SUBSCRIBE TO TMCnet
TMCnet - World's Largest Communications and Technology Community

CHANNEL BY TOPICS


QUICK LINKS




Floating Wind Turbines Come to the US
Green Technology Featured Articles
June 06, 2013

Floating Wind Turbines Come to the US

By Hannah Bond
TMCnet Contributing Writer

In order to reap the most benefits from a wind turbine, it must be located in an area that sees consistent wind. It’s common knowledge that the wind blows more strongly and consistently the further out to sea you go, but up until recently, it was impossible to put wind turbines very far out into the ocean due to the depth of the water; if the water was deeper than around 165 feet, large turbines couldn’t be properly supported. This is all set to change, though, with the introduction of the United States’ first floating wind turbine in Maine.


According to a report from the Huffington Post (News - Alert), experts at the University of Maine designed a concrete-composite platform for the turbine, which is the first of its type to ever be used. The 65-foot-tall turbine was put onto the water at the end of May, although it is not yet at its final location.

This small turbine is not expected to generate much electricity on its own; rather, it is being used as a prototype for larger floating turbines in the future. Two six-megawatt floating turbines are expected to be built between 2015 and 2017, with an eventual goal of having roughly 80 turbines floating 20 miles off the coast. Funding from the U.S. Department of Energy has allowed this project to be successful along with other floating turbine projects elsewhere in the country.

As renewable energy becomes more of a necessity for many countries, including the United States, which could theoretically have 20 percent of its energy supplied by wind power by 2030, technologies like wind turbines will have to be improved in order to please consumers. While many complain about the unsightliness of wind turbines, putting them further out at sea reduces the impact that they have on the view, meaning that cities across the country might be more likely to consider this technology in the future.




Edited by Alisen Downey


Green Technology Related Articles






Technology Marketing Corporation

2 Trap Falls Road Suite 106, Shelton, CT 06484 USA
Ph: +1-203-852-6800, 800-243-6002

General comments: [email protected].
Comments about this site: [email protected].

STAY CURRENT YOUR WAY

© 2024 Technology Marketing Corporation. All rights reserved | Privacy Policy