response to getting the most from energy

Like I said before, it wasn't about wind power, but it was about why we need it. There was a lot of data in this article, all of which was kind of disappointing. For example, an incandescent light bulb only gives off less than 5% of the energy it produces, the rest is wasted away as heat. I liked that it mentioned that people have changed some of their ways, and  also that people need to except the idea of new things for efficiency to make any progress. 

Getting the Most from Energy

This article wasn't so much about wind power, it was more about all the reasons we need to create an efficient alternative way to produce electricity, which is just as important.

The United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan have done studies showing a 'correlation between access to useful services and growth in income.' This means when people have easy access to things like natural gas for heating houses and water, it makes life easier.

The United States takes half as much energy to produce one unit of GDP, Gross Domestic Product as it did 30 years ago. Even though that is good news, the overall efficiency of the country is a whopping 13%.Also, people are becoming more conscious about the impact they have on the environment, we buy efficient light bulbs and washing machines.

response to compressed air.

I think technology like this is really amazing. Its good that people are working on solutions for all the of the flaws wind turbines possess. Maybe once they are all solved, or at least there have been lots of modification's on current wind turbines, people will become more open to them and the idea of large wind farms wont sound so foreign.

compressed air

Obviously, it isn't always windy. This is a problem when is comes to turbine's ability to produce electricity. With a new technology known as compressed air energy storage, or CAES, there could be a solution to this small technicality.
This new technology uses electricity to compact air and force it underground. When the air gets released, it's burned with natural gas which makes it expand, this drives the turbines and creates electricity.
Compressing air is done when there is an 'excess of cheap electricity.' For example, when the wind is blowing in the middle of the night when no ones lights are on, that energy can be released on a hot summer day when everybody wants their air conditioners.
Compressed air is already being stored in Alabama in a salt dome. Other states such as Iowa, Texas, Ohio, and New Jersey are exploring the possibilities. Germany also has a compressed air plant.
However, there are many reasons this idea hasn't caught on, says Samir Succar, an energy analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council. One of which is a "culture of risk-aversion among utilities," also "complications in the way electricity markets are structured."

Hey! You might want to check out this article and the other articles on the page. They might interest you. :)

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/12/the_year_in_gre.php

Samara's response

Kelsey, Good job so far. I like wind, and wind energy. Solar energy is nice too. I think that the reason for there being no wind turbines in rural areas is because of there being no money to afford them, not a lot of space, and not a lot of wind to power them. Although someone down the road from me has a little wind mill in their front yard. It's cool. Please title your posts. For one post I couldn't tell if it was notes or a response because of how the beginning was worded. Perhaps you could look into the cost of installing wind mills in rural areas and compare that to other alternative energy costs. Other than that keep up the good work!

Alex Hadik- Blog Comment

Kelsey-
This is extremely interesting research that you are getting into here. I like how you have managed to focus not on the the mechanical aspects of this technology but instead, the social issues surrounding it. Wind power is an extremely controversial topic and one that even has possible negative outcomes for the environment. I have read a couple articles in passing discussing how massive wind farms are in fact over harnessing causing actual environmental changes near by. Winds decrease behind the farms and temperatures rise, everything. This isn't proven but it might be something for you to look into. Also, look into the Cape Wind project, you know that film we both saw at that festival? It was boring but still perfect for this topic. Past that, from a reader's point of view, the only comment I could make is that is sure would be nice to have your notes and your comments there instead of piecing together what the article was about from your comments.

Alex G. responce #2

kelseeey:)
This is a really neat topic, I think its cool how you can profit from wind energy, and all your articles were really interesting. I agree with aimee, I bet those magazines would have some articles on wind energy.

Kelsey, I love the whole idea of alternate energy, and can tell you are into the topic. I also like how you questioned yourself about why there isn't any wind power in residential areas, probably because it takes up al ot of room and money. I would like to see some here in rural Maine, but it is probably very costly. You should try looking in Time, New Yorker or National Geographic for some outside research, I know global warming is a big topic in those magazines, so there would be some articles on alternative energy.

Modify and document correctly . . .

Kelsey - I'm happy to see that you are finding energy articles, especially on wind turbines. You need to modify the writeup under the title of your blog so that it reflects what you are now researching. Also, each note-taking post needs to be titled with the name of the article you are reading. Responses need appropriate titles, too. Not all of your citations are complete; see me ASAP to correct these if you don't understand how to do so.

response to got wind

I thought Got Wind was an informative article to anyone interested in alternative fuels. I found it surprising that wind companies are actually having success right now, even though the rest of the country is failing. Its nice to know that something necessary like renewable energy has received benefits from congress to enable it's production. Also, I would like to know other ways wind energy could be made more affordable and available to everyday people. Over all I found this article very factual, it showed some positives and negatives of wind turbines, and information backing everything up.

Got Wind?

This article tells consumers how wind energy can be worth the investment in the long run. A man in Michigan added a turbine to his already solar powered home, he paid $16,000. It can generate 1.5 kilowatts an hour from the wind off Lake Michigan. Along with his solar panels, the two alternative energy sources produce enough to cover most of his electricity bill. Best of all, "It's fun watching our meter run backward instead of forward."
Also, apparently in October Congress passed a tax credit. Since then, small scale turbine producers' phones have been ringing off the hook. Although the rate of solar energy still dominates, wind energy is catching up. Last year it was the largest new addition to the electrical grid.
What has held the building of residential wind turbines back is lack of federal assistance, and also the irritation of peoples' neighbors. To be approved for windmill instillation, there is lots of paper work to be done and many complains to be heard.
Congress however, added 30% tax credit to small turbine projects and it is believed that this may create a growth of 40%, even in the current state of the market. And in 20 other states, there are additional benefits of going green. "The federal and state subsidies can make it feasible to get a quicker payback," said president of Bergey Windpower, a small wind producer.
On the down side, even though your meter could be spinning backward, the dept could take as long as 2 decades to clear. Turbines can cost as high as $80,000, and the tax credit is capped at $4,000.
But for most, after the initial cost is excepted, the pros out weigh the cons.