biggest wind projects on the continent will be completed this year. Northern Kenya is expected to get 365 giant wind turbines to help with the country’s initiative to move to greener energy sources.

All across the globe, private companies are beginning to see the possibilities when it comes to wind energy. The benefits of installing this technology as a sustainable energy source will not only serve their communities for years to come, but after the initial costs, the ROI may very well be unfathomable.