Background

Hydropower is a genuine technology which is also the biggest source of renewable energy. It is contributing to 20% of the global electricity production. Hydro-electric power-plants are of huge size covering large areas and do frequently require a significant capital investment. These power plants also affect the local ecology when the related dams are flooded.

Field of Invention

This kind of invention has a certain connection to a dam system where hydroelectric power is generated by channeling a hydraulic flow from an area which has water catchments into a hollow inflow column.

This innovative creation of the century is based on the basic principle of hydro electric production, which you can be seen in conventional dam constructions. This type of construction uses Pelton turbines, Francis turbines and Kaplan turbines. Small sized Micro hydropower system, that produces less than 100kw are very cost effective. They can be used to produce renewable energy in small village areas close to rivers or streams.

Comparative advantages of the Invention

The present hydroelectric dam takes water into a pipe and changes static hydro energy into hundreds of MW of strong hydro energy. The dam does it by rotating a turbine as well as generators, whereas the uniqueness of the inflow dam column is to take the flow of water into each column and convert hydro energy into electric power in the small capacity of tens of kW.

Some other benefits as compared to conventional dam-based and tide-based hydro electric systems are as below:

Flexibility of design: This system is very flexible in size; configuration also can be manufactured and installed, operated in one model for various sites with less investment.

Scalability of the units: Numerous units can be laid on the same site for accurate or scalable function thus covering only a tiny surface area.

Natural force is used: The system is still using water, gravity and natural water pressure. It does not depend on waves and currents.

Portability of the system: The system can be easily installed, serviced and finally removed without any help severe ecologically damage to the infrastructure as well as the dam.

An uninterrupted operation: Setting up of a network is very easy as it can use different inflow Dam units. In addition, the system can be maintained on a unit per unit basis, without having to interrupt the whole system in case unit needs maintenance.

Maintenance cost is less: Its maintenance cost is very low.

Proven realizable technologies: It is an approved technology which is used without bypassing any engineering or physic principles. You can also say that, there is no technological complication linked with this specialized hydro-system.

Source: Eco – Business

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Fossil fuel is a product of solar energy. It is through the dynamic process of photosynthesis that green plants grow. They convert solar energy into chemical energy that takes the form of food or wood. These are the sources of biomass or fossil fuels.

Early Application of Solar Energy

Another ancient application of solar energy is for the extraction of salt. Sunlight is used to evaporate saltwater in ponds to obtain salt.

Modern Uses of Solar Energy

The energy that the sun emits produces a type of electromagnetic radiation, which can be used to produce electricity, heat water and many other purposes.

Solar Energy & Hydropower

The sun is also responsible for rain. This occurs through a process of evaporation; water evaporates and does thereafter come back in the form of rain. This leads to the formation of rivers and dams. The streams of water are efficiently used to harness hydroelectricity power. There are already many countries relying on hydropower to provide an extensive amount of electricity. A great benchmark is Norway.

Advanced use of Solar Energy

Edmund Bacquerel, a French scientist did in 1839 discover the pure potential of solar energy. However, it was only later in the 50s that Bell’s scientists commenced the production of photovoltaic (PV) cells. These solar cells could practically convert roughly four percent of the sunlight energy into electricity. This is tremendously less than today’s solar cell technology.

Nowadays, Germany is one of the leading countries when it comes to solar energy. Nevertheless, countries like the United States of America are still relying mostly on fossil fuel to power all household appliances and electricity needs.

In the United States of America the energy supply is as follows:

1. Petroleum 38.1%
2. Bio-mass 2.9 %
3. Coal 23.2
4. Hydro Power 2.7%
5. Natural Gas 22.9%
6. Geothermal 0.3%
7. Uranium 8.1%
8. Wind 0.1%
9. Propane 1.7%
10. Solar & other 0.1%

Yet, an interesting point is that solar technology is advancing at a repaid speed. The cost of solar panels has decreased dramatically during the recent years. We can even see homeowners establishing solar systems on their dwellings within only a week.

Solar energy is becoming a ubiquitous technology. It is more accessible and cost effective than it was a decade ago. Solar energy is expected to become even more affordable in the years to come.

