Wind Power Generation
www.WindPowerGeneration.com

2-Bladed Wind Turbines are Inefficient  and Provide a Return on Investment 
Significantly Lower to 3-Bladed Wind Turbine Generators

Out-dated, Inefficient 2-Bladed Wind Turbines Are Now "Extinct!" 

Why 3-Bladed Wind Turbine Generators are Far Superior and More Efficient than 2-Bladed Wind Turbines

The argument has been settled and the debate is over. 

Today's "modern" 3-bladed wind turbines represent the latest technological improvements in wind turbine generators, and are superior to the 20-30 year old technology that 2-bladed wind turbines represent.

First of all, it is important to remember that 2-bladed wind turbines may generate only about 90% of the power of a 3-bladed wind turbine of comparable size.  While a 2-bladed wind turbine saves the weight of one extra blade when compared with a 3-bladed wind turbine, engineers of the most efficient wind turbines have determined that the extra blade used on 3 bladed wind turbines provide the optimum wind turbine efficiency and wind turbine design for the "ideal" wind turbine generators of today.  

Secondly, the top-3 leading wind turbine manufacturers have standardized on the 3-bladed wind turbine.  They do not manufacture any 2-bladed wind turbines.  Plainly stated, a wind turbine with an even number of blades (2 blades or 4 blades) are NOT of optimum design or efficiency. In fact, this debate was settled years ago when the wind turbine engineers and designers began building wind turbines over 600 kW in power output.

The leading wind turbine manufacturers and their engineers have decided that 3 bladed wind turbines are the optimum number of wind turbine blades due to the stability of the wind turbine as well as the significant wind loads and stresses placed on a 2-bladed wind turbine.  A wind turbine that has an odd number of blades is similar to a disc when calculating the computational fluid dynamics of the wind turbine.  Engineers have learned that wind turbines that have an even number of blades - such as the 2 bladed wind turbines of the past - have stability problems for a machine with a stiff structure. The reason for this problem is simple, engineers recognized that when a 2-bladed wind turbine's top blade bends backwards - when the wind turbine's 2 blades are in the vertical position - since it is now generating the maximum power from the wind - that the lower or bottom blade is now aligned with the tower and the blade is hidden or blocked from the wind - and this generates a huge amount of stress and loads on the wind turbine and its' primary components such as the bearings, shaft, transmission etc.

Because of the extreme wind loads and stresses placed on 2-bladed wind turbines, the remaining 2-bladed wind turbine manufacturers have had to resort to a "teetered hub" that helps remove some of the stress and loads placed on 2-bladed wind turbines. While there are some very fine 2-bladed wind turbines, of smaller power output, the bottom line is, 3 bladed wind turbines are inherently better and more efficient than 2-bladed wind turbines.

For these reasons, community wind farm owners and developers, along with utility-scale wind farm owners and developers, would be wise to only consider 3-bladed wind turbines.

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Clean Power Generation Solutions

Our "Integrated" CHP Systems (Cogeneration and Trigeneration) Plants 
Have Very  High Efficiencies, Low Fuel Costs & Low Emissions

The Effective Heat Rate is Approximately 
4100 btu/kW & System Efficiency is 92% Plant.

The CHP System below is Rated at 900 kW and Features:
(2) Natural Gas Engines @ 450 kW each on one Skid with Optional 
Selective Catalytic Reduction system that removes Nitrogen Oxides to "non-detect."

Our CHP Systems may be the best solution for your company's economic and environmental sustainability as we "upgrade" natural gas to clean power with our clean power generation solutions.

Our Emissions Abatement solutions reduce Nitrogen Oxides to "non-detect" which means our Trigeneration energy systems can be installed and operated in most EPA non-attainment regions!

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Our CHP Systems - operating in either cogeneration or trigeneration configuration, may be the optimum power and energy solution for customers wanting increased power reliability and decreased energy and environmental costs.  

A few of the clients and markets that may benefit from our CHP Systems include the following:

• Airports

• Casinos

• Central Plants

• Colleges & Universities

• Dairies

• Data Centers 

• District Heating & Cooling plants

• Food Processing Plants

• Golf/Country Clubs

• Government Buildings and Facilities 

• Grocery Stores

• Hospitals 

• Hotels

• Manufacturing Plants

• Military Bases

• Nursing Homes 

• Office Buildings / Campuses

• Radio Stations

• Refrigerated Warehouses 

• Resorts 

• Restaurants 

• Schools

• Server Farms

• Shopping centers 

• Supermarkets 

• Television Stations

• Theatres

Engineering and Project Development Services

Absorption Chillers  *  Adsorption Chillers  *  Ammonia Chillers  *  Automated Demand Response

Brayton Cycle  *  Carbon Emissions  *  Carnot Cycle  *  Cheng Cycle  *  CHP Systems  *  Clean Power Generation 

Cogeneration  *  Compressed Air Energy Storage  *  Concentrating Solar Power  *  Dispersed Generation

EcoGeneration  *  Emissions Abatement  *  Energy Master Planning  *  Frequency Regulation 

Engine Driven Chillers  *  Graz Cycle  *  Greenhouse Gas Emissions  *  Greenhouse Gas Reporting 

Grid Free Energy  *  Grid Free Power  *  Inlet Cooling  *  Load Leveling 

Mechanical Refrigeration  *  Net Zero Energy  *  Net Zero Energy Buildings  *  Net Zero Energy Homes 

Organic Rankine Cycle  *  PlugIn Electric Vehicles  *  Rankine Cycle  *  Recycled Energy 

Solar Cogeneration  *  Solar Trigeneration  *  Trigeneration  *  Waste Heat Recovery 

The Graz Cycle is also known as the "Zero Emission Power Plant!"

Greenhouse Gas Reporting services now available

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Wind Energy Magazine
www.WindEnergyMagazine.com

The Wind Energy Magazine website is now online!  

**** Premium advertising space now available. ****

  For ad rates or media kit, send email with information about your company, product(s) or 
service(s) that you want to advertise to:  info@WindEnergyMagazine.com

• The U.S. added nearly 1,400 megawatts of new wind energy capacity during the second quarter of 2008. 
  

• New wind turbines this year will generate 7,500 megawatts of additional electricity which surpasses the 5,249 megawatts installed in 2007.
  

• Wind power accounted for more than one-third of the new electric generating capacity installed in the U.S. in 2007.
  

• The wind industry is projected to grow at a 45 percent pace for the second straight year.
  

• For every megawatt (MW) of wind energy produced, $1 million in economic development is generated. This includes revenue from planning, construction, etc. 
  

• Wind energy revitalizes rural communities by providing steady income through lease and royalty payments to farmers and other landowners.
  

• Supplemental income: It is estimated that the income to a landowner from a single utility-scale turbine is approximately $2000 per year. For a 250-acre farm with income from wind at $55 per acre, this translates into an annual income from wind leases of $14,000, with no more than 2-3 acres removed from production.
  

• Jobs: Wind energy resources bring needed jobs to rural communities and bolster farm incomes against bad weather. Worldwide, wind and solar industries are likely to be one of the main sources of new manufacturing jobs in the 21st century.
  

• Wind energy costs for consumers are low and stable. This is particularly beneficial for those on fixed incomes.
  

• As wind energy production becomes more efficient, costs will decline, while fossil fuel prices are expected to rise. 
  

• Wind energy is a widespread, inexhaustible resource: 46 of 50 states have wind resources that could be developed.
  

• WIND ENERGY GENERATES CARBON FREE ENERGY & POLLUTION FREE POWER!  Power generated from the wind reduces smog and eliminates a major source of acid rain.  Wind energy has the potential to reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions (one of the most potent of all Greenhouse Gas Emissions) by 1/3 in the U.S. and world Carbon Dioxide Emissions by 4%! 
  

• Potential for growth: Development of just 10% of 10 of the windiest states could provide more than enough energy to displace emissions from coal-fired power plants.
  

• Cleaner air means healthier air, especially for people with respiratory disabilities.
  

