Georgia’s almost perfect for solar

[jpak]

http://www.sundaypaper.com/More/Archives/tabid/98/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/3447/Georgias-almost-perfect-for-solar.aspx

In Dec. 11’s cold rain, Gov. Sonny Perdue cut the ribbon at a grand opening ceremony for Suniva, a company that develops, manufactures and markets high-efficiency photovoltaic (PV) cells. It’s the first major solar equipment manufacturing plant in the state, and its opening gave Perdue an opportunity to very publicly endorse the alternative energy that most politicians only talk about in the future tense.

It was also a little bright spot in the state’s dismal economic picture. Suniva will initially employ about 100 Georgians.

Suniva has already sold contracts worth nearly $1 billion, but the products included in those contracts won’t be used in Georgia anytime soon. Aside from the fact that Suniva's production is booked for foreign orders, Georgia isn't much of a solar power user.

Georgia gets about 25 percent of its energy from two nuclear power plants in the eastern part of the state, while about three-fifths of its power comes from burning coal. Georgia doesn’t produce coal, so we import most if it from Wyoming, Kentucky and Virginia. We also lead the way in hydroelectric power production, but when it comes to sun and wind energy, Georgia lags behind.

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[izquierdista]

1. No wind potential

Georgia will always lag in wind energy, since it has very poor wind resources, just what they could develop offshore along the Atlantic. Fortunately for them though, the potential for biomass is great, and if they could use all the kudzu that blankets the state as an energy resource, they could be self sufficient.

[jpak]

2. Wind turbines considered for Georgia coast (AJC)

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/business/stories/2008/07/09/wind_turbine_georgia_coast.html

Tybee Island — The wind gusted to 25 mph at the far end of this beach town's famous pier. A dozen kite surfers below skimmed across the foam-flecked ocean. Shirtless and sunburned fishermen praised the cooling powers of the southerly breezes.

The wind proved a recreational godsend. Could it also prove a commercial success?

Georgia Tech researchers, who recently completed a study on wind energy off Tybee and Jekyll islands, think so. Southern Co., which commissioned the report, will further study whether a wind farm could generate enough electricity to be financially feasible.

<snip>

A year later, Southern Co. put up $580,000 to study offshore wind with Tech. Researchers winnowed possible sites to a half-dozen off Tybee and Jekyll islands. Each location must accommodate maybe 80 turbines – with rotors as long as a football field.

A site 10 miles southeast of Tybee, where the turbines would appear no larger than a beach-goer's finger nail, might prove best."It is not a pristine ocean view, but the turbines would be no more visible than channel markers," said Tybee councilman Wolff. "So we might as well be generating energy."

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6 sites x 80 turbines @ 3 MW each = 1440 MW

[kristopher]

3. The holdup on offshore wind in the southeast

Hurricanes, international standards and insurance. Most of the standards were set based on conditions in Europe, and since they don't have hurricanes, the international standards for manufacturing turbines aren't yet set for possible hurricane conditions such as the SE coast experiences. It isn't that they can't withstand the winds or tides, it is just that insurance companies wont even look at them until international standards are in place for design and manufacture.

[Laelth]

4. Thank goodness.

Never thought I'd be singing the praises of hurricanes. :rofl:

Wind Power BLOWS.

See the following:
http://www.keepersoftheblueridge.com/faqs.html
http://www.nortexwind.org/index.htm
http://www.stopillwind.org/index.php
http://windconcernsontario.wordpress.com/
http://www.savewesternny.org/

Or just watch this series of videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNxvkrgoPLo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_utFV2ukOtU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOd5tSZF3A4&feature=related

There's more, but you get the idea. :)

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth

[izquierdista]

6. Last hurricane to hit Savannah

Was in 1895. Now Wilmington, NC, that's a place that makes insurance companies shudder.

[jpak]

9. Nope - It was David in 1979

and it sucked

[conscious evolution]

11. It wasn't that bad

But I would like to see maritime wind generators built for hurricane force winds.

It surprises me that the peir on Tybee gets regularly winds at 25 mph.

[jpak]

13. I was in it - it was bad enough and current turbines can withstand CAT 4-5 winds

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94568478

Fledgling Wind Farms Prepped For Hurricane

As Gulf Coast oil companies brace for Hurricane Ike, the developers of new wind farm projects are confident their turbines can withstand the elements.

Hurricane Ike might be an early test for a fledgling offshore wind farm project in the Gulf. Wind Energy Systems Technology is moving forward with plans to build a 62-turbine wind farm off the Gulf Coast south of Houston. With one test tower constructed, company President Herman Schellstede says the towers his company designed can withstand winds of up to 150 miles per hour and 200 mph gusts.

"We've been building offshore oil and gas platforms for 42 years, so we are very acquainted with how to build structures out there to endure hurricanes," says Schellstede. "We don't feel uncomfortable saying can withstand 150-mile-an-hour winds."

<snip>

Unlike the single-pole-supported towers used in the majority of the European offshore wind farms, stronger structures are required to support turbines being built off the Gulf Coast. The European model just won't work in the Gulf, Schellstede says, because hurricanes and other cyclonic storms unleash more fierce winds. So, WEST developed a unique tripod designed to support the tower on three legs, which are buried more than 100 feet below the underwater mud line. Similarly, when winds get to around 55 miles per hour, automatic shut-off devices kick in on the turbines.

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[Laelth]

5. Wonderful article. (sarcasm)

The solar industry spokesman quoted in the article basically said two things:

1) Nobody would do this if it weren't for government incentives, and
2) Georgia would be great for solar power if they cut down all the trees.

:silly:

Now obviously that's both good government policy and environmentally friendly. :sarcasm:

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth

[NNadir]

7. Especially nowthat it's becoming a desert. We will of course, have to create lots of "green" jobs

or maybe "brown" jobs for the migrant solar cell washers hauling around windex and paper towels to wipe the ash from the forest fires and the dust from the blowing top soil, but other than that, I wonder why after all these years and years and years and years and years of talk about how wonderful solar is, nobody is actually using it.

[jpak]

8. Sorry McCain lost, Obama won and teh greens jobs are a'comin' soon

No charlatan molten salt breeders for you...

:rofl:

[conscious evolution]

10. The Southern Company

makes sure solar does not get state and local tax credits or other types of incentives in the south.perdue is pretty much owned lock stock and barrel by the southern company.If this plant was dedicated for local use I would bet money that perdue would not be found within a country mile of the place.

[jpak]

12. Southern is a hugh friend of Bush, Cheney, the GOP, coal and nuclear

and no friend of renewables...