Source: How Does Solar Energy Work

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1. Hydro Power

Hydropower has been used for years. Countries like Canada and Norway depends heavily on hydropower. However, hydropower is limited to certain regions and there need to be large-scale potential to make it efficient. In the world’s agenda of expanding renewable energy sources hydropower might not be considered as fashionable as wind and solar energy. In the Caribbean, there is a potential for hydropower but the cost is too exhaustive.

2. Geothermal Energy

Earth’s inner temperature is roughly 9000 degrees fahrenheit. The temperature slowly decreases as we move nearer to the surface. However, the variation of temperature below the surface does exceedingly fluctuate. Geothermal energy makes use of this particular heat. Rainwater sips into the crust of the earth and this water is converted into hot stem. In some countries like in Iceland the water comes back to the surface in hot springs and geysers.

With solar energy the key is to tap into the unlimited sunlight striking earth’s surface. However, for geothermal power the trick is to find suitable regions to drill. There are mainly three ways that hot water can be converted into electricity. The first method would is to use a steam generator to convert steam directly to electricity. Nonetheless, water at a temperature of 300 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit can be converted into electricity through a Flash Power Plant. In such a system hot water is practically flashed into steam. The third method would be where the water temperature is roughly below 220 degrees fahrenheit, and a Binary Power Plant is used. In such a plant hot water is used to heat fluids, which have a lower boiling point to produce steam. The water, once used is re-fed into the heating source under the ground.

The actual capacity of geothermal power plants is above 9,000 MW. The cost of generating energy from geothermal sources is similarly to wind energy. Recently, a study carried out by MIT reported that in the US alone the capacity of geothermal energy could be increased to 100,000 MW. However, such an expansion would require an investment of approximately one billion dollars.

Geothermal energy can definitely turn into a major source world’s energy supply. A positive advantage of this source of energy is that geothermal power plants can also adjust the supply of energy to requirements. It is thus considered more reliable and consistent. This is something both solar and wind energy cannot ascertain.

Moreover, in the Caribbean, at Lesser Eastern Antilles there is a great potential for geothermal energy. In Guadeloupe, there is already a 4 MW plant established since 1984. There has also been extensive research carried out in Dominica, St. Lucia and Montserrat. In the Caribbean region Dominica is an appropriate region for geothermal energy.

3. Tidal Energy

The ebbs and odds of tides have been present for as long as we know. However, it is only recently that scientists are harnessing energy from it. Tidal energy offers a consistent source of energy, but it is complex to harness electrical from waves. One option is to create “tidal Barrage” this is a method that is extremely difficult and might even cause alteration to currents. Thus, it can likely cause severe ramifications on our ecosystem. The potential of tidal barrages is high so it is essential to discover and research more on the technology.

The next possibility is to use offshore turbines, which uses the same basic technology as windmills. The only different is that they are established underwater and do not use the wind but the tides as a source of energy. This technology causes no harm to our ecosystem. Yet, the cost of these offshore turbines is high. In the Caribbean, the potential for tidal energy is immense.

4. Biomass Energy

Biomass is an ancient source of energy; wood used to cook food is an example of biomass. The significance of wood as a source of energy is declining. The dwindling of wood is not leading to the demise of biomass, there are other solutions disposable. Processed sugar cane known as bagasse is burnt to generate power. There are many waste substitutes available for the production of energy.

Another process is to convert plants and animal waste into bio-fuel like methanol, ethanol, natural gas or oil. The various sources of this energy can be corn stalks, seaweeds, manure, wood chips and other waste products. However, burning these bio-materials leads to emission of greenhouse gases.

5. Energy Conservation

The largest consumer of electricity is lighting. It represents around 12 to 15 percent of the total level of carbon dioxide emission. The solution brought forward is energy saving lamps (CFL’s). However, these lamps aren’t perfect wondrous lamps; they are made of poisonous phosphor and mercury. The LED lamp is claimed to have a longer lifetime. However, their lifetime is only tantamount to that of the CFL’s.