Wind Power Generation vs. Traditional Power Generation

Power generated from clean, green wind energy avoids numerous negative effects of traditional electricity generation from fossil fuels:

• Emissions of mercury or other heavy metals into the air

• Emissions associated with extracting and transporting fuels

• Lake and streambed acidification from acid rain or mining

• Water consumption associated with mining or electricity generation

• Production of toxic solid wastes, ash, or slurry

• Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The benefits of wind power generation go on - including the leading role wind energy provides in reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions into the atmosphere - the leading cause of climate change and global warming.  

Today, Carbon Dioxide Emissions in the United States approaches 6 billion metric tons/year.  

39% of these Carbon Dioxide Emissions are produced when electricity is generated from fossil fuels.

If the United States obtained 20% of its electricity from wind energy, the country could avoid putting 825 million metric tons of CO2 annually into the atmosphere by 2030, or a cumulative total of 7,600 million metric tons by 2030.

A relatively straightforward metric used to understand the carbon benefits of wind energy is that a single 1.5 MW wind turbine displaces 2,700 metric tons of CO2 per year compared with the current U.S. average utility fuel mix, or the equivalent of planting 4 square kilometers of forest every year according to AWEA 2007.

What is a Wind Resource Assessment?

A Wind Resource Assessment is defined as the process of characterizing the wind resources, wind characteristics and the site's wind energy potential for that specific site or geographical area.

NOTE:  FOR QUALIFIED LAND/RANCH OWNERS, WITH PROPERTY LOCATED IN AREAS WE ARE DEVELOPING NEW WIND FARMS, WE CAN  PERFORM THE WIND RESOURCE ASSESSMENT.

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Wind Power Generation Saves Water!

20% of our nation's electricity requirements can be generated with wind power generation by the year 2030 according to the Department of Energy. 

When we do, our nation will save over 4 Trillion gallons of water through 2030 through the displacement of typical electric power plants, such as fossil fuel power plants, that would have used vast amount of water. By switching to wind power generation for 20% of our nation's electrical requirements, we reduce overall water consumption by 17% in 2030.

See our website at:  www.WindPowerGeneration.com  for more information.

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The Economic and Environmental Benefits of Wind Power

According to the Department of Energy, our nation's electricity generation from wind power alone could top 20 percent of the total power generation mix by 2030. 

This would have the economic benefits of creating 500,000 jobs and generate more than $400 billion. 

Wind Power also reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions and other pollution by 25 percent than otherwise.

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Wind Power Generation:  Growing Fast!

United States — 50-Meter Wind Resource Map

Yearly Installed Wind Capacity Map

 

Texas Wind Power Map

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Wind Energy Terminology & Glossary

AC - Alternating Current 

Airfoil -The cross section profile of the leeward side of a wind generator blade. Designed to give low drag and good lift. Also found on an airplane wing. 

Air Gap - In a permanent magnet alternator, the distance between the magnets and the laminates. 

Alternating Current - Electricity that changes direction periodically. The period is measured in Cycles per Second (Hertz, Hz). 

Alternator - A device that produces Alternating Current from the rotation of a shaft. 

Amperage - A unit of electrical current, equal to Coulombs per second. This is the flow rate of electrons moving through a circuit, very roughly analogous to gallons per minute flowing from a faucet. 

Ampere-Hour - A measure of energy quantity, equal to amperes times hours. Also used to measure battery capacity. 

Anemometer - A device that measures wind speed. 

Angle of Attack - The angle of relative air flow to the blade chord. 

Annealing - A heat treatment process that makes Cold-rolled steel more suitable for forming and bending. 

Area of a Circle - Pi multiplied by the Radius squared. 

Armature - The moving part of an alternator, generator or motor. In many PM alternator designs, it carries the magnets and is attached to the blades and hub. Also called a Rotor. 

Axial Alternator - An alternator design where a flat disc carrying magnets on the face (the Armature) rotates near a flat disc carrying coils (the Stator). 

Axis - The centerline of a rotating object's movement. 

Balancing - With wind turbine blades, adjusting their weight and weight distribution through 2 axes so that all blades are the same. Unbalanced blades create damaging vibration. 

Battery - An electrochemical device for storing energy. 

Battery Bank - An array of Batteries connected in series, parallel, or both. 

Bearing - A device that transfers a force to structural supports. In a wind generator, bearings allow the Shaft to rotate freely, and allow the machine to Yaw into and out of the wind. 

Belt - A device for transferring power from a rotating shaft to a generator. Allows the use of Pulleys to change the ratio of shaft speed to and from the generator. 

Betz Limit -59.3 percent. This is the theoretical maximum efficiency at which a wind generator can operate, by slowing the wind down. If the wind generator slows the wind down too much, air piles up in front of the blades and is not used for extracting energy. 

Blade - The part of a wind generator rotor that catches the wind. 

Braking System - A device to slow a wind turbine's shaft speed down to safe levels electrically or mechanically. 

Bridge Rectifier - An array of diodes used to convert Alternating Current to Direct Current. Single-phase bridge rectifiers use 4 diodes, 3-phase bridge rectifiers use 6 diodes. 

Brushes - Devices for transferring power to or from a rotating object. Usually made of carbon-graphite. 

Ceramic Magnets - See Ferrite Magnets. 

Chord - The width of a wind turbine blade at a given location along the length. 

Coercivity--The amount of power needed to magnetize or demagnetize a permanent magnet. Measured in MegaGauss Oersted (mGO) 

Cogging - The cyclic physical resistance felt in some alternator designs from magnets passing the coils and gaps in the laminates. Detrimental to Start-up. 

Coil - A length of wire wound around a form in multiple turns. 

Cold-Rolled Steel - Steel processed by working at room temperatures. More expensive than hot-rolled steel. 

Commutator - The rotating part of a DC generator. 

Concave - A surface curved like the interior of a circle or sphere. 

Convex - A surface curved like the exterior of a circle or sphere. 

Current - See Amperage. 

Cut-In Wind Speed - The rotational speed at which an alternator or generator starts pushing electricity hard enough (has a high enough voltage) to make electricity flow in a circuit. 

Cycles per Second - Measured in Hertz. In electricity, it is the number of times an AC circuit reaches both minimum and maximum values in one second. 

Darrieus Wind Turbine - A Vertical Axis Wind Turbine design from the 1920s and 1930s by F.M. Darrieus, a French wind turbine designer. 

DC - Direct Current 

Delta - A 3-phase alternator wiring configuration in which all phases are connected in Series. 

Diameter - A straight line passing through the center of a circle, and ending on both edges. Equal to 2 times the Radius. 

Diode - A solid-state device that allows electricity to flow in only one direction. 

Downwind - Refers to a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine in which the hub and blades point away from the wind direction, the opposite of an Upwind turbine. 

Drag - In a wind generator, the force exerted on an object by moving air. Also refers to a type of wind generator or anemometer design that uses cups instead of a blades with airfoils. 

Dump Load - A device to which wind generator power flows when the system batteries are too full to accept more power, usually an electric heating element. This diversion is performed by a Shunt Regulator, and allows a Load to be kept on the Alternator or Generator. 

Duty Cycle - In a circuit, the ratio of off time to on time. 

Dynamo - A device that produces Direct Current from a rotating shaft. See Generator. 

Eddy Currents - Currents that flow in a substance from variations in magnetic induction. See also Lenz Effect. Laminates are used to prevent eddy currents, which cause physical and electrical resistance in an alternator or transformer, therefore wasting power. 

Efficiency - The ratio of energy output to energy input in a device. 

Electromagnet - A device made of wire coils that produces a magnetic field when electricity flows through the coils. 

Epoxy - A 2-part adhesive system consisting of resin and hardener. It does not start to harden until the elements are mixed together. NOT compatible with Fiberglas® Resin. 

Excitation - Using an electric current to create a magnetic field. See Electromagnet. 

Fatigue - Stress that causes material failure from repeated, cyclic vibration or stress. 

Ferrite Magnets - Also called Ceramic Magnets. Made of Strontium Ferrite. High Coercivity and Curie Temperature, low cost, but brittle and 4-5 times weaker than NdFeB magnets. 

