As governments and corporations increasingly look to renewable energy in order to reduce the need for further exploitation of nonrenewable oil and gas reserves, technological innovators have stepped up their game. Just a decade ago, turbines only operated at 25 percent capacity, a figure that has since risen to over 50 percent, thus enabling deployment in areas with less wind. Furthermore, companies like General Electric have increased the reliability and longevity of turbine parts, leading to less downtime and greater efficiency.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Energy is seeking to seed the wind power technologies of the future through a number of grants. One project at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will attempt to automate turbine failure detection in order to prevent downtime, while a University of North Carolina effort is striving to develop quieter turbines using magnet-based technology. One of the most exciting projects is being conducted at Maine’s Biodiversity Research Institute, which studies how bats and birds behave around turbines using nearly infrared cameras to closely monitor their movement. This information will enable companies to situate turbines in a way that avoids affecting these vulnerable animal populations.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Energy is seeking to seed the wind power technologies of the future through a number of grants. One project at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will attempt to automate turbine failure detection in order to prevent downtime, while a University of North Carolina effort is striving to develop quieter turbines using magnet-based technology. One of the most exciting projects is being conducted at Maine’s Biodiversity Research Institute, which studies how bats and birds behave around turbines using nearly infrared cameras to closely monitor their movement. This information will enable companies to situate turbines in a way that avoids affecting these vulnerable animal populations.
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