A Dutch hi-tech company, “Lemnis Lighting” created a new lamp known as the Pharox. This LED lamp is known to have an exceptional lifetime of 50,000 hours. A traditional (incandescent) light bulb has a lifetime of 1,000 hours and CFL’s lamp 6,000 hours. The Pharox lamp uses a very low voltage of only 3.4 watt in comparison to 6 watts for a CFL and 40 watt for the contemporary incandescent bulb.

Large-Scale Energy Conservation

In fact, if all American households would substitute 4 incandescent light bulbs with Pharox lamps the total energy saving per annum would be 22 billion kWh. The Pharox lamps would reduce carbon dioxide emission by 347,000 tons through their lifetime. According to John Rooymans, CTO of Lemins claims that the decrease in greenhouse gases would be equivalent to planting a total of 507,000 trees. The company is gradually increasing its optimum production capacity to meet current demands. The Pharox lamp has been available in the Caribbean since 2008.

Other technologies to save energy are refrigerators and washing machines. For instance, in the western world energy efficient refrigerators are sold. Refrigerators are classified according to energy efficient indexes. The most efficient refrigerators are represented by A++ with an index of 30. The cheapest refrigerators are less efficient and classified as (G) with an index of 125. This means that the cheaper refrigerator consumes more than 4 times the energy of the A grade refrigerator. In Europe category D, E, F and G are banned. It is vital to use energy efficient appliances as a principle to reduce energy consumption..

Conclusion

Green energy is present world-wide. There are short-term and long-term options available in relation to return on investment. Moreover, in the Caribbean, most of the alternative sources of energy are applicable. The most promising solution for the short-term is solar and wind energy. They are the most affordable solutions; wind energy first and Solar energy second. Utility companies are likely going to expand the size of wind energy farms via the large-scale windmills.

Source: Tech With Us

Read Part 1: Renewable Energy Options in The Caribbean

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Alternative Energy

The term alternative energy is commonly used. It does in our global society simply refer to the use of other sources of energy other than primary energy sources like fossil fuel. When we talk about fossil fuels coal, natural gas and oil are the main elements. They are used to generate electricity, heating and to power our massive transport sector.

The drawback with fossil fuels is that they are non-renewable. Their supply is finite, and will one day cease to exist. The depletion of fossil fuel cannot be escaped. It would take million of years to reform oil and other natural resources. Moreover, fossil fuel is generated from animals and plants that have been buried under the Earth’s surface for hundreds of millions of years. These elements undergo a decomposition process that transforms the materials to what we do today call fossil fuel; natural gas and oil.

History of Fossil Fuel

The first Fossil fuel is known to come from the Cambrian Period which was around 500 million years ago. In other words, even well before the dinosaurs existed on earth. In that era, most of the animals appeared for the first time on earth. However, the fossil fuel that is more widely used nowadays (lignite coal or peat) began to form in the Pliocene Period only some five million years ago. Unfortunately, at our devastating rate of consumption of these fuels, we will be unable to meet our future demands.

Overview on Energy

The promising proclamation on the growth of alternative energy, is yet not paving its way through. Only around 7 percent of the world’s total energy is provided via renewable energy. This does controversially mean that non-renewable energy sources like nuclear or fossil fuel represent 93 percent of the global supply of energy.

Moreover, nuclear energy represents around 6 percent of the world’s energy supply. This source produces energy, mainly by splitting atoms. However, it is not likely to experience any radical growth due to the high risk associated with managing atoms. Yet, United State is pressing nuclear energy forward despite its controversial history.

Facts of World Energy Supply

The US Department of Energy estimates the total world’s energy demand to be around 400 quadrillions BTU (British Thermal Units) per annum. A BTU is roughly tantamount to the heat and energy released from a match. Nowadays, fossil fuels (Oil, Natural gas and Coal) stands for nearly 350 quadrillions BTUs or 88% of the total supply of energy. Besides, oil is the key source of energy supplying around 41 percent of world’s energy (164 quadrillion BTUs) demand. Coal stands for 24 percent of the total global energy supply which is the same as 96 quadrillions BTUs. Last, natural gas provides around 22 percent of the world’s energy requirements which is equivalent to 88 quadrillions BTUs.

