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Japanese breakthrough will make wind power cheaper than nuclear
A surprising aerodynamic innovation in wind turbine design called the 'wind lens' could triple the output of a typical wind turbine, making it less costly than nuclear power.
Mon, Aug 29 2011 at 2:47 AM
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Snapshot from video
NOTE: Some major wind projects like the proposed TWE Carbon Valley project in Wyoming are already pricing in significantly lower than coal power -- $80 per MWh for wind versus $90 per MWh for coal -- and that is without government subsidies using today's wind turbine technology.
The International Clean Energy Analysis (ICEA) gateway estimates that the U.S. possesses 2.2 million km2 of high wind potential (Class 3-7 winds) — about 850,000 square miles of land that could yield high levels of wind energy. This makes the U.S. something of a Saudi Arabia for wind energy, ranked third in the world for total wind energy potential.
Let's say we developed just 20 percent of those wind resources — 170,000 square miles (440,000 km2) or an area roughly 1/4 the size of Alaska — we could produce a whopping 8.7 billion megawatt hours of electricity each year (based on a theoretical conversion of six 1.5 MW turbines per km2 and an average output of 25 percent. (1.5 MW x 365 days x 24 hrs x 25% = 3,285 MWh's).
The United States uses about 26.6 billion MWh's, so at the above rate we could satisfy a full one-third of our total annual energy needs. (Of course, this assumes the concurrent deployment of a nationwide Smart Grid that could store and disburse the variable sources of wind power as needed using a variety of technologies — gas or coal peaking, utility scale storage via batteries or fly-wheels, etc).
Now what if a breakthrough came along that potentially tripled the energy output of those turbines? You see where I'm going. We could in theory supply the TOTAL annual energy needs of the U.S. simply by exploiting 20 percent of our available wind resources.
Well, such a breakthrough has been made, and it's called the "wind lens."
Imagine: no more dirty coal power, no more mining deaths, no more nuclear disasters, no more polluted aquifers as a result of fracking. Our entire society powered by the quiet "woosh" of a wind turbine. Kyushu University's wind lens turbine is one example of the many innovations happening right now that could in the near future make this utopian vision a reality.
Yes, it's a heck of a lot of wind turbines (about 2,640,000) but the U.S. with its endless miles of prairie and agricultural land is one of the few nations that could actually deploy such a network of wind turbines without disrupting the current productivity of the land (Russia and China also come to mind). It would also be a win-win for states in the highest wind area — the Midwest — which has been hard hit by the recession. And think of the millions upon millions of jobs that would be created building a 21st century energy distribution system free of the shackles of ever-diminishing fossil fuel supplies.
It's also important to point out that growth in wind power capacity is perfectly symbiotic with projected growth in electric vehicles. EV battery packs can soak up wind power produced during the night, helping to equalize the curve of daytime energy demand. So the controversial investment currently being entertained by President Obama to pipe oil down from the Canadian Tar Sands would — in my utopian vision — be a moot point.
It is indeed a lofty vision, but the technology we need is now in our reach. And think of the benefits of having our power production fed by a resource that is both free and unlimited. One downside often cited by advocates of coal and gas power is that wind turbines require a lot more maintenence than a typical coal or gas power plant. But in a lagging economy this might just be wind power's biggest upside — it will create lots and lots of permanent jobs, sparking a new cycle of economic growth in America.
Editor's note: Want more info? Karl breaks down the math in his next post.
The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.
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5 years is not too bad.
Love this article! Love the wind ideas! When you write great articles like this you should submit them to news aggregators like drudge or huff po. They might just run the article!
Calculations are a bit misleading. Is there wind 365 days 24 hours a day? Probably not. Plus maintenance and production involves a shit load of fossil fuel energy and material. Conversion of kinetic energy to electric in comparison to chemical to electric is also more difficult. What is the lifetime of a mill? etc.
spoken by someone with an investment in oil stocks for sure.. With people moving towards solar panels on their rooftops, generating electricity during the day, and wind power at night, we will have a surplus.. Dont forget, you can intersperse windmills with solar panels and that would more than take care of this issue.. Now if only we can lower the price of the solar panels drastically.. Atleast the people here in Texas and the south would stop using oil/coal based electricity.
(1.5 MW x 365 days x 24 hrs x 25% = 3,285 MWh's).
They are figuring for 6 hours a day on average. Seems pretty conservative.
The difference between air and water temperature generates air movement, so wind farms being installed along the east coast will have wind that is essentially 24/7.
what is the cost of one turbine ???
it seems like A LOT !!!
lots of money X 2,640,000 = too much !!
dont get me wrong.. im all for renewable energy, but this is unreal.
this thing can happen only in a money-less or RBE society
We spend a billion dollars a day in Afghanistan alone, I'm sure we could afford it. It's time to stop destroying the world and start making it a better place!
Is this a news story or just a propaganda piece? Oh wait, mother earth news, rhetorical question.
Hi folks following this Japanese wind power breakthrough story: Author Karl Burkart breaks down the math in his new piece that was just published right here: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/blogs/how-would-you-spend-7-billion
This insanity has to be stopped!!
All the Negative Nellys posting here should rent a VW bus and drive up to Carbon County, protest and demand to be arrested.
We, in AZ, should have massive solar and th USA should have massive wind power. The only problem is local utilities and big oil want neither and they control the country through their lobbies.
how about some details, we all know why it would be good.
natural gas is a very good and tested way to "store" energy from windparks.
Just don't burn is when the wind blows
it is considered a cheap solution but not so efficient compared to conventional solutions.
Obviously Japan likes their wind power, so they put a ring on it.
If your clearly willing to be objective watch the "Gasland" DVD and form your opinions on that to broaden your horizons, or dont.
I think you mean you're
yeah, just ruin the countryside to appease the global warming bullshit artists
google 'wind lens turbine' and you'll see that the same 'breakthrough' was reported a year ago. Same photos and everything.
The most important factor to bare in mind is the effect on global wind currents and the essential role they play.
The second factor would be the amount of iron ore required to build a sufficient number of turbines...
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