Fiberglas® Resin--Another 2-part adhesive system, NOT compatible with Epoxy. Often used for making castings, since it is much cheaper than Epoxy. 

Freewheeling - a wind generator that is NOT connected to a Load is freewheeling, and in danger of self-destruction from overspeeding. 

Frequency - Refers to electric current - Also see Cycles per Second. 

Furling - The act of a wind generator Yawing out of the wind either horizontally or vertically to protect itself from high wind speeds. 

Furling Tail - A wind generator protection mechanism where the rotor shaft axis is offset horizontally from the yaw axis, and the tail boom is both offset horizontally and hinged diagonally, thus allowing the tail to fold up and in during high winds. This causes the blades to turn out of the wind, protecting the machine. 

Gauss - A unit of magnetic induction, equal to 1 Maxwell per square centimeter. Higher Gauss measurements mean more power can be induced to flow in an alternator. Gauss readings can be increased by putting steel behind magnets, stacking magnets, or using larger or higher-grade magnets. 

Gearing - Using a mechanical system of gears or belts and pulleys to increase or decrease shaft speed. Power losses from friction are inherent in any gearing system. 

Generator - A device that produces Direct Current from a rotating shaft. 

Governor - A device that regulates the speed of a rotating shaft, either electrically or mechanically. 

Guy Anchor - Attaches tower guy wires securely to the earth. 

Guy Radius - The distance between a wind turbine tower and the guy anchors. 

Guy Wire - Attaches a tower to a Guy Anchor and the ground. 

H-Rotor - A Vertical Axis Wind Turbine design. 

HAWT - Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine. 

Hertz - Frequency measurement. See Cycles per Second 

Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine - A "normal" wind turbine design, in which the shaft is parallel to the ground, and the blades are perpendicular to the ground. 

Hub - The center of a wind generator rotor, which holds the blades in place and attaches to the shaft. 

Impedance - See Resistance. 

Induction - The production of a magnetic field by the proximity of a electric charge or the production of a magnetic field by proximity of an electric charge. 

Induction Motor - An AC motor in which the rotating armature has no electrical connections to it (ie no slip rings), and consists of alternating plates of aluminum and steel. 

Kilowatt - 1000 Watts (see Watt) 

kW - Kilowatt. 

Laminations--Electrical circuit core parts, found in motors, generators, alternators and transformers. When core parts are subjected to alternating electrical or magnetic fields, the buildup of Eddy Currents causes physical and electrical power loss. Laminations are made of thin strips of materials that make good temporary magnets and poor permanent magnets, and each strip is insulated electrically from the next. 

Leading Edge - The edge of a blade that faces toward the direction of rotation. 

Leeward - Away from the direction from which the wind blows. 

Lenz Effect - See also Eddy Currents. From H.F.E Lenz in 1833. Electromotive force is induced with variations in magnetic flux. It can be demonstrated physically in many different ways--for example dragging a strong magnet over an aluminum or copper plate, or shorting the terminals of a PM alternator and rotating the shaft by hand. Laminates are used to reduce power losses from this effect. 

Lift - The force exerted by moving air on asymmetrically-shaped wind generator blades at right angles to the direction of relative movement. Ideally, wind generator blades should produce high Lift and low Drag. 

Live - A circuit that is carrying electricity.  

Load - Something physical or electrical that absorbs energy. A wind generator that is connected to a battery bank is loaded. A disconnected wind generator is NOT loaded, so the blades are free to spin at very high speed without absorbing any energy from the wind, and it is in danger of destruction from overspeeding. 

Losses - Power that is harvested by a wind generator but is not transferred to a usable form. Losses can be from friction, electrical resistance, or other causes. 

Magnet - A body that attracts ferromagnetic materials. Can be a Permanent magnet, Temporary Magnet, or Electromagnet. 

Magnetite - A common Iron-containing mineral with ferromagnetic properties. 

Magnet Wire - The kind of wire always used in making electromagnets, alternators, generators and motors. Uses very thin enamel insulation to minimize thickness and maximize resistance to heat. 

Magnetic Circuit - The path in which magnetic flux flows from one magnet pole to the other. 

Magnetic Field - Magnetic fields are historically described in terms of their effect on electric charges. A moving electric charge, such as an electron, will accelerate in the presence of a magnetic field, causing it to change velocity and its direction of travel. An electrically charged particle moving in a magnetic field will experience a force (known as the Lorentz force) pushing it in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic field and the direction of motion. Also called magnetic flux. 

Maximum Energy Product - Determines how good a magnet that different materials can make. Technically, the amount of energy that a material can supply to an external magnetic circuit when operating within its demagnetization curve. 

MegaGauss Oersted - Magnetic force measurement, see Maximum Energy Product. 

MGOe - MegaGauss Oersted. 

Moment - A force attempting to produce motion around an axis. 

NdFeB - See Neodymium-Iron-Boron Magnet. 

Nacelle - The protective covering over the generator or motor at the top of a wind turbine tower. 

Neodymium-Iron-Boron Magnet - The composition of the most powerful Permanent Magnets known to man. The materials are mined, processed, and sintered into shape. Then, they are subjected to an extremely strong magnetic field and become Permanent Magnets. 

Ohm's Law - The basic math needed for nearly all electrical calculations. Please see a dictionary or Pocket Ref for all of the variations on Ohm's Law! E=I*R (voltage(E)=amperage(I)*resistance(R)), and all of the algebraic variations of this (I=E/R, R=E/I). Also, for DC circuits, Watts=Volts*Amps. For AC circuits, Watts=Amps * Volts * Cosine of phase angle theta. 

Open-Circuit Voltage - The voltage that a alternator or generator produces when it is NOT connected to a Load. 

Parallel - In DC electrical circuits such as a battery bank or solar panel array, this is a connection where all negative terminals are connected to each other, and all positive terminals are connected to each other. Voltage stays the same, but amperage is increased. In AC circuits such as a wind generator alternator, each parallel coil is connected to common supply wires, again increasing amperage but leaving voltage the same. Opposite of Series. See also Star. 

Permanent Magnet - A material that retains its magnetic properties after an external magnetic field is removed. 

Permanent Magnet Alternator - An Alternator that uses moving permanent magnets instead of Electromagnets to induce current in coils of wire. 

PM - Permanent Magnet. 

PMA - See Permanent Magnet Alternator. 

Phase - The timing of AC current cycles in different wires. 3-phase alternators produce current that is cyclically timed between 3 different wires and a common wire, while single phase produces it in only 1 wire and a common. In a 3-phase alternator, wire #1 receives a voltage peak, then wire #2 receives a peak, then wire #3.

Pillow Blocks - Bearings that support a horizontal shaft. 

Pitch - Setting Angle of an airfoil or blade. 

Poles - A way of picturing magnetic phenomena. All magnets are considered to be "dipoles", having both a North pole (which would point North if used in a compass) and a South pole (which would point South if used in a compass. In an alternator, generator, or motor the number of Poles is a measure of how many coils, permanent magnets or electromagnets are in the armature or stator. 

Prop - Propeller. 

Propeller - The spinning thing that makes an airplane move forward. Often incorrectly used to describe a wind turbine Rotor. 

Pulley - A device for transferring power when using Belts as Gearing. Changing to smaller or larger Pulleys changes the gear ratio, and can be used to make a shaft turn faster or slower than the shaft that is providing its power. 

Pulse Width Modulation - A regulation method based on Duty Cycle. At full power, a pulse-width-modulated circuit provides electricity 100 percent of the time. At half power, the PWM is on half the time and off half the time. The speed of this alternation is generally very fast. Used in both solar wind regulators to efficiently provide regulation. 

PWM - See Pulse Width Modulation. 

Radius - The distance between the center of a circle and the outside. 

Rare-Earth Magnets - See Neodymium-Iron-Boron magnets. 