Problems of Fossil Fuel

Currently, fossil fuel is in abundance and offers us a valuable service. It is not the fact that we use fossil fuel for the production of energy that renders it usage problematic. The shortcomings are derived through the process of converting and using fossil fuel. It raises a dilemma of whether it is wise to use fossil fuel at all. The very fact that burning fossil fuel is responsible for the production of the most prominent gas associated with global warming makes it a large source of pollution. The composition of fossil fuel is the factor responsible for the release of greenhouse gases in earth’s atmosphere once burned.

The most radical increase in temperature was seen in the 20th century. The average temperature increased by a degree of Fahrenheit (1°F). Moreover, at this period population growth as well as industrial development was at a peak. This caused pressure on increasing energy demand and therefore, exponential rise in carbon dioxide emissions.

Global warming has negative effects on our natural environment. For instance, in Antarctica and Arctic higher temperature leads to the meltdown of ice and rise in sea level. A change in sea level can have various domino effects on fishing and agriculture industry as well as the weather on our planet.

Moreover, fossil fuel is also directly responsible for air pollution. This has a direct negative effect on human health as well as on plant growth. It even generates acid rains.

Danger of Collecting Fossil fuel

The potential danger of collecting fossil fuel is also extensive. For example, an oil spill would have terrible effects on our ecosystem. There are various governmental and non-governmental institutions oppose tapping into vast oil reserves. The most recent oil disaster is the “BP oil spill” that is and will affect our ecosystem for many years to come.

Yet, British Petroleum Company is reckoned for its urge towards alternative sources of energy as well. They have a BP Solar Division which is intent to replace oil production maybe in the future.

Use Now Or Later – Fossil fuel

Some experts are predicting that our fossil fuel reserves will be depleted in half a century while other are expecting it to last for another 100 to 120 years. Irrespective of which one is right, for the global community this is a challenge as fossil fuels are our basic needs. The fact is that we have no other choice but to prepare ourselves for a new era of energy production. It is clear, that the demand for energy will certainly not fall in the years to come. It will keep on increasing.

There is practically no one who knows when coal, natural gas and the last drop of oil will be consumed on earth. The depletion rate will depend on how well we manage our resources and how fast we introduce renewable energy sources.

A critical factor related to the depletion rate of fossil fuel is population growth. A larger population will have higher demand for energy. It is thus essential that renewable energy sources evolve quickly to cope with population growth and the effect of increasing world demand for energy.

In only a decade, the world energy consumption is expected to reach 600 quadrillions BTU (a rise with 50%). According to the US Department of energy, if renewable energy sources do not progress towards higher efficiency the world’s fossil fuel will be exploited before the 22nd century. It is visible that renewable energy is playing a growing role in sustaining the availability of our limited non-renewable sources of energy.

KEY: Renewable Energy Sources (Wind, Sun And Water)

The most appealing sources of energy are wind, sun and water. The best with these sources is that they are prevalent almost anywhere in the world. They are also renewable and non-polluting. The use of renewable energy sources will immediately help to decrease the emission of greenhouse gas. Additionally, a mixture of sources to produce electricity will also be made available to regions where fossil fuel is not obtainable.

Fundamentally, all renewable sources of energy create their own sources of energy. They are therefore, inexhaustible. A simple overlook; on earth, there is sufficient renewable energy available to supply our world with energy forever. The only predicament that we are faced with is how to develop appropriate technology to do so. A technology that is cost effective and efficient.

A simple example is solar energy. It is one of the ultimate sources of energy on earth. It provides the necessary conditions for plants to grow. To continue the cycle animals eat these plants to live. These animals and plants will afterward be the key components of decomposed materials generating fossil fuels in some million years. This implies that without the sun, there wouldn’t be life on earth..

There exists technology that would make it possible to store solar energy for later use after the sun has set or during cloudy periods. However, unfortunately, this type of technology is unaffordable at our actual state. It needs incredible improvement until it would be possible to use it as a substitute for our actual energy infrastructures. Moreover, the “European Photovoltaic Industry Association”, predicts that solar power will supply 26 percent of global energy requirements by 2040.

