article thumbnail

Sandia innovation eliminates reliance on rare-earth magnets for large-scale wind turbines

Green Car Congress

Motivated by the need to eliminate expensive rare-earth magnets in utility-scale direct-drive wind turbines, Sandia National Laboratories researchers have developed a fundamentally new type of rotary electrical contact. The technology proves beneficial in lowering costs, improving sustainability and reducing maintenance.

Wind 529
article thumbnail

BNEF: wind and solar boost cost-competitiveness versus fossil fuels

Green Car Congress

This year has brought a significant shift in the generating cost comparison between renewable energy and fossil fuels, according to detailed analysis by technology and region, published this week by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. —Seb Henbest, head of Europe, Middle East and Africa at BNEF.

Wind 150
article thumbnail

Statoil to build the world’s first floating wind farm: Hywind Scotland

Green Car Congress

Statoil has made the final investment decision to build the world’s first floating wind farm: The Hywind pilot park offshore Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The decision triggers investments of around NOK 2 billion (US$238 million), realizing a 60-70% cost reduction per MW from the Hywind demo project in Norway.

Wind 191
article thumbnail

DOE awards up to $47M each to 3 offshore wind projects

Green Car Congress

The Energy Department selected three offshore wind demonstrations to receive up to $47 million each over the next four years to deploy innovative, grid-connected systems in federal and state waters by 2017. Principle Power will install five 6-megawatt direct-drive wind turbines approximately 18 miles off the coast of Coos Bay, Oregon.

Wind 210
article thumbnail

Phase I SBIR program project selections include efforts in hydrogen and fuel cell R&D technologies

Green Car Congress

This will enable wind energy to be utilized without requiring major transmission infrastructure to be built and create new revenues and jobs for US industry. Greenway Energy will develop and test a new, low-cost, and efficient electrolysis system that can be directly coupled with wind turbine power.

Hydrogen 191
article thumbnail

IBM introduces new wind and solar forecasting system for utilities; big data analytics and weather modeling to predict output

Green Car Congress

The solution combines weather prediction and big data analytics to forecast accurately the availability of wind power and solar energy. By utilizing local weather forecasts, HyRef can predict the performance of each individual wind turbine and estimate the amount of generated renewable energy.

Wind 306
article thumbnail

Viking Grace LNG ferry to install rotor sail; first LNG/wind electric propulsion hybrid ship

Green Car Congress

a provider of low- maintenance, software-operated, and data-verified auxiliary wind propulsion systems, signed an agreement with Finnish shipping company Viking Line to install its Rotor Sail Solution onboard the M/S Viking Grace , an LNG-fueled cruise ferry. Norsepower Oy Ltd., Earlier post.).

Wind 150