How much of the world's electricity supply is generated from wind and who are the leading generators?

Worldwide wind power generation exceeded 250 billion kilowatthours in 2009, which is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of over 22 million average households in the United States. Wind generation increased by about 20% from 2008 to 2009, and has more than tripled since 2004. This growth is mostly due to capacity increases in the United States, China, India, and Western Europe. Despite this growth, the world still generated only 1% of its total electricity from wind power in 2009

Maintaining its position for two years in a row, the United States led all other countries in wind power generation in 2009. The remaining top-ten wind power generators, listed in descending order, were Germany, Spain, China, India, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Denmark, and Italy. Although about 35 countries reported significant wind power generation in 2009, these top-ten countries accounted for more than 85% of all wind generation worldwide. Wind generation in China continues to grow rapidly. Wind generation growth in the country increased by an average of 80% each year since 2004 and doubled from 2008 to 2009.

Nearly 20% of Denmark's electricity generation came from wind in 2009. The next highest levels of wind penetration are found in Portugal at 16%, Spain at 13%, Ireland at 11%, and Germany at 7%. No other country surpassed 5% penetration, including the United States, which generated almost 2% of its electricity from wind in 2009.

According to the World and European Wind Energy Associations, installed global wind capacity reached 197,000 megawatts by the end of 2010, with just over 3,000 MW of that total located offshore. Even though offshore development lags behind onshore, generally due to higher costs and technology constraints, over 1,000 MW were built in 2010. Western Europe is home to nearly all existing offshore capacity; Japan and China have started to add offshore wind farms of their own. As of June 2011, there were no operating offshore wind farms in the United States, although the Department of the Interior approved construction plans for the 420-megawatt Cape Wind project off the Massachusetts coast in April 2011.

Over the lifetime of the plant, electricity from wind power generally costs more than electricity from power plants burning fossil fuels.1 However, wind power is expected to continue to grow worldwide because of favorable government policies. Multiple types of government support exist, including a production tax credit and State renewable electricity portfolio standards in the United States, a feed-in tariff (see the "Did You Know" box on the left) in Germany, and wind capacity targets in China.

1 Although wind farms have relatively low operating costs, capital investment costs are significant. In addition, the intermittent nature of wind results in relatively low capacity factors, such that a wind plant will generate less electricity than a conventional thermal or hydroelectric plant of the same size and over the same period of time. As a result of the high capital costs and intermittency associated with wind, the "levelized cost of electricity" (LCOE) – or the sum of the plant's present value of capital and operating costs, divided by its generation over the plant's lifetime – tends to be higher for wind than for most conventional generation types.
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

How much of the world's electricity supply is generated from wind and who are the leading generators?

Worldwide wind power generation exceeded 250 billion kilowatthours in 2009, which is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of over 22 million average households in the United States. Wind generation increased by about 20% from 2008 to 2009, and has more than tripled since 2004. This growth is mostly due to capacity increases in the United States, China, India, and Western Europe. Despite this growth, the world still generated only 1% of its total electricity from wind power in 2009

Maintaining its position for two years in a row, the United States led all other countries in wind power generation in 2009. The remaining top-ten wind power generators, listed in descending order, were Germany, Spain, China, India, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Denmark, and Italy. Although about 35 countries reported significant wind power generation in 2009, these top-ten countries accounted for more than 85% of all wind generation worldwide. Wind generation in China continues to grow rapidly. Wind generation growth in the country increased by an average of 80% each year since 2004 and doubled from 2008 to 2009.

Nearly 20% of Denmark's electricity generation came from wind in 2009. The next highest levels of wind penetration are found in Portugal at 16%, Spain at 13%, Ireland at 11%, and Germany at 7%. No other country surpassed 5% penetration, including the United States, which generated almost 2% of its electricity from wind in 2009.

According to the World and European Wind Energy Associations, installed global wind capacity reached 197,000 megawatts by the end of 2010, with just over 3,000 MW of that total located offshore. Even though offshore development lags behind onshore, generally due to higher costs and technology constraints, over 1,000 MW were built in 2010. Western Europe is home to nearly all existing offshore capacity; Japan and China have started to add offshore wind farms of their own. As of June 2011, there were no operating offshore wind farms in the United States, although the Department of the Interior approved construction plans for the 420-megawatt Cape Wind project off the Massachusetts coast in April 2011.