Traditional sources like hydroelectric and wind power has already been used for years. The back bone of these technologies is pressure; wind force and the water currents passing through a turbine causes it to spin and this mechanic movement is converted to electricity. There are several grand wind farms established across the world. However, the most reckoned region for wind farms is “California”.

However, hydroelectric power is derived from a multiple of approaches. One method is through dams like the Hoover Dam which is found on the Colorado River. Tidal power is another way to harness hydroelectric energy. It has been used for several decades already. It generates electricity through ebbs and odds of tides.

Biomass

Biomass is also a very popular alternative source of energy. The energy is derived from burning plants, and it is one of man’s first sources of energy. Very recently, wood was still the primary sources for heat, and it can still be seen as being the main one in developing countries. However, in the developed countries wood is mostly used for aesthetic purposes. Nevertheless, there are still roughly around 2 billion people in developing nations that use wood for “heating and cooking”.

Moreover, biomass does also have some other derivates such as “bio-diesel and ethanol”. These are direct substitutes for oil in the automobile industry.

Conclusion

The solution to unravel the fear of fossil fuel depletion and global warming is definitely in the hands of scientists and politicians. Politicians need to promote investment in research and development for more competitive alternative sources of energy to emerge. The sole response is to use a combination of different sources of energy (fossil Fuel and Renewable energy) to meet our current and increasing world demand for energy.

Source: Ecology

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Status

Hydropower is essential for Norway, and the activities in progress relates mostly to the restoration and improvement of existing plants, on top of the construction of hydropower of small scales ( less than 10MW). Furthermore there is the day-to-day operation, maintenance and licensing. In the days to come, hydropower will progressively become more important to stabilize the production of power from a regime which comprises of a rising production from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy.

There is great potential to construct new hydropower plants worldwide. It is calculated that hardly 25 – 30 percent of all installations that are economically feasible are exploited up to now. With a rising significance given to climate subject matters in relation to the production of energy, hydropower will consist of the solution, since hydropower does not add much to the emission of greenhouse gases.

Research

The SINTEF and the NTNU have study activities that cover the majority of the facets linked to hydropower. The hydropower laboratory operates with controlling the turbines, developing new designs and extending the lifetime of turbines that are exposed to sand erosion. The Department of Geology and Mineral Resources Engineering is bestowed with much expertise regarding the planning and operation of tunnels. At the Hydraulic Laboratory much research is carried out in river engineering, intake and transport of water and dam security. The Environmental Engineering, SINTEF Energy Research and Department of Hydraulic elaborate processes to predict inflow as well as the operation and planning of the power plants. Jointly with various local and international partners within water ecology, NTNU and SINTEF possess powerful competence within the evaluation of an environmental effect from hydropower plants. Unifying forces with the research institutions in Norway such as NTNU, SINTEF and NINA have been rewarded a centre for research known as “Centre for Environmental Design of Renewable Energy”. The centre is sponsored by the Norwegian Research Council and will throughout its eight-year lifetime turn into a crucial arena for research within environmental impacts and the way the Norwegian hydropower system should be designed in the days to come.

Source: Center for Renewable Energy, NTNU, CEDREN

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The country uses mainly two renewable sources of energy; Geothermal Energy and Hydropower. The most visionary fact about Iceland is that electricity is fully generated by renewable energy. Out of 100 percent, 70 percent is directly generated from hydropower and 30 percent from geothermal energy. The National Company (Landsvirkjun) supplies most of this electricity. They provide most of the electricity, which is produced via hydropower.

Source: Nordic Energy Solutions

There are those who underestimate and argue that renewable energy in Iceland isn’t a great achievement. The small population size of around 300,000 makes it easy. For larger nations having a population with at least a thousand times more inhabitant such as in US it would be impossible. Iceland is, however proving that it is possible to go fully green.

There are a couple of clean energy sources available in the country. The government is also committed towards the sustainability and quality of the environment. In other words, irrespective of what people argue, Iceland is a leading country in using renewable sources..

In Iceland, 85 percent of businesses as well as homes are heated with hot water that comes from geothermal plants. In the urban areas such as Reykjavik and Akureyri to rural areas hot water pipes exists. The country has been using clean sources of energy for years and do today have pure quality air in the atmosphere.

