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Helix Wind launching wind-powered cellphone tower trials in US and Africa

by Laura June posted Oct 1st 2009 at 12:52PM

Helix Wind, a company that produces some very distinctive-looking wind turbines, is getting ready to start new trials in the US and Africa. These trials will involve testing the vertical wind turbines as a source of power for cellphone towers in areas where they may be off the grid, and carry much higher operating costs. The turbines should produce enough energy to power the cellphone towers, and pay for themselves within about six months. The trials are set to start at the end of the month with local Nigerian provider Eltek NSG as a main participant.

[Via Inhabitat]

Baryonyx to build largest offshore wind farms in the US, power massive data centers

by Darren Murph posted Jul 23rd 2009 at 8:27AM

Uh oh Mr. Pickens -- looks like you've got some competition down in Texas. With the aforesaid energy baron scraping plans to plant 687 massive wind turbines in Texas' panhandle, Baryonyx has stepped in to do the honors via a slightly different project. Just this past week, Baryonyx won a bid to create a pair of sizable offshore wind farms that Jerry Patterson -- Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office -- says "could be the biggest offshore wind farms in the nation." Additionally, another lease was granted for a prospective wind energy development in the panhandle, and now the company is eager to get going on the green energy gigs. The best part of this whole plan involves that actual purpose of the turbines; aside from providing juice for grids, they'll also be used to energize forthcoming Tier 4 server farms, with a minimum of 750 megawatts of power being pumped to two coastal areas all the while. Ma Earth would be proud.

[Via CNET]

Read - Baryonyx announcement [PDF]
Read - Patterson announcement [PDF]

T. Boone Pickens scouting new home for $2 billion wind farm

by Darren Murph posted Jul 8th 2009 at 3:04PM

It's true that everything really is more colossal in Texas, but unfortunately, it seems as if the planet's largest wind farm won't be adding to the collection. Just over a year after energy baron T. Boone Pickens announced plans to plant 687 gigantic wind turbines in Texas' panhandle, he's now scraping those intentions and actively looking for a new location to energize. The problem lies in the difficulty of getting 4,000 megawatts of power from Texas to the power distribution system, and now he's being forced to find a massive plot of land that's closer to said channels. There's no word yet on where Mr. Pickens is looking, but considering that even his garage isn't large enough to house the turbines (which have already been ordered, mind you), we'd guess that he'll settle on a new tract in short order.

Wind-powered vehicle hits 126MPH, nabs world record

by Darren Murph posted Mar 27th 2009 at 11:11PM

Sorry Mr. Schumacher, but your ten year record just got obliterated (okay, "beat soundly") by a Briton. On the dry, dusty plains of Ivanpah Lake in Nevada, Sir Richard Jenkins managed to perfectly harness winds of 30MPH in his futuristic Ecotricity Greenbird in order to hit a ridiculously quick 126.1MPH. In all honestly, we can't even fathom how you hit that speed with just 30MPH of wind, but clearly we're not up to speed when it comes to physics and engineering. At any rate, the milestone is pretty important for Ecotricity, which is trying to make wind power the go-to alternative energy source within the next score. Now, if only we could figure out a cheap and easy way to generate wind on demand, we'd really be onto something.

[Via BBC]

Kinesis K2 solar / wind charger hands-on: Captain Planet approved

by Ross Miller posted Jan 10th 2009 at 6:27AM

Kinesis' K2 solar / wind charger will power any USB device and is guaranteed to disappoint people mistaking it for a handheld fan. Of course, if you're feeling less environmental, feel free plug it into an AC outlet to reenergize the thing. Anticipating popular demand, we've put video after the break.

Gallery: Kinesis K2 solar / wind charger hands-on: Captain Planet approved, in theory

[Via OhGizmo!]