Over the lifetime of the plant, electricity from wind power generally costs more than electricity from power plants burning fossil fuels.1 However, wind power is expected to continue to grow worldwide because of favorable government policies. Multiple types of government support exist, including a production tax credit and State renewable electricity portfolio standards in the United States, a feed-in tariff (see the "Did You Know" box on the left) in Germany, and wind capacity targets in China.

1 Although wind farms have relatively low operating costs, capital investment costs are significant. In addition, the intermittent nature of wind results in relatively low capacity factors, such that a wind plant will generate less electricity than a conventional thermal or hydroelectric plant of the same size and over the same period of time. As a result of the high capital costs and intermittency associated with wind, the "levelized cost of electricity" (LCOE) – or the sum of the plant's present value of capital and operating costs, divided by its generation over the plant's lifetime – tends to be higher for wind than for most conventional generation types.
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

INTERVIEW: Inhabitat Talks to botObjects Founders About ProDesk3D, The World’s First Full-Color 3D Printer

Just over a month ago, we showcased a product with the potential to revolutionize the still-new 3D printing industry: the ProDesk3D by botObjects. Hailed as the world’s first full-color 3D printer, the ProDesk3D allows designers to pick a desired palette and quickly print the final product with a five-color, re-usable PLA cartridge system. Since the ProDesk3D is only in the pre-order phase (and we were eager to know more), Inhabitat reached out to botObjects founders Martin Warner and Mike Duma to dig deeper into the development process of this ground-breaking product. Read on to find out why the ProDesk3D pushes the boundaries of 3D printing technology, and how it was designed to make self-fabrication accessible to a larger audience.

This is a great question. Just like the printing press, television, and PC revolution, 3D desktop printing is not only the most exciting technology to be talked about in 2013, but it is the timing of the desktop version, mainstream awareness and the scope of device technology—that meet the needs of mainstream audience. Owners such as designers, and just about all creators, will benefit.

The ProDesk3D brings full color, speed, accuracy, simplicity and significant advancement that arms not only technical consumers but all consumers with even limited 3D technology printing experience with a printer and software that can achieve so much more than what was previously on the market.

Moving the industry from hobbyist/engineer to power use—enabling a diverse set of experiences to descend upon our product—that will create designs that will literally change sub-segment industries forever. The power of designers of all types will flourish and proliferate as a result of 3D desktop printing.

Color simply changes everything. For most users, industrial 3D printers cost 10s—and sometimes over 100—thousand dollars to purchase. An important distinction here is that we aim to give massive advancement to everyone for a 3D printer that can exist on the desktop.

We released some official product samples (on our website) that couldn’t be printed by any current 3D desktop printer. One was a vase that beautifully blended color to create a vibrant existence for flowers.

We also created a musical instrument—a recorder with lovely colors. Recorders were typically boring yet functional objects, but now they are fun and interesting to collect and personify themselves with the owner.

Lastly, another example that we recently hinted at on Twitter is a ‘planetary set of gears’ with color transition, metallic, translucent and fluorescent colors. These special single cartridge colors will bring endless possible suggestions to what could be created—such as toys, tools, instruments and more—while giving us a totally different context to color mixing.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Sharp Unveils the World’s Most Efficient Solar Cell!

About a year ago, Sharp achieved a new solar cell efficiency record of 43.5% by using a lens-based system to focus sunlight directly onto the cells in order to generate electricity. Now, Sharp has done it again. This time, they’ve created a concentrator triple-junction compound solar cell that offers conversion efficiency of 44.4%…all in a tiny package that’s only 4mm x 4mm!

According to PhysOrg, “Sharp’s concentrator triple-junction compound solar cells use a proprietary technology that enables the efficient conversion of sunlight into electricity by means of a stack of three photo-absorption layers, the bottommost of which is made from InGaAs (indium gallium arsenide).”

Measurement of the value—which sets a record for the world’s highest concentrating conversion efficiency—was confirmed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Germany, according to a press release from Sharp.

Previously, these types of high-efficiency solar cells have only been used on space satellites, but with each record it breaks, Sharp hopes to be inching toward a time when they can help us sever our ties to fossil fuels here on Earth as well.

 

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.