Rated Power Output - Used by wind generator manufacturers to provide a baseline for measuring performance. Rated output may vary by manufacturer. For example, one manufacturer's 1500 watt turbine may produce that amount of power at a 30 mph windspeed, while another brand of 1500 watt turbine may not make 1500 Watts until it gets a 40 mph windspeed.  Read manufacturer's ratings statements very carefully. 

Rectifier - See Diode. 

Radial - An alternator design in which the armature magnets are attached to the outside circumference of a disc, with the stator coils mounted around the outside. 

Regulator - A device to adjust incoming power so as to avoid overcharging a battery bank. In solar power, the regulator generally just turns the solar array off when the batteries are full. With a wind generator, the regulator generally diverts all or part of the incoming power to a Dump Load when the batteries fill, thus keeping a Load on the wind generator so it will not Freewheel. 

Relay - An electromechanical switch that uses a small amount of incoming electricity to charge an electromagnet, which physically pulls down a connecting switch to complete a circuit. This allows a low-power circuit to divert the electricity in a high-power circuit. 

Resistance - The voltage per amp needed to make electricity flow through a wire. See Ohm's Law. 

Root - The area of a blade nearest to the hub. Generally the thickest and widest part of the blade. 
Rotor--1) The blade and hub assembly of a wind generator. 2) The disc part of a vehicle disc brake. 3) The armature of a permanent magnet alternator, which spins and contains permanent magnets. 

RPM - Revolutions Per Minute. The number of times a shaft completes a full revolution in one minute. 

Savonius - A vertical-axis wind turbine design by S.J. Savonius of Finland from the 1920s and 30s. Shaped like a barrel split from end to end and offset along the cut. They are drag machines, and thus give very low rpm but lots of torque. 

Series - In DC electrical circuits such as a battery bank or solar panel array, this is a connection where all the negative terminals are connected to the neighboring positive terminals. Voltage increases, but amperage stays the same. In AC circuits such as a wind generator alternator, each coil is connected to the one next to it, and so on, again increasing voltage but leaving amperage the same. Opposite of Parallel. See also Delta. 

Servo Motor - A motor used for motion control in robots, hard disc drives, etc. Generally designed more like an alternator than a standard motor, most Servos need special control circuitry to make them rotate electrically. Some can be used in reverse to generate alternating current. 

Setting Angle - The angle between the blade Chord and the plane of the blade's rotation. Also called Pitch or blade angle. A blade carved with a Twist has a different setting angle at the Tip than at the Root. 

Shaft - The rotating part in the center of a wind generator or motor that transfers power. 

Short Circuit - 1) Parts of a circuit connected together with only the impedance of the leads between them. 2) In wind generators, connecting the output leads directly together so as to heavily load a generator in high winds. This creates a "short" circuit path back to the generator, bypassing all other loads. 

Shunt - An electrical bypass circuit that proportionally divides current flow between the shunt and the shunted equipment. It also allows high current measurements with low-current equipment. 

Shunt Regulator - A bypass device for power not needed for charging batteries. When batteries are full, the regulator shunts all or part of the excess power to a Dump Load to protect the batteries from overcharging damage. 

Slip Ring - Devices used to transfer electricity to or from rotating parts. Used in wound-field alternators, motors, and in some wind generator yaw assemblies. 

Star - A coil connection scheme for 3 phase alternators and generators in which all 3 coil phases are connected in parallel--they all share a common connection. 

Start-Up - The windspeed at which a wind turbine rotor starts to rotate. It does not necessarily produce any power until it reaches cut-in speed. See Cut-in Wind Speed.

Stationary - With wind generator towers, a tower that does not tilt up and down. The tower must be climbed or accessed with a crane to install or service equipment at the top. 

Stator - The part of a motor, generator or alternator that does not rotate. In permanent magnet alternators it holds the coils and laminates. 

Tail - See Vane. The proper term is actually Vane, but Tail is commonly used. 

Tail Boom - A strut that holds the tail (Vane) to the wind generator frame. 

Tape Drive Motor - A type of permanent magnet DC motor often used as a generator in small wind generator systems. 

Taper - The change in wind turbine blade width (chord) along the length. 

Temporary Magnet - A material that shows magnetic properties only while exposed to an external magnetic field. 

Thrust - In a wind generator, wind forces pushing back against the rotor. Wind generator bearings must be designed to handle thrust or else they will fail. 

Thrust Bearing - A bearing that is designed to handle axial forces along the centerline of the shaft--in a wind generator, this is the force of the wind pushing back against the blades. 

Tilt-Up - A tower that is hinged at the base and tilted up into position using a gin pole and winch or vehicle. Wind turbines on tilt-up towers can be serviced on the ground, with no climbing required. 

Tip - The end of a wind generator blade farthest from the hub. 

Tip Speed Ratio -The ratio of how much faster than the windspeed that the blade tips are moving. Abbreviation TSR. 

Torque - Turning force, equal to force times radius. See also Moment. 

Tower - A structure that supports a wind generator, usually high in the air. 

Trailing Edge - The edge of a blade that faces away from the direction of rotation. 

Transformer - Multiple individual coils of wire wound on a laminate core. Transfers power from one circuit to another using magnetic induction. Usually used to step voltage up or down. Works only with AC current. 

TSR - Tip Speed Ratio. 

Turn - In winding stator coils, this is one loop of wire around a form. A coil will often be referred to by how many turns of a certain gauge wire are in each coil. 

Twist - In a wind generator blade, the difference in Pitch between the blade root and the blade tip. Generally, the twist allows more Pitch at the blade root for easier Startup, and less Pitch at the tip for better high-speed performance. 

Upwind - the direction in which a wind turbine generator faces into the wind. 

Vane - A large, flat piece of material used to align a wind turbine rotor correctly into the wind. Usually mounted vertically on the tail boom. Sometimes called a Tail. 

Variable Pitch - A type of wind turbine rotor where the attack angle of the blades can be adjusted either automatically or manually. 

VAWT - Vertical Axis Wind Turbine. 

Vertical Axis Wind Turbine - A wind generator design where the rotating shaft is perpendicular to the ground, and the cups or blades rotate parallel to the ground. 

Voltage - A measure of electrical potential difference. One volt is the potential difference needed in a circuit to make one Ampere flow, dissipating one Watt of heat. 

Volt-Amp - In an AC circuit, this is Volts * Amps, without factoring in the power factor, derived from the phase angle. 

Watt - One Joule of electrical energy per second. In DC circuits, Watts=Volts * Amps. In AC circuits, Watts=Volts * Amps * the cosine of the phase angle. See also Volt-Amp. 

Wild AC - Alternating Current that varies in Frequency. 

Wind Generator - A device that captures the force of the wind to provide rotational motion to produce power with an alternator or generator. 

Windmill - A device that uses wind power to mill grain into flour. But informally used as a synonym for wind generator or wind turbine, and to describe machines that pump water with wind power. 

Wind Turbine - A machine that captures the force of the wind. Called a Wind Generator when used to produce electricity. Called a Windmill when used to crush grain or pump water. 

Windward - Toward the direction from which the wind blows. 

Yaw - Rotation parallel to the ground. A wind generator Yaws to face winds coming from different directions. 

Yaw Axis--Vertical axis through the center of gravity. 

Some of the above information provided with our thanks by the Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 

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What is Battery Energy Storage?

Battery Energy Storage, and Battery Energy Storage systems (BESS) use stored electrical power in batteries, and feed this energy to the electric grid (building, or facility) at times when it makes economic sense.  For a "Net Zero Energy" building or facility, a Solar Cogeneration, or Solar Trigeneration energy system is used that stores excess solar power in the Battery Energy Storage system during the daytime, for use when the sun goes down, and during inclement weather.

Battery Energy Storage is an ideal solution for utility-scale wind farms, particularly in Texas, when most of the renewable energy is generated at night when the power isn't needed. 

Battery Energy Storage is also an ideal demand side management or load leveling solution.

What is the Brayton Cycle?

Gas turbines operate on the principal of the Brayton Cycle, which is defined as a constant pressure cycle, with four basic operations which it accomplishes simultaneously and continuously for an uninterrupted flow of power.