Those who argue that Iceland is not an innovator will be surprised. The first geothermal power plant using Kalinatechnology is about to be erected. This will promote geothermal technology by permitting geothermal energy to be harnessed at a much lower temperature.

There are even a great intent to try to substitute gasoline and petrol used to fuel car by hydrogen. Its goal is set for 2050 and is in the mind of policy makers. The country is planning to use hydrogen to fuel fishing boats, cars and trucks. This would alleviate the 19 percent dependency on fossil fuel (mostly oil) by purely green energy sources.

Iceland is a green benchmark for countries to follow. Developed and developing countries should adhere to Iceland’s philosophy to purify the environment and avoid greenhouse emission.

Source: David Bijoux, Nordic Energy Solutions, Wikipedia

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The Environment Agency Study (EA) says that setting up thousands of small-scale hydro power plants would be enough to supply 1.5 percent of the demand for electricity in the UK or in other words, sufficient for 850,000 homes.

There were nearly 26,000 hotspots identified along English and Welsh’s rivers. Turbines could be installed at each of these regions to generate electricity through water. However, to avoid damage to the natural environment all the 26,000 hotspot cannot be used. Only areas where there is easy access to the local electricity grid could be used.

Half of the spot could also not be used for the sake of preserving fish habitat. Installing turbines could be damaging while the turbine’s spins, it could practically kill fishes. Sensible environment factors limit the potentials of hydro-electricity.

There are, however, many spots very man has already interfered with the environment according to EA. New sensitive schemes could be adopted to protect the environment and to install hydropower. The construction could be built in a way allowing fish such as salmon to navigate around the turbines. This would provide at least 4000 hotspots where both the local environment and local electricity would be winners.

The best places are along rivers like Neath, Thames, Severn and Aire. The establishment of small-scale hydropower is also supported through government grants and subsidies. This will definitely make green technology such as hydropower much more lucrative.

A new feed-in-tariff for small scale electricity projects is about to emerge in the beginning of April. Establishing medium size projects with an expenditure of £100,000 to £150,000 could likely benefit from a subside of £25,000 as per Environment Agency calculations.

Tony Grayling, who is the head of climate change and sustainable development at the Environment Agency, says that hydropower is a low-carbon source of energy and can have positive effect on wildlife by allowing fish migration. Yet, there are some sites where the risks of harm to the environment are stronger than the benefits.

However, small-scale hydroelectric plants are less harmful to the environment than large-scale projects and are likely to grow in importance for the future. This is why the government is issuing subsidies for small-scale renewable projects in UK.

However, Paul Knight, chief executive of the Salmon and Trout Association says that these small-scale hydropower systems must be designed appropriately. Poorly constructed hydropower system could be devastating to fish in the surroundings.

Source: Guardian.co.uk

Reference: Environment Agency

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Nowadays, there is only a particular noise that can be heard on the island. It is the sound of the four wind turbines, which have been erected on a nearby cliff as they spin to produce electricity. The Wind turbines are the first signs of the potential capacity of energy that can be harnessed on the island.

Recently, the island did only rely on diesel generator to deliver energy. It was an expensive, polluting and noisy source of energy. Now much has changed, renewable energy provides as much as 92% of the electricity required.

Eigg does today, have photovoltaic cells, hydro electric power as well as wind turbines. The aim is to go even further and become very reliable on clean energy. This would enable inhabitants to refrain absolutely from using diesel generators.

The director of the power company, Eigg Electric, on the island, John Booth is deeply focusing on energy conservation. There is a large disposal of yellow panels as well as a chamber of red batteries. The yellow panels are inverters whereas the battery system is used to assure constant supply of power for 24 hours a day.

John Booth stated that it is the first time that three different types of renewable energy sources are added to the electricity grid on the island. The electricity grid is of around 11 Km, covering the island with high voltage. It is a great achievement according to Eigg Electric.

Electricity System

The system is highly advanced and complex. This explains why Eiggs was the first runner for an environmental competition. The competition entitled “Big Green Challenge were provided by The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (Nesta). Eigg Electric was awarded a total sum of £300,000, which is to be used on similar projects.

