Cape Wind is proposing America's first offshore wind farm on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound. Miles from the nearest shore, 130 wind turbines will gracefully harness the wind to produce up to 420 megawatts of clean, renewable energy. In average winds, Cape Wind will provide three quarters of the Cape and Islands electricity needs.
You'll note from the project's FAQ that the farm is miles from shore and does not impede on shipping lanes. Also note the power generation (up to 420MW).
How far apart will the wind turbines be spaced on Horseshoe Shoal?
The wind turbines will be arrayed in a grid pattern of parallel rows. Within a row, the wind turbines will be.34 nautical miles apart (about 6 football fields), the rows will be.54 nautical miles apart (about 9 football fields).
That's not chump change with regards to ocean acreage usage. But that's the best part. There's lots of ocean out there. And while nuclear energy is a great choice for base load, wind can definitely pick up the slack.
And what makes it worse is that most devices that use only a watt or two at soft off are using that 1 or 2 watts very inefficiently, as the power supply's efficiency increases as you near it's total output (in most cases, some power supplies are better about this than others).
In that case, I think there aren't any physics laws stopping you. It would just require a constellation of microwave/solar satellites that use huge solar panels to channel power to planes in flight using spot beams of microwave energy, focused at each plane using spot beams (like current communications satellites work). If the antenna is large enough, it could be a phased array that you could "drive" electronically to follow the plane.
Now how practical this is, I have no clue. I've never done the math to determine how many joules of power a typical jet requires in level flight.
You're assuming 1) Biofuels are using areable land and 2) that you're using food to make the biofuel. If done properly, you use crappy land that food wouldn't have grown on to grow switchgrass (that can't be eaten) to make the biofuel you need. You than use that biofuel only for aircraft, while using electricity everywhere else you can.
You make some good points, but unlike ground vehicles, neither hydrogen or batteries can replace the energy density of kerosene. It makes sense to replace cars and other ground vehicles first, as you can plug them in wherever you want. Aircraft are going to be another problem entirely.
A hybrid plane? A car works as a hybrid because it's momentum can be stored in a battery and called upon to re-accelerate the car. If you try to reduce power in a plane, you lose altitude. There's no momentum to save. More power raises altitude, less power lower altitude, just enough power keeps you at level flight.
Data centers emit pollution, it's just emitted at the generation facility, not the datacenter.
The generators installed at datacenter facilities are backup generators. Their duty cycle is not full-time. Also, that biodiesel needs to come from somewhere, trucked by a vehicle burning biodiesel, etc.
Electricity is the most efficient energy delivery method, we just need to improve the energy generation method.
Or we're going to switch to biofuels. Several universities have tested aviation engines with a biofuel kerosene replacement. There isn't enough biofuel to replace oil for vehicles, but aviation uses only around 3-5 percent of total oil consumption, so there's some room to play with their fuel supply. No, aviation isn't going anywhere, it's just going to change.
I didn't explain myself properly. My mistake. When I go to a movie, I'm not that concerned with the plot. I went to see Transformers to see the excellent work ILM did. I went to see Cloverfield to see how well their CGI work was. When I want substance, I read a decent book.
Wow, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
I can go see a film purely for the CGI aspects. I don't always want deep meaning attached. Iron man is chalk full of western culture....because it's a western film. Also, yes, I think certain pieces of military hardware are cool (i.e. the SR-71 blackbird, the Global Hawk UAV, etc) from an engineering standpoint. So what? Hell, even weapon systems are cool when they're used properly in a movie (i.e. the Death Star was a weapons system mind you). If you're looking for something deeply meaningful, perhaps going to the movies isn't your best choice of venue.
Not all net metering policies will pay you peak rates (they simply pay wholesale rates). It varies state to state (and even within states if there are different energy companies). Also, you don't get cash back if you have a credit on your bill. The credit is simply wiped clean. Oh the joys of small-scale generation.