Background Information and History of Rudolph Diesel and Sadi Carnot

Rudolph Diesel was educated at the predecessor school to the Technical University of Munich, Germany. In 1878, he was introduced to the work of Sadi Carnot, who theorized that an engine could achieve much higher efficiency than the steam engines of the day. Carnot envisioned a cycle in which a gas is compressed, heated, allowed to expand, and then cooled. After the gas is cooled, the cycle begins anew. Mechanical energy is used to compress the gas and thermal energy to heat it. In turn, expansion of the gas yields mechanical energy, and its cooling yields thermal energy. The net result is conversion of thermal energy to mechanical energy.

Diesel sought to apply Carnot’s theory to the internal combustion engine. The efficiency of the Carnot Cycle increases with the compression ratio—the ratio of gas volume at full expansion to its volume at full compression. Nicklaus Otto invented an internal combustion engine in 1876 that was the predecessor to the modern gasoline engine. Otto’s engine mixed fuel and air before their introduction to the cylinder, and a flame or spark was used to ignite the fuel-air mixture at the appropriate time. However, air gets hotter as it is compressed, and if the compression ratio is too high, the heat of compression will ignite the fuel prematurely. The low compression ratios needed to prevent premature ignition of the fuel-air mixture limited the efficiency of the Otto engine.

Rudolph Diesel wanted to build an engine with the highest possible compression ratio. He introduced fuel only when combustion was desired and allowed the fuel to ignite on its own in the hot compressed air. Diesel’s engine achieved an efficiency higher than that of the Otto engine and much higher than that of the steam engine. It also eliminated the trouble-prone electric-spark ignition system. Diesel received a patent in 1893 and demonstrated a workable engine in 1897. Today, diesel engines are classified as “compression-ignition” engines, and Otto engines are classified as “spark-ignition” engines.

What is the Carnot Cycle?

The Carnot Cycle has been described as being the most efficient thermal cycle possible, wherein there are no heat losses, and consisting of four reversible processes, two isothermal and two adiabatic. It has also been described as a cycle of expansion and compression of a reversible heat engine that does work with no loss of heat.

What is the Cheng Cycle?

The Cheng Cycle is a highly flexible and efficient method of optimizing a cogeneration plant, and more specifically a combined cycle power plant, which also provides a high amount of flexibility in the power and thermal energy output.

For a Cheng Cycle to be implemented, a gas turbine and waste heat boiler or heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) is required.  The gas turbine is updated to accept steam injection - the steam being "superheated steam" which is capable of handling up to 20% of the exhaust flow from the gas turbine. The saturated steam as well as the superheated steam, is generated from the waste heat boiler or heat recovery steam generator. 

When the Cheng Cycle is in 100% power mode, all of the steam that is produced by the "waste heat" from the gas turbine, is "recycled" through the gas turbine.  In cogeneration plants, the Cheng Cycle system is set-up so that steam may be used for process application and-or recycled back to the gas turbine. A duct burner is placed between the gas turbine and the waste heat boiler or the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) which increases the total amount of steam output generated by the plant.


What is "Cogeneration"?

Did you know that 10% of our nation's electricity now comes from "cogeneration" plants?

And because cogeneration is so efficient, it saves its customers up to 40% on their energy expenses, and provides even greater savings to our environment through significant reductions in fuel usage and much lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Cogeneration - also known as “combined heat and power” (CHP), cogen, district energy, total energy, and combined cycle, is the simultaneous production of heat (usually in the form of hot water and/or steam) and power, utilizing one primary fuel such as natural gas, or a renewable fuel, such as Biomethane, B100 Biodiesel, or Synthesis Gas.

Cogeneration technology is not the latest industry buzz-word being touted as the solution to our nation's energy woes. Cogeneration is a proven technology that has been around for over 120 years!

Our nation's first commercial power plant was a cogeneration plant that was designed and built by Thomas Edison in 1882 in New York. Our nation's first commercial power plant was called the "Pearl Street Station."

What is the Graz Cycle?

The Graz Cycle is the only thermodynamic combustion cycle that allows for the retention and capture of carbon dioxide emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels.

The Graz Cycle burns fossil fuel along with pure oxygen thereby enabling for the cost-effective separation of the carbon dioxide emissions from the combustion process through condensation. The additional expense for supplying the oxygen for the combustion process - and requirements for an air separation unit, are compensated, in part, through the increase in cycle efficiencies that exceed 65%. The combined efficiency of the Graz Cycle equals of exceeds the thermodynamic performance of other serious contenders in Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS).

The Graz Cycle is the thermodynamic cycle that provides for a "zero emission power plant" which also has the highest available efficiencies using gas turbines. The Graz Cycle has also been heralded as a "zero emission" power plant.

In practice, net electrical cycle efficiencies for Graz Cycle power plants have exceeded 65% - which is far higher than typical of state-of-the-art combined cycle plants.

According to the DOE web site, the Graz Cycle consists of a high temperature Brayton cycle and a low temperature Rankine cycle with a Heat Recovery Steam Generator. The Graz Cycle is an oxy-fuel power cycle with the capability of retaining all the combustion generated CO2 for further use. Its cycle configuration aims at highest efficiency by reducing the heat extraction in the condenser to a minimum. A thermodynamic investigation of the Graz Cycle fired with natural gas (CH4) shows a net efficiency of 52.5%, if the efforts for oxygen supply and CO2 compression to liquefaction are considered. If synthesis gas can be used from an external synthesis gas plant at 500°C, efficiencies can rise up to 56%. Studies indicate that further efficiency improvements and simplification of the cycle are possible.

What is Grid Free Energy ^sm ?

Grid free energy is an energy system that generates 100% (or more) of the energy needed for a building or business (or homeowner) 24 - 7 - 365. 

Our customers NEVER receive an electric bill!

Our customers, in many cases, can generate their own power and energy at prices better than the electric utility!

Our customers do NOT have ugly power lines to look at!

Our customers are NEVER told when they can or cannot use energy!

Our customers energy needs are NEVER "controlled" by a "smart meter" or electric utility company since they have the freedom of NOT being connected to the electric grid!

We provide grid free energy and net zero energy architectural, engineering and project development services. 

What is the Kalina Cycle?

The Kalina Cycle was invented by Alexander Kalina, a Russian engineer, which he first demonstrated in the mid 1960's.

The Kalina Cycle is different from the Rankine Cycle in that the Kalina Cycle uses a water and ammonia solution in low temperature Waste Heat Recovery applications, such as geothermal power plants.  This increases the thermodynamic efficiency and power output. 

While few Kalina Cycle plants have been built to date, reports of the technology's efficiency may exceed that of the Organic Rankine Cycle and represent an exciting development in Waste Heat Recovery.

What is the Organic Rankine Cycle?

A Rankine Cycle is a closed circuit steam cycle. (Also - see Rankine Cycle). 

An Organic Rankine Cycle uses a heated chemical instead of steam as found in the Rankine Cycle.

Chemicals used in the Organic Rankine Cycle include freon, butane, propane, ammonia, and the new environmentally-friendly" refrigerants. 


Why use a chemical refrigerant? 

A refrigerant boils at a temperature below the temperature of frozen ice. Solar heat, for example, of only 150 degrees Fahrenheit from a typical rooftop solar hot water heater, will furiously boil a refrigerant. The resulting high-pressure refrigerant vapor is then piped to an organic Rankine Cycle engine. 


Why is it called "organic"? 

"Organic" is a term used in chemistry to describe a class of chemicals that includes Freon and most of the other common refrigerants.

What is the Rankine Cycle?

The Rankine Cycle is a thermodynamic cycle used to generate electricity in many power stations, and is the real-world approach to the Carnot Cycle. Superheated steam is generated in a boiler, and then expanded in a steam turbine. The steam turbine drives a generator, to convert the work into electricity. The remaining steam is then condensed and recycled as feed-water to the boiler. A disadvantage of using the water-steam mixture is that superheated steam has to be used, otherwise the moisture content after expansion might be too high, which would erode the turbine blades.

What is Stack Gas?