According to Nesta, the community of Eigg has accomplished remarkable progress. It has decreased the emission of CO2 gases by 32 percent in only a year. The Scottish government is targeting a total cutback on greenhouse gases of 42 percent for 2020 while Eiggs is almost there.

The award money of £300,000 is a gigantic sum for a population having less than 100 inhabitants. Yet, there the spur towards new projects is already in the pipeline. Many possible candidate projects will be launched within the years according to Lucy Conway an Islander who worked for the Eigg and bet that the island would win the price. .

According to Lucy Conway, the money will be used to purchase some more photovoltaic panels and probably augment the dependence on renewable energy. The aim is to go from 92% to 99 or 100 %.

In the range of possible projects, an electric community bus is envisaged, as there is an absence of public transport in the area. The ambition and aims are high. However, the islanders here have access to more natural resources compared to towns and cities in inner Scotland.

Yet, towns and villages are all small communities just like Eigg. They can all tend towards a similar approach in providing electricity to the population, according to Simon Helliwell who is the director of the Isle of Eiggs Heritage Trust.

Source: BBC

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It is actually “Free Flow Power Corp”., that came up with the proposal to use the river to generate electricity. The test requires turbines to be sunk into the water near Vicksburg. The corporation has already applied for a $750, 000, grant that might be supplied by Mississippi Development Authority.

According to Vicksburg Post, the company is only in search of finance support from MDA and not local governments. The company is also ready to indulge in electricity deals with local government.

There have been two turbine developers, which have actually contacted the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the use of the river for hydroelectricity and Free Flow is one of them. The spin turbines will produce around 20 KW of renewable energy. This is still below the requirement of the city but it will at least provide additional energy to the current grid.

On the board of Free Flow, Crear, says that having Vicksburg as a pilot project will certify that the technology is effective. Similar project could then be extended in other large rivers.

It is predicted that the MDA grant will be provided in March. It will account for 75 % of the expenses that are involved in sinking the turbine in the riverside, and Free Flow is going to pay for the remaining 25 percent.

Free Flow is predicting that the construction will take around 6 months to be completed. It is thus already discussing with two firms that operate in the riverside. According to Mayor Paul Winfield, the project is unique in its kind and a chance for citizens of Vicksburg to maximize the use of the river. Green technology is an astounding opportunity.

If the technology appears effective, it is expected that it will promulgate to 55 other location south of St.Louis, along the Mississippi river. Some of the locations are Warren County, Vicksburg, Brunswick community and Davis Island. The license for further ventures is estimated for 2012.

The turbines will be placed in such a way that they do not interfere with shipping routes. Already other firms are lurking for investment opportunities. Hydro Green Energy is planning to establish two turbines in Tennessee, Tombigbee River.

Primary source:DailyMail

Secondary Source: Vicksburg Post

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Gaining Licensing rights to this area allows Carnegie what they require to facilitate the construction and operation of a full sized single CETO wave power system in order to confirm it has the capability to deliver power at a high performance and will evaluate it for a period of three years.

The company is thrilled with the steps forward thus far, which escalates the proposal and demystifies the project and concept. It will also set the pace for the finalization of the technological growth, which is a required part of the process in order to accomplish commercialized exploitation of the system.

The CETO system is operationally invisible and is anchored to the ocean floor. Underwater buoys force the pump devices, which in turn forcefully pushes the water through a pipeline. It transports it to the shore where it is used to power hydroelectric turbines while producing no emissions. This means it can generate wave power into non polluting electrical current.

The granting of this license means the activity to get this part of the project up and running will be the initial phase of what Carnegies has planned for a five megawatt [5MW] demonstration of it commercial program with support from the state government’s LEED  [Low Emissions Energy Department] financial offset program of AUS. $12.5 million.

Renewable Energy Holdings manufactures, generates and commercializes clean energy systems across wind, water and methane capture or collection, solar and hydro electric power production projects on the continents of North America, Australasia and Europe.

© Carl Joseph for Renewable Power News, 2009. | Permalink | No comment

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