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Boards Archive] |
Welcome to the Vault Network
forum archive.
This is not a complete archive, time didn't allot us the
opportunity to properly backup the majority of the boards
deemed "expendable". Most boards on this list have at least
20-40 pages archived (non-logged in pages, 15 topics per
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Popular boards may have as many as 250 pages archived at 50
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Topic: This would be pretty cool if true...
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cabbyman
Posts:
36,024
Registered:
Jan 6, '03
Extended Info (if available)
Real Post Cnt: 30,306
User ID: 755,896
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Subject:
This would be pretty cool if true...
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Imagine the possibilities!
http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/blogs/japanese-breakthrough-will-make-wind-power-cheaper-than-nuclea
The International Clean Energy Analysis (ICEA) gateway estimates that the U.S. possesses 2.2 million km2 of high wind potential (Class 3-7 winds) — about 850,000 square miles of land that could yield high levels of wind energy. This makes the U.S. something of a Saudi Arabia for wind energy, ranked third in the world for total wind energy potential.
Let's say we developed just 20 percent of those wind resources — 170,000 square miles (440,000 km2) or an area roughly 1/4 the size of Alaska — we could produce a whopping 8.7 billion megawatt hours of electricity each year (based on a theoretical conversion of six 1.5 MW turbines per km2 and an average output of 25 percent. (1.5 MW x 365 days x 24 hrs x 25% = 3,285 MWh's).
The United States uses about 26.6 billion MWh's, so at the above rate we could satisfy a full one-third of our total annual energy needs. (Of course, this assumes the concurrent deployment of a nationwide Smart Grid that could store and disburse the variable sources of wind power as needed using a variety of technologies — gas or coal peaking, utility scale storage via batteries or fly-wheels, etc).
Now what if a breakthrough came along that potentially tripled the energy output of those turbines? You see where I'm going. We could in theory supply the TOTAL annual energy needs of the U.S. simply by exploiting 20 percent of our available wind resources.
Well, such a breakthrough has been made, and it's called the "wind lens."
-----signature-----
“No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the Legislature is in session.â€
"Life's tough. It's tougher if you're stupid." -- John Wayne
“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace†- Thomas Paine
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sweeny_comodore
Posts:
9,066
Registered:
Aug 23, '07
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Real Post Cnt: 8,113
User ID: 1,248,480
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Subject:
This would be pretty cool if true...
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see, the difference between "estimated" or theoretical output is that it just doesnt pan out in the real world.
if they say 1/3 id bet closer to 1/6.
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Jesus? No, but there is indeed a god shaped hole in the heart of man, why is yours so empty? -- snarf igraine the original monotheism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phallus
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Seething199
Posts:
22,034
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Sep 23, '03
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Real Post Cnt: 15,701
User ID: 840,453
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Subject:
This would be pretty cool if true...
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zomg windmills are ugly not in my backyard!
-----signature-----
You Are
Sofa King
We Todd Ed
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ZigmundZag
Title: Grammar Nazi
Posts:
25,948
Registered:
Mar 25, '02
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Real Post Cnt: 22,707
User ID: 661,552
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Subject:
This would be pretty cool if true...
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We can hope. Wind power + improvements to battery storage is our easiest path off fossil fuels at the moment.
-----signature-----
"Take the cheese to sickbay!"
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Friarspam
Posts:
12,363
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Jan 23, '07
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Real Post Cnt: 10,619
User ID: 1,200,702
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Subject:
This would be pretty cool if true...
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What about all those poor birdies?!
THINK OF THE BIRDIES, BASTAGES!!!
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My folks went on vacation and all I got was this lousy sig.
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Walker_ID
Posts:
24,809
Registered:
May 29, '02
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Real Post Cnt: 23,164
User ID: 683,720
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Subject:
This would be pretty cool if true...
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this article was already posted several months back on this board
-----signature-----
You can't outrun Darwin
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