Washington DC Government Agencies to be 100% Powered by Wind Energy
Washington D.C. has just announced a huge step forward in its quest to become Americas greenest city . TheDistrict of Columbia Department of General Services (DGS) has signed a one-year contract thatrequires all government agencies to use 100 percent wind power for their electricity needs. The new contract withHerndon-based Washington Gas Energy Services ( WGES ) improves upon the Districts prior commitment of using 50 percent wind-generated electricity.
Read more: Washington DC Government Agencies to be 100% Powered by Wind Energy | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
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politics are turning around after all in D.C. (fingers crossed it continues)
Might be problematic when the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't out .....
They may have generators or backup batteries to supply the necessary energy when the wind isn't blowing. However, having been in the DC area for 4 years they failure of any wind blowing sufficient to propel the wind mills are rare and far between.
In fact, there is a very large plant near where I live here in So Calif that uses wind power for the plant. Even here in So Calif there are days when the wind does not blow hard enough to turn the blades of the windmill. So I am assuming that as the plant continues in operation that they have backup means to provide power to keep the plant running at those times that the wind is not sufficient.
Just a POV.
That is the point. From a technical standpoint full backup from a more reliable source is required so 100% green power is technically not possible. The storage sources that would be required to remove such a backup source would be massive in size and cost. The cost per KW generated would go up even more significantly than if a fossil fuel backup source was used.
I'm all for green power sources but many have a completely naive viewpoint regarding the realites of same. One other problematic reality is who wants one of those things in their backyard? That's right, no one.
It's just not as cut and dried as many try to make it.
Yes, storage of the power from the windmills would be costly in our time, but, technology comes up with new inventions every day. And some power plants and other services will buy any extra power attained during the operation of the windmills, helping to save users money.
Here is So Calif there are far more windy days than not, even on non-sunny days, which are also far fewer than cloudy days. So the positive effects from the windmill power are much greater than the times when secondary power sources are necessary.
And, yeah.....I would not mind having a windmill in my backyard if it will mean cleaner air and environment for my Grandchildren and their children.
Also, we as human beings need to stop thinking that the resources of Mother Earth are endless, because that is simply untrue. And the effects of fossil fuels will leave a devastating effect on the planet and every living thing on it if efforts are not made to curtail it use.
While the oil companies, like tobacco companies, try to deny the harmful effects of their products on human beings, the fact that they do can no longer be denied. Their lust for the almighty dollar is what feeds them, and any threat to accumulating as much of that as they can must be refuted by them, no matter how much technical and science proof is provided. They don't care about tomorrow or the living entities that will suffer from their products, they are only interested in today and how much money they can make.
They and the environmentalists will do all they can to prevent anything from getting in the way of their 'cause'.
Just my own opinion.
Then you are in the minority. No matter what is said here by others.
Like I said, I'm all for alternate power sources, as long as one has realistic expectations of what the results will be. I know many who don't.
I know I am in the minority, but, that does not in any way change my willingness to do my part to help save Mother Earth for future generations to enjoy. And I have faith in the thinkers in our world, things that many people scoffed at in the beginning have helped make great improvements in our world.
And the longer we fail to do our part to relieve the pillage of the resources of Mother Earth, the more we will need to move faster to better means to provide the power needed for survival here on earth.
Windmills and other Green Energy sources may seem impossible today, but, I never say never.
I'm an engineer by training, I know what I'm talking about in this conversation more than most and my main problem with it the unrealistic promises and expectations. Sure, cold fusion could be perfected tomorrow in which case this discussion would be meaningless.
As engineers we are trained to look past the bs and come up with answers that are realistic for today and won't "let the bridge fail."
few truly understand that logic if not trained in it.
The concept is still rather new and much improvement is needed. No argument there. However, if not attempt is ever made to provide a better source of power for the future, then the results will be catastrophic for our planet and all living things. What is being tried and tested today may open the doors to better ideas that are more workable in the future. We never world have been able to set foot on the moon if people simply said could never happen or was a unfeasible idea.