Net excess generation (NEG) is carried forward to a customer's next bill for up to 12 months. Any NEG remaining at the end of each 12-month period is granted to the customer's utility.
It's very true. It's been a hard battle to allow net metering. The only thing I wanted to add was that you must have a lockable, utility-accessible physical disconnect on the exterior of the building. This is so a line worker/utility worker can be assured no power will flow from the inverter back into the utility system while work is being done.
Selling power back is indeed a side effect of grid tie. Please remember the following: A grid tie system disconnects itself from the grid when a power loss is detected. This is the most important reason to get a grid tie inverter if you intend to have it wired to the utility power lines. If this is not done, you'll electrocute line workers when they're repairing a downed wire
This only applies if you have time of day metering. If you pay a flat rate no matter what time of day it is, it doesn't make sense to buy equipment to buffer power from the night to peak rate times.
I'm in the western suburbs of Chicago, and I pay 7 cents/kwH for nuclear power from ComEd. I specifically switch to time of day metering because I ordered a Tesla Roadster. Charging it at night between midnight and 4am gets me power for 2 cents/kwH. If I really wanted to, I could install a Xantrax inverter that charged lead acid batteries from midnight to 4am, and than feed the house during the rest of the day from batteries, but it just isn't that practical once you price out the equipment. On the other hand, the Roadster does use a fair amount of power to charge (70amp/220V draw on a 90amp/220V circuit), so it does make sense to time of day charge that bad boy.
Visually compare a Tablet PC to the Kindle. Also compare the battery life. You can't liken a Kindle to a Tablet PC, anymore than you would say a compact sedan is the same as a semi truck pulling a 53' trailer. They serve different purposes.
Really? Wow. I never thought to compare my Thinkpad to my Kindle device and realize their the same thing.
But seriously, they're nothing alike. The kindle is basically a paper replacement display and some guts to do it's job. Make it thinner, and you don't need paper in the office anymore. And no, a "handheld computer" is not the same thing.
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It's a 420MW wind farm being setup off the coast of Nantucket Sound.
Also, check out this page:
http://capewind.whgrp.com/
It's a dynamic page that displays how much power the farm would put out based on the average windspeed for the last hour.
http://www.capewind.org/
Cape Wind is proposing America's first offshore wind farm on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound. Miles from the nearest shore, 130 wind turbines will gracefully harness the wind to produce up to 420 megawatts of clean, renewable energy. In average winds, Cape Wind will provide three quarters of the Cape and Islands electricity needs.You'll note from the project's FAQ that the farm is miles from shore and does not impede on shipping lanes. Also note the power generation (up to 420MW).
How far apart will the wind turbines be spaced on Horseshoe Shoal?The wind turbines will be arrayed in a grid pattern of parallel rows. Within a row, the wind turbines will be .34 nautical miles apart (about 6 football fields), the rows will be .54 nautical miles apart (about 9 football fields).
That's not chump change with regards to ocean acreage usage. But that's the best part. There's lots of ocean out there. And while nuclear energy is a great choice for base load, wind can definitely pick up the slack.
You want to put a wager on that? ;) I may not be getting mine until the end of 2009, but others are going to be getting theirs very shortly.
Exactly. Some factories with a large enough capex will run 24/7 so the equipment is fully utilized.
And what makes it worse is that most devices that use only a watt or two at soft off are using that 1 or 2 watts very inefficiently, as the power supply's efficiency increases as you near it's total output (in most cases, some power supplies are better about this than others).
Now how practical this is, I have no clue. I've never done the math to determine how many joules of power a typical jet requires in level flight.
You're assuming 1) Biofuels are using areable land and 2) that you're using food to make the biofuel. If done properly, you use crappy land that food wouldn't have grown on to grow switchgrass (that can't be eaten) to make the biofuel you need. You than use that biofuel only for aircraft, while using electricity everywhere else you can.
