There's all kinds of good news about wind, it doesn't take a weatherman to know which way it blows...
Today, Saturday June 15, is Global Wind Day! To celebrate, let's look back at some recent stories on this precious renewable resource that is progressively taking a bigger place in our lives.
1. Makani Power
The first one is about Makani Power, the flying wind turbine start-up that was recently bought be internet giant Google. It's a good reminder that while conventional wind turbines are great (and getting better all the time), there could be other out-of-the-box ways to harvest energy from the wind.
2. Mongolia to harness the wind
Chris recently went to Mongolia, and he has a chance to witness a big first for the country. He wrote: "I visited the Salkhit Wind Farm, which, when it goes online this month, will be Mongolia's first wind power project. After experiencing the wind in that area, it was clear why the locals call it "windy mountain" and why political and business leaders see so bright a future for Mongolia's clean energy."
3. Wind power in China
Wind has overtaken nuclear as an electricity source in China. In 2012, wind farms generated 2 percent more electricity than nuclear power plants did, a gap that will likely widen dramatically over the next few years as wind surges ahead. Since 2007, nuclear power generation has risen by 10 percent annually, compared with wind’s explosive growth of 80 percent per year.
4. Biggest offshore wind farm to be built near Fukushima?
Credit: Flickr
Ever since the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan has been looking for new sources of energy to replace its nuclear reactors. Officials have recently unveiled plans to build the largest wind farm in the world. It will be built 10 miles off the coast of Fukushima, a location with heavy symbolism.
5. They keep getting bigger
Wind turbines are getting bigger and bigger all the time. Check out how special ships have been built just to help install these 500+ feet monsters offshore.
6. Single-month wind power record in U.S.
Credit: Flickr
December 2012 was by far the biggest month ever for new wind power installation in the US with 5.5 gigawatts of new capacity! This brings the year to 13.2 gigawatts, another record!
7. Good news for wind power in Latin America
Credit: tsaiproject
“Wind is growing exponentially [in Latin America] as many plants begin operating or are scheduled for construction,” says Nestor Lunas, a research director at Latin American Energy Organization Olade, based in Quito, Ecuador. He adds there are ambitious wind development projects, mainly in Brazil and Mexico, but also in Costa Rica, Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Dominican Republic. He says current capacity stands at 3,500 MW-4,000 MW and could easily reach 10,000 MW by 2020.
Related Post: 13 Amazing Wind Power Innovations
prof premraj pushpakaran writes -- let us celebrate global wind day!!!
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