Stack gas also known as flue gas and "wasted heat," is the heat, passes through or "escapes" through a chimney or smokestack. Typically, stack gas begins with the combustion in a boiler of a fossil fuel, such as natural gas, diesel or coal. 

What is "Trigeneration"?

Trigeneration is the simultaneous production of three forms of energy - typically, Cooling, Heating and Power - from only one fuel input. Put another way, our trigeneration power plants produce three different types of energy for the price of one.

Trigeneration energy systems can reach overall system efficiencies of 86% to 93%.  Typical "central" power plants, that do not need the heat generated from the combustion and power generation process, are only about 33% efficient.

Trigeneration Diagram & Description
Trigeneration Power Plants' Have the Highest System Efficiencies and are 
About 300 % More Efficient than Typical Central Power Plants

Trigeneration plants are installed at locations that can benefit from all three forms of energy.  These types of installations that install trigeneration energy systems are called "onsite power generation" also referred to as "decentralized energy."   

One of our company's principal's first experience with the design and development of a trigeneration power plant was the trigeneration power plant installation at Rice University in 1987 where our trigeneration development team started out by conducting a "cogeneration" feasibility study.  The EPC contractor that Rice University selected installed the trigeneration power which included a 4.0 MW Ruston gas turbine power plant, along with waste heat recovery boilers and Absorption Chillers.  A "waste heat recovery boiler" captures the heat from the exhaust of the gas turbine.  From there, the recovered energy was converted to chilled water - originally from (3) Hitachi Absorption Chillers - 2 were rated at 1,000 tons each, and the third Hitachi Absorption Chiller was rated at 1,500 tons. The Hitachi Absorption Chillers were replaced shortly after their installation by the EPC company.  The first trigeneration plant at Rice University was so successful, they added a second 5.0 MW trigeneration plant so today, Rice University is now generating about 9.0 MW of electricity, and also producing the cooling and heating the university needs from the trigeneration plant and circulating the trigeneration energy around its campus.

Trigeneration Chart
Trigeneration's "Super-Efficiency" compared 
with other competing technologies
As you can see, there is No Competition for Trigeneration!

Our trigeneration power plants are the ideal onsite power and energy solution for customers that include:  Data Centers, Hospitals, Universities, Airports, Central Plants, Colleges & Universities, Dairies, Server Farms, District Heating & Cooling Plants, Food Processing Plants, Golf/Country Clubs, Government Buildings, Grocery Stores, Hotels, Manufacturing Plants, Nursing Homes, Office Buildings / Campuses, Radio Stations, Refrigerated Warehouses, Resorts, Restaurants, Schools, Server Farms, Shopping Centers, Supermarkets, Television Stations, Theatres and Military Bases.

At about 86% to 93% net system efficiency, our trigeneration power plants are about 300% more efficient at providing energy than your current electric utility. That's because the typical electric utility's power plants are only about 33% efficient - they waste 2/3 of the fuel in generating electricity in the enormous amount of waste heat energy that they exhaust through their smokestacks.

Trigeneration is defined as the simultaneous production of three energies: Cooling, Heating and Power.  Our trigeneration energy systems use the same amount of fuel in producing three energies that would normally only produce just one type of energy. This means our customers that have our trigeneration power plants have significantly lower energy expenses, and a lower carbon footprint.

What is Waste Heat Recovery?

There are more than 500,000 smokestacks in the U.S. that are "wasting" heat, an untapped resource that can be converted to energy with Waste Heat Recovery technologies.

About 10% of these 500,000 smokestacks represent about 75% of the available wasted heat which has a stack gas exit temperature above 500 degrees F. which could generate approximately 50,000 megawatts of electricity annually and an annual market of over $75 billion in gross revenues before tax incentives and greenhouse gas emissions credits.

Waste Heat Recovery technologies represent the least cost solution which provides the greatest return on investment, than any other possible green energy technology or "carbon free energy" opportunity! 

Typical Waste Heat Recovery Installation

Many processes, especially in industrial applications, produce large amounts of excess heat – i.e., heat beyond what can be efficiently used in the process.  Waste Heat Recovery methods attempt to extract some of the energy as work that otherwise would be wasted.  

Typical methods of recovering heat in industrial applications include direct heat recovery to the process itself, recuperators, regenerators, and waste heat boilers.  In many applications – especially those with low-temperature waste heat streams, such as automotive applications – the economic benefits of waste heat recovery do not justify the cost of the recovery systems.  Innovative, affordable methods that are highly efficient, applicable to low-temperature streams, and/or suitable for use with corrosive or “dirty” wastes could expand the number of viable applications of waste heat recovery, as well as improve the performance of existing applications.  Our focus is on the development of innovative Waste Heat Recovery processes and techniques that are (1) more efficient than conventional methods, yet still cost-effective; and (2) applicable to waste streams from which heat cannot be recovered easily with conventional methods.

Turning to cooling, air conditioning systems consume approximately 10% of the energy used in U.S. buildings and are key contributors to peak demand.  Consequently, improving the energy efficiency of air conditioning systems would substantially reduce overall energy consumption and enhance grid reliability.  For example, compressors require cooling to dissipate the heat produced during compression and could benefit from improved surface heat transfer – innovative designs could increase the available heat-transfer area or materials enhancement could increase the heat flux between the hot and cool sides of a heat exchanger.  Similarly, a reduction in the requirement for condenser cooling could provide significant energy savings if more-efficient, cost-effective technologies were developed.  

This is where we believe waste heat recovery integrated with our Solar Trigeneration energy systems represents a unique opportunity for commercial and industrial clients. 

Industrial Waste Heat Recovery

Waste Heat Recovery from exit gases can significantly increase the energy efficiency of industrial processes.  Energy can be recovered from flue and stack gases, vent gases, and combustion gases at a variety of temperatures at large-scale industrial plants (chemical plants, petroleum refineries, biorefineries, pulp and paper mills, etc.).

What is the "Unified Smart Grid"?

The Unified Smart Grid is the name used for the future transmission power lines that would carry green electricity from the many solar power plants and solar power parks and wind farms that generate the power, typically in remote areas, to the "load centers" or major cities that would use the green power. 

Quite simply, our country's out-dated and inefficient National Electric Grid, lacks the ability to carry all the new green electricity being planned from hundreds of new solar power parks and wind power generation facilities.

The Unified Smart Grid will be a national interconnected network relying on a high capacity backbone of electric power transmission lines linking all the nation's local electrical networks that have been upgraded to smart grids. Europe's analogous project is sometimes referred to as the SuperSmart Grid, a term that also appears in the literature describing the Unified Smart Grid. 

Cost estimates to rebuild the nation's electric grid as a Unified Smart Grid have ranged from $350 billion to $450 billion.

Support for the unified smart grid came with passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.   Title 13 of this Act invested $100 million in funding for the years 2008 – 2012 and establishes a matching program to states, utilities and consumers to build unified smart grid capabilities.  It also creates a Grid Modernization Commission to assess the benefits of demand response and automated demand response and recommended a set of system protocols and standards to be led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology which would coordinate the development of smart grid standards.  FERC would then promulgate these standards and protocols for the unified smart grid through its official rulemaking capabilities.

The Unified Smart Grid received further support with the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that set aside $11 billion for the creation of a smart grid.

Building a Unified Smart Grid would help jump-start the renewable energy investments in solar power parks.  Thousands of megawatts of new solar power parks (both Concentrating Solar Power plants and Photovoltaic Power Plants) are being planned. Most are  located in the desert Southwest due to the solar energy resource. A Unified Smart Grid is needed to move the large amount of power, which is fairly concentrated, to the rest of the nation.  Without the new Unified Smart Grid, it would be impossible to distribute the green power to the nation. 

The new Unified Smart Grid is significantly more efficient than the present, nearly 100 year old technology that makes up our nation's present transmission and distribution network of how we get the power from central power plants to customers and major load centers.

Much of the new Unified Smart Grid will be comprised of "High Voltage Direct Current" transmission lines which is significantly more efficient than the present high voltage alternating current transmission lines.  