I am the type of person that when I think of something that I feel is a good idea I don't give up on it just because someone else thinks it is not that possible. And often during the trail and error period I learn things that improves my ability to bring it into being better than I thought in the beginning.
Good things rarely happen over night, or sometimes even in a decade. But, giving up is not the way of progress.
My thoughts on it.
Ergo, why I said I'm all for alternative energy sources several times. But as an engineer I can't afford to have pie in the sky ideas and expect to keep my job, not cause major problems and/or not kill people.
Shit has to work, no matter what
Actually there have been major advances in Solar power.
Initially one of the main obstacles to that was the high cost of solar panels, but over time that cost has decreased significantly.
I just googled it, and found this:
U.S. Reports a Major Milestone in Wind and Solar Power
10 percent of electricity generated in the country in March came from these renewables
I agree, Krishna. Here is Calif residents are being encouraged to use solar energy, and the state is providing low-income home owners who qualify with free solar panels and installation. Here in Calif gas and electric utilities are among the highest in the country, so for low-income homeowners it is a true blessing by saving them a good deal of money on their electric bills.
Here is a link that give more information about the program:
Quite likely Raven. Since you're essentially saying that the windmills depend on a constant supply of hot air, they should work well in the DC area. No shortage of hot air there; in fact it's been said that hot air is the main product of the Washington area.
LOL!! Indeed, TTGA. From both sides of the aisle, and the Pentagon. (smile)
It's just another piece of the power grid. If the wind isn't blowing hard enough to produce power then other power plants on the grid take up the slack. If your power is produced by 100% wind then there is nothing to take up the slack.
The large plant that uses wind power as their primary energy source also has backup power to keep the plant functional during the few times there is not enough wind to power the windmill. Those times are very few. I can see the windmill from where I live, and there are very few times that I don't see the blades turning. The plant runs 24/7 so they can't be without power. If the winds were not sufficient to power the plant enough of the time they would not have spent the money to install it in the first place. They have saved a good deal of money by using the windmill for their primary power source.
You miss my point. Those power plants you speak of are hooked to the gigantic grid of other power plants. It's all interconnected. If it isn't making power it's receiving power from the grid. They may have a backup generator to deal with certain very specific instances and outrages when they can't receive power back from the grid for whatever reason. Most of the US is covered in these massive power grids. There is no way DC is going to disconnect from the grid to rely on it's own power generation. At most they can require that wind generators product as much power as DC uses in a given day. That energy will be disbursed along the grid in whatever fashion the laws of physics demands.
Wind mills may always spin but that doesn't actually mean they are putting out enough power to cover their share of the demand.
If they some how actually demand to be powered only from wind power then they had better plan on a lot of down time.
I don't have knowledge of what their power system is, but, here in So Calif there are abundant wind supply all year round. I am fairly sure that the plant does not rely on windmill power at all times, so they do have a backup power source. However, with the windmill they are far less dependent on on the electrical grid backup power, which helps save money and takes advantage of what Mother Nature provides naturally.
There are vast open areas in California where windmills are put up to help provide electrical service to many surrounding areas. Here you can see some of the windmill projects:
California has become the leader in both solar and windmill power, and new advances in technology in both fields are growing all the time. There are some privately owned windmills that sell back to the power companies the additional energy they don't use. Here is a link explaining how this is done.
It not only saves the owner money, but, helps the electric companies provide better service to their customers.
They just need to tap off the wind produced by congress...
Now there is an idea. Like Geothermal energy, the hot air being produced in DC appears to be in endless supply.
Washington DC power to be provided by 100% hot air. Yep, that works
That's just natural selection.
Um, just so you know, the WH, Congress and a bunch of other buildings are power by combustion turbines not wind. In fact they are adding a new combustion turbine generator and heat recovery steam generator as I type this.
The renewables milestone comes amid actions by the Trump administration to turn back federal climate policies intended to cut greenhouse gas emissions by embracing wind, solar and other renewable energy.
Trump, who has called climate change a “hoax,” has re-committed the U.S. to coal energy, which was the largest single source of climate pollution in the U.S. until being eclipsed by the transportation sector last year.
(LINK)