You make some good points, but unlike ground vehicles, neither hydrogen or batteries can replace the energy density of kerosene. It makes sense to replace cars and other ground vehicles first, as you can plug them in wherever you want. Aircraft are going to be another problem entirely.
A hybrid plane? A car works as a hybrid because it's momentum can be stored in a battery and called upon to re-accelerate the car. If you try to reduce power in a plane, you lose altitude. There's no momentum to save. More power raises altitude, less power lower altitude, just enough power keeps you at level flight.
The generators installed at datacenter facilities are backup generators. Their duty cycle is not full-time. Also, that biodiesel needs to come from somewhere, trucked by a vehicle burning biodiesel, etc.
Electricity is the most efficient energy delivery method, we just need to improve the energy generation method.
Does this take into account new, high-efficiency HVDC lines?
Or we're going to switch to biofuels. Several universities have tested aviation engines with a biofuel kerosene replacement. There isn't enough biofuel to replace oil for vehicles, but aviation uses only around 3-5 percent of total oil consumption, so there's some room to play with their fuel supply. No, aviation isn't going anywhere, it's just going to change.
I didn't explain myself properly. My mistake. When I go to a movie, I'm not that concerned with the plot. I went to see Transformers to see the excellent work ILM did. I went to see Cloverfield to see how well their CGI work was. When I want substance, I read a decent book.
Sure. You anywhere in the midwest?
I can go see a film purely for the CGI aspects. I don't always want deep meaning attached. Iron man is chalk full of western culture....because it's a western film. Also, yes, I think certain pieces of military hardware are cool (i.e. the SR-71 blackbird, the Global Hawk UAV, etc) from an engineering standpoint. So what? Hell, even weapon systems are cool when they're used properly in a movie (i.e. the Death Star was a weapons system mind you). If you're looking for something deeply meaningful, perhaps going to the movies isn't your best choice of venue.
U.S. Department of Energy - Net Metering Policies
Net excess generation (NEG) is carried forward to a customer's next bill for up to 12 months. Any NEG remaining at the end of each 12-month period is granted to the customer's utility.http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/markets/netmetering.shtml
It's very true. It's been a hard battle to allow net metering. The only thing I wanted to add was that you must have a lockable, utility-accessible physical disconnect on the exterior of the building. This is so a line worker/utility worker can be assured no power will flow from the inverter back into the utility system while work is being done.
Selling power back is indeed a side effect of grid tie. Please remember the following: A grid tie system disconnects itself from the grid when a power loss is detected. This is the most important reason to get a grid tie inverter if you intend to have it wired to the utility power lines. If this is not done, you'll electrocute line workers when they're repairing a downed wire
I'm in the western suburbs of Chicago, and I pay 7 cents/kwH for nuclear power from ComEd. I specifically switch to time of day metering because I ordered a Tesla Roadster. Charging it at night between midnight and 4am gets me power for 2 cents/kwH. If I really wanted to, I could install a Xantrax inverter that charged lead acid batteries from midnight to 4am, and than feed the house during the rest of the day from batteries, but it just isn't that practical once you price out the equipment. On the other hand, the Roadster does use a fair amount of power to charge (70amp/220V draw on a 90amp/220V circuit), so it does make sense to time of day charge that bad boy.
I doubt they're losing that much time changing their code around.
Thanks for the info!
Does that tax credit apply to any electric vehicle? I'm taking delivery of a Tesla Roadster in '09, and was interested if I could use said tax credit.
Visually compare a Tablet PC to the Kindle. Also compare the battery life. You can't liken a Kindle to a Tablet PC, anymore than you would say a compact sedan is the same as a semi truck pulling a 53' trailer. They serve different purposes.
While I won't be the one to make such a device (not my field), I'm sure you'll see something close within 3-5 years.
But seriously, they're nothing alike. The kindle is basically a paper replacement display and some guts to do it's job. Make it thinner, and you don't need paper in the office anymore. And no, a "handheld computer" is not the same thing.