The new Unified Smart Grid will provide economic development, thousands of new jobs, and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

What would the new Unified Smart Grid look like?

Source:  American Electric Power

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For more information on the Unified Smart Grid, visit one of the following sites:

Central Power Plant
www.CentralPowerPlant.com

Electric Power Generation
www.ElectricPowerGeneration.net

High Voltage Direct Current
www.HighVoltageDirectCurrent.com

National Electric Grid
www.NationalElectricGrid.com

Transmission and Distribution
www.TransmissionAndDistribution.net

Unified Smart Grid
www.UnifiedSmartGrid.com

Wind Power Generation
www.WindPowerGeneration.com

What is Front End Engineering Design?

Front-end Engineering Design, also known as Front End Engineering  or "FEED," is the preliminary engineering and conceptual design completed in advance of the start of EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction).  Front End Engineering usually concludes with the engineering firm's presentation of an Engineering Feasibility Study or Analysis.

Front-end Engineering Design includes a design team that includes and integrates all or most engineering fields such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, environmental engineering, civil engineering, power engineering, chemical engineering, etc.  The FEED design team includes the project visualization and conceptualization stages, including "what-if" decision making analyses, integrating the client company's goals, objectives into an efficient and economic engineering solution. 

What is Balance of Plant?

Balance of plant or "BOP," consists of the remaining systems, components, and structures that comprise a complete power plant or energy system - not included in the prime mover and waste heat recovery (ex. gas turbines, steam turbines, heat recovery steam generators (HRSG), waste heat boilers, etc.) systems.  In solar power parks, BOP is referred to as BOS or balance of system.

Engineering, Procurement and Construction 
(EPC) Contracts and Performance Guarantees

Engineering Procurement Construction, also referred to as; Engineer Procure Construct, "EPC" or Engineering Procurement and Construction, is the terminology used when an owner, for example, is seeking to build a new cogeneration power plant uses when the owner is seeking a "turnkey" project solution.  EPC contracts are not only a very common form of contracting within the construction industry,  but increasingly becoming the norm, particularly in the electric power generation (power plants) and utility sector. 

The construction company, via the EPC contract with the owner, provides for the design, engineering, procurement of all related supplies, components, materials, labor, services, etc.  The contractor, with approval/permit by EPC contract with the owner, may sub-contract part of the work. 

Engineering Procurement and Construction or "EPC" contracts with long-term performance guarantees are becoming increasingly popular for some renewable energy technologies, such as commercial-scale Distributed Solar Generation / Distributed PV systems. 

Engineering Procurement and Construction contracts give the owner unprecedented assurance that the system will provide the long-term energy benefits advertised without wasting time and money with the Architectural and Engineering ("A&E") firm or expensive change orders that take additional time and resources to process and integrate. These performance guarantees cover the entire installation and go way beyond manufacturer warranties that only cover specific parts and not the system as a whole.

EPC and performance guarantee contracts can be a wise choice for many reasons. Oftentimes, the Architectural and Engineering firms do not have the in-house expertise to understand fully how to specify renewable energy systems. Due to the newer nature of these technologies and the rapidly developing nature of many technologies, this is a specialized field of its own for each renewable technology type.  If the Architectural and Engineering company specifies particular equipment, while it may be feasible, it may not be the optimal design or the most likely to be available at construction.

EPC contracts also provide more flexibility in equipment choices that can reduce change orders and construction delays. For example, many photovoltaic modules change specifications and dimensions on almost a monthly basis. Even the oldest and most reputable manufacturers are working to keep pace with fierce competition in the field today. Given that the modules are the heart of the photovoltaic system, it reasons that specifying a particular module in the construction documents might result in a change order and result in cost over runs and delays by actual construction.

Contractor Benefits

In an EPC contract with a performance guarantee, the contractor has a strong financial incentive to use the most reliable and highest performing equipment and to ensure the highest standards are maintained throughout installation and that any details that could influence long-term performance are addressed. Practices ranging from cherry picking the highest output modules to over-sizing wiring and conduit to improved operations and maintenance (O&M) plans might not be necessary for inspection or commissioning but can contribute to meeting the contractor's long-term performance liability. These same practices in turn enhance the long-term energy performance to the greater benefit of the facility and those that operate it.

Performance guarantee contracts attract top renewable energy contractors with long-term success in their fields. Less capable or experienced contractors will not savor the extra liability involved, nor will they have the expertise or even access to the top quality equipment necessary to fulfill a performance guarantee.

Contract Provisions

Certain provisions should be included with any EPC contract to ensure coordination and consistency with the remainder of the project. All contracts and subcontracts related to the project should include provisions requiring participation in the integrated design process including coordination of design with other related aspects of the project.

The EPC contractor needs to work with the Architectural and Engineering firm to understand the building elements that are necessary to the integration of the renewable energy system. In addition, an EPC contract needs provisions to ensure coordination with the larger project construction team. While coordination is important, this type of design and construction contract allows the contractors to do what they do best and frees more of the agency's critical planning resources for other aspects of the project.

Additional provisions standard with other construction contract terms should also be included in the EPC contract. These include requiring the team to perform enhanced commissioning over the first year and developing an O&M manual and training for the system.

Through a combination of EPC contracts combined with long-term performance guarantees, the construction relationship is transformed from being sometimes adversarial to being a win/win situation for everyone involved.

Engineering Procurement Construction and 
Front End Engineering Design (FEED) and 
Project Development Services

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Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Since the year 1750

##

World CO2 since 1750 (cubic feet)

World Carbon Dioxide Emissions since 1750 (cubic feet)

The carbon clock tracks total carbon dioxide emissions in metric tons since 1750.

Since 1750, humans have emitted over 5 trillion pounds of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Roughly half of this has ended up in the oceans where it is beginning to damage the coral reefs. The other half is still in the atmosphere and causing global warming. Each pound of CO2 takes up as much space as a 500 pound person.

The formula (which should be good for a year or two) is:
C(t) = 2.58 ×1012 + 1240×t, where t is seconds since the start of 2007.

C is tonnes (metric tons) of carbon dioxide emissions.
2205 x C gives pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

That comes to over 43 billion tons/year or over 86 trillion pounds/year.

Carbon dioxide (2) = 1 carbon atom with 2 oxygen atoms.
Carbon has relative weight 12 and Oxygen 16.
So it takes only 12 pounds of carbon to make 12+16+16 = 44 pounds of CO2. 

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Photo courtesy of Alaska Image Library. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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How we make and distribute electricity is changing! 

The electric power generation, transmission and distribution system (the electric "grid") is changing and evolving from the electric grid of the 19th and 20th centuries, which was inefficient, highly-polluting, very expensive and “dumb.”  

The "old" way of generating and distributing energy resembles this slide:

According to Monty Goodell, Founder and Chairman of the Renewable Energy Institute, "our increased dependence and reliance on foreign energy supplies represents a Clear and Present Danger to our national security, our economy, and the lives and livelihood of every American. Energy - including the energy we use from imported fossil fuels, is the very "lifeblood" of the American economy as it is for every industrialized country.  An economy dies without it's lifeblood of energy. This Clear and Present Danger we face is far more serious than the problems related to greenhouse gas emissions.  And while greenhouse gas emissions are very serious issue, in the long-term, pales in comparison to America's vital national security interests and America's economic stability in the short term.  For this reason alone, America needs to transition away from its addiction to foreign energy supplies. And America's abundant renewable energy resources such as the energy we receive from the sun, and renewable energy technologies such as concentrated solar power (CSP) plants - can supply 100% of America's power requirements with a concentrating solar power plant measuring 75 miles by 75 miles, located in the Southwest U.S.  By generating America's power from concentrating solar power plants, America resolves its' short-term Clear and Present Danger as it relates to importing its energy from foreign countries, and the long-term problems relating to greenhouse gas emissions."

