WILL THIS BECOME THE NEW TREND? A CHANGING SKYLINEIs this the beginning of the end to power problems?
I happened to notice this little propeller whirling away while taking a walk along beach road. Now while I'm not positive it is a home wind power generator but the sight of it made me come to that conclusion. Even if this is not a wind generator it still brings up the question, is it a sign of the future? Will we start to see this device appearing on roof-tops everywhere? Maybe the answer to all the problems with CUC will start to go away as the island moves toward a wind generator on each roof. Wouldn't that be a blessing?
Now I know this will not completely replace CUC in the interim but think about a large percentage of your personal power consumption being generated by wind. Also CUC could downsize to a portion of what it is today and maybe, just maybe operate on a 24/7 basis..
There is surely a lot of details to make this a thing of the future, but why not?
Now my question to you is this. Would you like to see this take hold in the community and be a partial replacement for CUC and do you think it is a possible solution?
.....GED.....
20 comments:
There's one in use in Garapan as well. Actually, you can buy a system that will provide 1000kwh per month quite cheaply. $4,000 - $5,000US. The concern is having to take it down and reinstall it during typhoon season. Egads.
NIMBY or not in my back yard. Yes, even the green version of the christers have NIMBY on their list. Great idea, but we will have to read in the dark for a long time, before a visualing polluting windmill is state of the art.
Maybe this 'visional' windmill could replace rusty rebars?
a wind turbine generating 1000kwh a month would be a pretty hefty size turbine. you MIGHT be able to find a decent turbine for $4,000 to $5,000, but that's out of the box, you then need a tower to put it on. roof top mounting is not thte best option due to vibration and the general rule of having the turbine mounted at least 20ft higher than adjacent trees and structures.
wind is no answer for our power because we lack consitant wind, a requirement to optimize. wind power is great in the high desert but the worlds top wind generation companies in northern europe will not consider us for parts, service, or warrantee and they have formally advised against wind power generation here. geothermal is our best choice, but the initial capital investment is substancial.
Well you're an expert about everything except spelling. It's spelled "substantial" wanker.
I'd agree with the wind assessmen... not the best in a place like the CNMI.
What about solar water heaters?
Solar power?
Water catchment facilities?
etc etc...
I think it's pretty clear that the CNMI has to start thinking a bit out of the box... maybe it has to realize that diesel generators are a thing of the past in small island nations like the CNMI.
Maybe a stupid question but does CUC or any other part of the government even look at alternatives to diesel and generators? And does it look at ways of spending less power?
Huge wind farms are found throughout the Pacific, including Fiji and New Caledonia. There's ample wind here to produce energy. The concern would be the opposite.. too much wind. Specifically typhoons.
I'll get the link for the home generators. Their very economical at $4-$5,000 per unit, generating just over 1000KWH per month. There are larger for a bit more money of course. The blades aren't as large as you think they might be. The stands are quite tall however, at anywhere from 15 - 28 feet high.
Model: Skystream 3.7 Grid Tie Wind Generator
Item: Price: $5111
Skystream 3.7 - a new generation Residential Power Appliance that hooks up to your home to help you reduce or eliminate your monthly electricity costs. It's the first compact, user-friendly, all-inclusive wind generator (with controls and inverter built in) designed to provide quiet, clean electricity in very low winds. With Skystream, homeowners and small business owners now have the power to choose their electricity source.
How it works is simple. With no batteries, Skystream connects directly to your home. When the wind is blowing, your home is powered by Skystream, when it's not, your home is seamlessly powered by your utility as usual. During periods of strong winds, Skystream can actually produce excess electricity. Depending on your utility, your meter will spin backwards--giving you credit for a later date.
Skystream Wind Generator
Specifications
Model:Skystream 3.7 Volts:120/240 Watts:1800 Start-up Wind Speed:8(mph) KWH per month @ 20 mph avg: 800-1000 Shipping Weight (lbs.):170
Jonas, one of the problems here is this...If the government don't pay for it they don't buy it themselves. I have a solar powered hot water heater and no one bites because it isn't free. I'll give you a link in the next comment.
Lil, You sell them, I'll install them. Sounds like a good deal especially with the power rates at 30 + or - when accurate rates are set.
Click Here...Sunny News
That's fantastic... a one year payback! The government should give tax breaks to anyone who buys one!! Give people an incentive to be environmentally sound - or even provide a 50% subsidy... would be the best money they ever spent... and peanuts in comparison to all the other crap they spend money on. But that would require them to think long term... not likely.
There are incentives already in place....check out Public Law 15-30 at the link below.
There is another law as well, I just have to locate it, but this one takes excise tax off bringing in any Energy Star product AND any components that are part of a renewable energy producing system, and it applies to the consumer as well.
http://www.cnmilaw.org/public_laws15.php
This was written by Senator Frica and handed off to the House because the Senate cannot write this type of bill. Check it out, and I'll look for the other law that encourages the individual who takes the initiative to become more energy self-sufficient.
Ok here is the other one. It is PL 15-23 at
http://www.cnmilaw.org/public_laws15.php
It says that if your home system produces more power than you need you can sell it back to the grid, among other things.
The law is modeled after Hawaii's, and its working there.
With the new PUC board in place (sort of) there is a real opportuity to leave diesel behind.
This is a windmill that apparently works really well in urban settings, fitfull winds coming from many directions, etc. Plus birds can see it and it doesn't have to be up on a tall tower.
http://www.helixwind.com/en/
I think we just have to keep our minds open, nothing stays the same and progress is constantly being made as the whole world is facing the same energy crisis as the CNMI.
The helix on UTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9flSPAdOLk
Shewhowatches, Thanks for all the info. Every little thing may help, and we do need some changes!
So she, Who are you watching?
What (not who) do I watch? Everything I can. Knowledge is empowering. Ignorance is not bliss.
At some point a person's discontent with the status quo on an issue, moves finding a solution to the top of their list. Then the venting stops, and channeling that same energy to finding ways to fix the problem on a personal basis begins.
If one cannot depend on something, then the solution is, don't.
The paradigm is liberating.
I'm "watching" that start to happen in this patticular thread.
The most fundamental problem here is the price of crude on the world market. With demand from China and India coming onstream, the CNMI is not, and will never be again, in a position to purchase cheap diesel. Nor, if there are shortages, will the CNMI be a priority in the supply chain.
And there will be shortages.
The generators are a dinosaur technology, and virtually beyond fixing. One by one they could be replaced, instead of fixed.
The CNMI does have natural resources, unrecognized, unused. Wind, sun, waves, in abundance. The answers are there, and the fuel is free. Investing in an incremental transition, engine by engine, is reasonable, no, essential. After the initial investment, the costs of fuel simply disappear.
Consider exploring the following links. Somewhere in all of this lies an answer, both on a personal level and for a public utility. The more its talked up, the sooner the change begins.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/04/germanys_first.php
http://www.wavegen.co.uk/news_mutriku.htm
http://www.finavera.com/
http://www.pelamiswave.com/
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=12850
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=12820
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/09/industry_week.php
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/09/18/driving.iceland/
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/the-rise-of-british-sea-power-799630.html
http://geothermal.marin.org/pwrheat.html#Q4
The law for alternative energy production by the, or "a" public utility is in place. Public pressure and a leader with no fear to follow innovative thinking is due.
Incentives and technology for individuals to create their own household power are in place.
The return on investment for an individual becomes shorter and shorter as the price of public utility energy goes up, and cost of replacing blown appliances continues.
'nuff said
SWW, Did you click on the link a few posts above called 'Sunny News'
That is a solar hot water heater I developed, give it a read.
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