Email: hfoley@cablesurf.com
Buttery Lane,Dungarvan,
Co. Waterford,
Ireland.
Wind Energy
The Sun heats the earth unevenly, creating thermal air pockets. In order to achieve equal temperatures around the earth these air pockets move about the earth as wind.
The energy that travels in the wind can be captured and converted to provide electricity. Wind energy provides a clean, sustainable solution to our energy problems. It can be used as an alternative to fossil fuels in generating electricity, without the emission of greenhouse gases. And there will always be wind; it is inexhaustible and renewable.
It is envisaged that wind power will make the most significant contribution to the achievement of national and international targets for green electricity, due to its environmental benefits and increasing competitiveness.
Energy from Clean, Fresh Air
Each year, environmental pollution and CO2 emissions from the use of fossil fuels constitute a threat to health, the environment and sustainable development. Wind turbines cause virtually no emissions during their operation and very little during their manufacture, installation, maintenance and removal.
Every Megawatt of wind power installed in Ireland avoids:
- the release of 2,700 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), the main gas responsible for global warming
- 49 tonnes of Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), the main cause of acid rain
- 5.5 tonnes of Nitrous Oxides (NOx) responsible for building corrosion and global warming the need to import 6,450 barrels of Oil
- the landfilling of 175 tonnes of slag and ash
The answer is a resounding yes! According to a recently completed independent survey, wind energy has been embraced by the Irish public as a whole and even more strongly endorsed by residents where wind farms are planned and operational. Lansdowne Market Research carried out a study in 2003 - 'Attitudes towards wind farms in Ireland' (see www.sei.ie for full report), key findings include:
- Three quarters of the general Irish population would be willing to support government incentives to build wind farms.
- Two thirds of Irish adults are favourable to having a wind farm built in their locality.
- Wind farms are more acceptable than other structures such as mobile phone masts, steel electricity towers or power stations.
Wind turbines are superb when it comes to lowering your electricity bills. One 3 to 4kW turbine can generate enough electricity to power an average sized house but that is dependent on usage. Exact savings will depend upon the wind turbines's running cost, the amount of electricity that is used and the average wind speed at your site among others.
A wind turbine converts the energy of the wind to electricity.This electricity is directly fed into the power supply of the domestic house via inverter control and this will meet the strict ESB regulations. The system design is suitable to feed electricity directly into the grid. The free-standing turbine will comply with the planning regulations.
Connect to the grid and get rid of your electricity bills
SEI have published a new report in Jan 2009 "Connecting Micro-generation to the Electricity Network" (see www.sei.ie for full report).
How does this work?
Today many households and small businesses are considering installing micro-generation. Micro-generation involves installing a small generator powered by either a renewable source such as wind, solar or biomass or using combined heat and power (CHP) technology (normally fuelled by natural gas).
Micro-generators reduce the amount of electricity that would otherwise have to be bought from the grid. By installing a micro-generator you can take action to address the issues of climate change, rising electricity prices and reliance on fossil fuels.
Central to the Irish Government's energy policy is the promotion of renewable generation and efficient delivery of energy to homes and businesses. The Government has committed to a target of meeting 40% of our total demand for electricity from renewable sources by 2020. There is also a target for 800MW of CHP to be installed by 2020. Micro-generation is expected to make a contribution to meeting these targets.
The benefits of micro-generation include:
- Lower electricity bills
- It hedges against future electricity price rises
- Less greenhouse gas emissions
- Reduced reliance on fossil fuels
- Reduced electrical losses on the ESB Network
- Your Building Energy Rating is improved
RTS Heating & Cooling Services can offer high-quality wind turbines for the domestic and light-commercial market ranging from a 3-4Kw for domestic homes to a 20Kw for light commercial.
For more information on wind energy and wind turbines or for a free quotation please contact RTS Heating & Cooling Services at our offices in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Ireland.