Continuing, Mr. Goodell states that "too many Americans have forgotten what happened to us in 1973, when the Arabs and OPEC brought the United States economy to a screeching halt during the OPEC Oil Embargo.  This happened because they (mainly the country of Saudi Arabia) disagreed with our foreign policy and is the reason why they "turned off the tap" of our need for their oil supplies. When Saudi Arabia and OPEC stopped the vital flow of oil to our country in 1973, they caused an "oil shock" that severely and negatively impacted our economy. 

Mr. Goodell's question for us to ponder is, "do these countries who sell us 60% of our daily energy requirements, like us and our foreign policy, or might they leverage our addiction to their fossil fuels, and turn off the tap to make us adjust or revise our foreign policy??  Like any addict, America's foreign policy may be held hostage to its addiction, and in this case, our addiction to foreign oil, may over-ride our national interests."

Have American's forgotten the gas shortages and long lines at 
their gas stations to get gas during the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973?

"Apparently so."  Mr. Goodell states that "in 1973, America was 'addicted' and 'over the barrel' of foreign oil to the amount of 40%.  Forty percent of our energy 'needs' in 1973 came from countries - many of which didn't like us then, and I'm afraid, many of them still don't.  The difference between 1973 and today - is that today we receive 50% MORE foreign oil now than we did in 1973.  And now we know about the problems relating to greenhouse gas emissions that we didn't know then.  America needs to change course, and change course now, in terms of its' energy supplies and how we keep America's economy strong, without the threat of being held hostage to a middle-east tyrant or regime, that could once again, turn on us, and turn off our supply of foreign oil." 

Remember ????

"Sadly, most Americans have forgotten the long lines of people waiting in their cars - lined up and waiting for gasoline at their nearby gas station, with lines that were many blocks long.  And, after waiting 4-5 hours, many even waiting overnight in many places, to finally take their turn to fill up their car with gasoline, only to find that the gas station had run out of gas."

"Let me Repeat.... That was 1973 when we imported 40% of our daily energy requirements in the form of crude oil from overseas, and from foreign countries - and many of these from countries that don't like us.

Today, over 35 years later, America has yet to learn the lesson.  We cannot continue our reliance on energy from foreign countries that supply us with 60% of the crude oil that our refineries use as a feedstock for producing gasoline and diesel fuel for our cars and trucks comes from overseas. 

America is "over the barrel" and it's not our barrel, but the barrels of oil that we are addicted by and owned by other countries.  Why have we not learned the lessons we needed to learn in 1973 when we were cut-off from the vital energy supplies we need? 

Countries like China, are growing rapidly, and have an insatiable need for crude oil. China, with their booming economy, is increasingly growing in its clout and control over international supplies of crude oil - whether they do this through their ability to buy as much oil as they need on a daily basis, or whether they simply but American drilling rigs, technology, and explore and produce oil and gas from their own fields. China, is buying large amounts of oil for their country, and causing upward pricing on declining supplies. What happens if Russia, with all of their oil and natural gas, along with China and Venezuela, with or without the help of OPEC, decided to NOT sell oil to us????

To be sure, greenhouse gas emissions are a problem, and to some, greenhouse gas emissions are also a Clear and Present Danger, but not to the extent that it presents an imminent Clear and Present Danger. 

America's reliance for 60% of our energy "needs" coming from foreign suppliers is un-acceptable.

The "driver" to get America to begin reducing and eliminating fossil fuel use should be our nation's national security and the welfare and safety of its citizens. And this can all begin with developing and investing in our own renewable energy resources and renewable energy technologies, let's start by putting solar on every rooftop that has a clear and unobstructed view of the Southern sky. See www.RooftopPV.com  or  www.DistributedPV.com  for more information.  Let's create incentives begin with adopting a national "Feed In Tariff" as Germany did in 1990. 

We simply do NOT have the luxury of time on our hands.  We need to end our dependence and reliance on foreign fossil fuels, especially from countries that don't like us! We need to rapidly begin expanding renewable energy resources and renewable energy technologies from our vast and abundant renewable energy resources, such as; solar, solar energy systems, solar cogeneration, solar trigeneration, "solar on every roof," along with; Biomass Gasification, B100 Biodiesel, Biomethane, E100 Ethanol (from cellulosic, agricultural waste, sugar cane, etc., and NOT from corn), Geothermal Power Plants, Natural Wastewater Treatment, Synthesis Gas, Waste To Energy, Waste To Fuel and Wind Power Generation where it makes economic and environmental sense."

For more information, call/email the
Renewable Energy Institute

American Energy Plan
www.AmericanEnergyPlan.com

Anaerobic Digester
www.AnaerobicDigester.com

Anaerobic Digesters
www.AnaerobicDigesters.com

B100 Biodiesel
www.B100Biodiesel.com

Battery Energy Storage
www.BatteryEnergyStorage.com

Biomass Gasification
www.BiomassGasification.com

Biomethane
www.Biomethane.com

Building Automation System
www.BuildingAutomationSystem.com

Buildings of the Future
www.BuildingsOfTheFuture.com

Bulk Energy Storage
www.BulkEnergyStorage.com

Carbon Dioxide Emissions
www.CarbonDioxideEmissions.com

Carbon Emissions
www.CarbonEmissions.com

Carbon Free Energy
www.CarbonFreeEnergy.com

Clean Power Generation
www.CleanPowerGeneration.com

Cogeneration
www.Cogeneration.net

Concentrated Solar Power - CSP
www.ConcentratedSolarPower.com

Concentrating Solar Power
www.ConcentratingSolarPower.com

Demand Response Programs
www.DemandResponsePrograms.com

Demand Side Management
www.DemandSideManagement.com

Distributed PV
www.DistributedPV.com

Distributed Solar Generation
www.DistributedSolarGeneration.com

EcoGeneration
www.EcoGeneration.com

Energy Conservation Measures
www.EnergyConservationMeasures.com

Energy Efficiency Measures
www.EnergyEfficiencyMeasures.com

Energy Efficiency Lighting
www.EnergyEfficientLighting.net

Energy Master Plan
www.EnergyMasterPlan.com

Energy Master Planning
www.EnergyMasterPlanning.com

Greenhouse Gas Emissions
www.GreenhouseGasEmissions.com

Net Zero Energy - NZE
www.NetZeroEnergy.com

Net Zero Energy Building - NZEB
www.NetZeroEnergyBuilding.com

No Foreign Oil
www.NoForeignOil.com

Plug In Electric Vehicles
www.PlugInElectricVehicles.com 

Pollution Free Power
www.PollutionFreePower.com

Rooftop PV
www.RooftopPV.com

Solar Energy Systems
www.SolarEnergySystems.net

Solar Power Parks
www.SolarPowerParks.com

Solar Cogeneration
www.SolarCogeneration.com

Solar Trigeneration
www.SolarTrigeneration.com

Sustainable Building Solutions
www.SustainableBuildingSolutions.com

Sustainable Building Technologies
www.SustainableBuildingTechnologies.com

Synthesis Gas
www.SynthesisGas.com

Trigeneration
www.Trigeneration.com

Waste Heat Recovery
www.WasteHeatRecovery.com

Waste to Energy
www.WasteToEnergy.net

Waste To Fuel
www.WasteToFuel.com

Wind Power Generation
www.WindPowerGeneration.com

Zero Emission Energy
www.ZeroEmissionEnergy.com

Zero Emission Power
www.ZeroEmissionPower.com

^{______________________________________________________}

We support the Renewable Energy Institute by donating a portion of our profits to the Renewable Energy Institute in their efforts to reduce fossil fuel use through renewable energy and their goals to end fossil fuel pollution by reducing/eliminating Carbon Emissions, Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

The Renewable Energy Institute is "Changing The Way The World Makes and Uses Energy by Providing Research & Development, Funding and Resources That Creates Sustainable Energy via 'Carbon Free Energy,' 'Clean Power Generation' and 'Pollution Free Power' Through Expanding the use of Renewable Energy Technologies."

www.RenewableEnergyInstitute.org

Email:  info(@)Renewable Energy Institute (.)org

 

 

 

Wind Power Generation
www.WindPowerGeneration.com

info@WindPowerGeneration.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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