Continue reading Kinesis K2 solar / wind charger hands-on: Captain Planet approved

New wind turbines at least 30% more efficient, Earth one step closer to salvation

by Samuel Axon posted Nov 20th 2008 at 8:29AM

Still addicted to oil like the rest of the world? You might reconsider wind power rehab now that a startup called ExRo has developed turbines that it says are consistently 30% -- and in some situations as much as 100% -- more efficient than the standard kind. The traditionally-used mechanical transmissions have been replaced with an inexpensive electric alternative that can adapt to changes in wind speed more efficiently. Also, many small generators are used instead of a large one, so the turbines can be customized in production to suit the intended installation site. If this is the real deal, it beats the 0.1% increase we saw in solar cell efficiency a few months ago, and those Maglev uber-turbines are still on the horizon. Hey Sun -- jealous yet?

[Via DailyTech]

DSe Hybrid yacht is super eco-friendly, totally unaffordable

by Laura June posted Nov 3rd 2008 at 11:58AM

Yachts are usually pretty environmentally unsound, so the DSe Hybrid just debuted by Island Pilot at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show should be a real breath of fresh air (literally) if green is your thing. And apparently it's really about as eco-friendly as it gets -- using a combination of diesel, solar and electric power (when it goes into commercial production it will also boast wind turbines) the vessel can cruise at up to six knots on a sunny day for an indefinite period of time without any fuel and zero emissions. Possibly best of all (for those like us with delicate ears, anyway), it's virtually silent when not running on fuel. If you need to get somewhere in a hurry however, its Parallel Hybrid Propulsion System in diesel mode will move at up to 13 knots. There are all sorts of "luxury" amenities on board including a 26-inch HDTV and totally ferocious Bose home theater system. Island Pilot is taking pre-orders now (you have to lay down $5,000 just to reserve one) for delivery in 2009, but fair warning: this thing has a price tag of $600,000.

[Via gizmag]

Dutch scientists develop kite power system with enough juice for 10 homes

by Nilay Patel posted Aug 5th 2008 at 6:03PM

Sure, the Netherlands might be known for its windmills, but a group of scientists at the Delft University of Technology is aiming to harness the wind in a different way: by using kites to generate electricity. A recent test generated 10 kilowatts, or enough juice to power 10 homes, and the plan is to eventually send an array of kites called the Laddermill up to 30,000 feet in order to generate nearly 10 megawatts of power. Of course, that's all in the future -- for now, we've just got two dudes, a kite, and a pretty dry video after the break.

[Via Inhabitat]

Continue reading Dutch scientists develop kite power system with enough juice for 10 homes

Texas wind power initiative to blow other states away

by Darren Murph posted Jul 18th 2008 at 6:16AM

Oh sure, Rock Port, Missouri managed to snag the title of being "100% wind powered," but Texas' new plan will make the Show Me state's gusty initiatives look awfully weak. Officials at the Public Utility Commission recently okayed a plan to "build billions of dollars worth of new transmission lines to bring pollution-free energy from West Texas to urban areas." The ginormous Lone Star state is already the nation's leader in wind power, but when said plan is fully implemented (pending final approval), it'll produce more wind energy than the next closest 14 states combined. Granted, customers will be paying a touch more ($4 per month is the current estimate) for all this clean energy, but pundits assert that the cost is minor when looking at just how much this will help out Mother Earth. Look for everything to go live in four to five years, barring any unforeseen setbacks.

[Thanks, Adam]

Ricoh erecting 47 x 126-foot solar and wind-powered billboard in Times Square

by Joshua Fruhlinger posted Jul 3rd 2008 at 1:28PM

Ever walk through Times Square and wonder how much electricity all those flashy billboards are soaking up? No? Well, Ricoh has, and now they're doing something about it. Ricoh Company Ltd. of Tokyo is erecting a 47 x 126-foot billboard at Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street that will be completely powered by the sun and wind. Fueled by 45 solar panels and four wind turbines, the billboard won't even need a backup electric generator. On days that the sun and wind aren't enough to power it, it will simply go dark. In the end, the billboard is said to reduce carbon dioxide usage by 18 tons a year. The billboard will go live in December, or just in time for the sun to go dark.

Philippe Starck shows off "Democratic Ecology" wind turbine

by Donald Melanson posted Jul 2nd 2008 at 3:48PM

It looks like wind power is about to get a bit more stylish with the outspoken Philippe Starck now wading into things with his "Democratic Ecology" personal wind turbine. The turbine first made its debut at the recent Greenenergy Design show in Milan and, according to Inhabitat, it's now on track for an actual release in September of this year, thanks to a little assistance from Pramac. If all goes as planned, the turbine will set you back about €400 (or just over $600), and provide anywhere from 20% to 60% of the energy need to power an average home, although you'll presumably need some additional equipment to go along with the turbine.

Uniross rolls out new range of eco-friendly battery chargers

by Donald Melanson posted Jul 1st 2008 at 12:13PM

Uniross has already done its part to make batteries slightly more environmentally-friendly, and it now looks like the company is giving a boost to the other end of the equation as well, with it introducing a new range of eco-minded battery chargers. That includes a £40 ($80) solar charger with a USB adapter (pictured above), as well as a £50 (or $100) wind power charger (also above), which comes complete with a bike mount and an integrated lithium ion battery, as well as a USB adapter and ports to charge your cellphone or handheld game console. Those get complemented by a couple of more standard devices, including a 15-minute battery charger, the NOMAD "portable power hub" with a USB adaptor, and a travel clock charger, which packs an alarm clock and promises to charge batteries in less than three hours. Look for the whole lot to be available in August, with those last few setting you back £35, £20, and £30, respectively (or about $70, $40, and $60).

Offshore wind power park to energize Delaware homes

by Darren Murph posted Jun 24th 2008 at 12:02PM

Unlike Rock Port, Missouri, the entire state of Delaware won't be 100-percent wind-powered after Bluewater Wind constructs a $1.6 billion wind park just off its shore, but the state will be able to "light about 50,000 homes a year" for the duration of the 25-year contract. Said agreement was just nailed down between the aforesaid firm and Delmarva Power, and it hopes to start powering homes via wind by 2012. The offshore site will sit around 12 miles off Rehoboth Beach, with a number of turbines to be planted 90-feet into the sea floor and sport three blades apiece measuring 150-feet long. It's noted that vacationers and locals alike won't be able to notice the park from the beach except on a few remarkably clear days, but if their energy bills sink because of it, we don't really think they'll mind, anyway.

Orange's recharge Pod tent to keep mobiles juiced at Glastonbury

by Darren Murph posted Jun 16th 2008 at 10:05AM

For those fortunate enough to be planning a trip to this year's Glastonbury, you can rest assured that forgetting your mobile charger won't be the worst thing that could possibly happen. Reportedly, Orange will erect a seven-meter high recharge Pod tent in which patrons can stop by and reinvigorate their winded handset. Said tent will boast 500-watt solar panels and a 500-watt wind turbine in order to generate electricity for the lifeless phones, and Orange is hoping to juice up 100 devices per hour. If only such conveniences were everywhere...

[Thanks, Adam]

Rock Port, Missouri celebrates being "100% wind powered"

by Darren Murph posted May 22nd 2008 at 2:12AM

We've seen a number of locales pipe in quite a bit of energy from eco-friendly sources, but the community of Rock Port, Missouri is claiming to be 100-percent wind-powered. The gloating is due to four wind turbines erected on agricultural lands within the Rock Port city limits, and while the town is expected to consume around 13 million kilowatt hours of electricity this year, the aforesaid turbines will produce 16 million kilowatt hours. Excess energy generated will be pridefully sent out for purchase by the Missouri Joint Municipal Utilities, where it will eventually be consumed in less thoughtful areas. Of course, the town has been operating in such a manner for a small tick now, but it just recently found the energy to throw a party for itself to commemorate the accomplishment. Can we get an invite next year or something?

[Thanks, Yossi]

Read - Rock Port release
Read - Rock Port video