Green Initiatives

[Cotuit]

The Prairie Avenue revitalization proposal is calling for green design initiatives to be included. The city hasn't really been in a position to mandate green initiatives in proposals in the past. We've sort of been in a postition where we've had to take what we could get as far as investment and not make too many demands upon developers for fear of driving their money and jobs away. Our power over developers at this point is at best tenuous, but it's time we start seeking green designs from developers.

What are some products/ideas out there for green design that would be applicable to Providence? What do you think the private sector should be doing? What should the city and state be doing? What can individual citizens do?

[Cotuit]

Check out the Gordon Avenue Business Incubator.

[Cotuit]

RI goes (a little) green: Surging energy costs are leading the state to tap alternative sources once viewed as flaky or unproven. [Providence Phoenix]

[damus]

I read in the economist a few weeks ago that vertical axis turbines can produce up to 10 megawatts of power for not much more than it costs to put up a 5 megawatt horizontal (wind mill style) turbine. Due to their design, they can remain on (and drawing energy) safely at higher speeds. I think the peak numbers were 50 km/h for "windmill" types and 111 km/h for the vertical types. And for each km/h faster the wind is, the energy is exponentially greater. Some company in the US, I think Montana (after seeing wired article, it's Wyoming), has developed a reliable line using this technology. I throw away the magazine as soon as I'm done with it, so I can't use it as a reference. Also, I don't have a copy of the magazine on me, so I can't activate my subsciption for online viewing. Here's the link in case any of you have a subscription as well.

Here's what I could get from a stub article at Wired.

Company officials said traditional propeller-driven turbines are able to convert 25 percent to 40 percent of wind power into transmittable energy. But TMA's design is 43 percent to 45 percent efficient, creating up to 80 percent more power from the same wind.

http://economist.com/printedition/displays...tory_id=5571428

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,69492,00.html

I know there's a lot of bright minds on here, so I'm hoping some of you know more about this technology than I do and can elaborate, maybe fix some of the mistakes I've made reciting the facts and figures from memory. I'd like to see RI put these up wherever they could. Could it be possible to put these on top of, say, the hospital trust building?

[runawayjim]

I read in the economist a few weeks ago that vertical axis turbines can produce up to 10 megawatts of power for not much more than it costs to put up a 5 megawatt horizontal (wind mill style) turbine. Due to their design, they can remain on (and drawing energy) safely at higher speeds. I think the peak numbers were 50 km/h for "windmill" types and 111 km/h for the vertical types. And for each km/h faster the wind is, the energy is exponentially greater. Some company in the US, I think Montana (after seeing wired article, it's Wyoming), has developed a reliable line using this technology. I throw away the magazine as soon as I'm done with it, so I can't use it as a reference. Also, I don't have a copy of the magazine on me, so I can't activate my subsciption for online viewing. Here's the link in case any of you have a subscription as well.

Here's what I could get from a stub article at Wired.

http://economist.com/printedition/displays...tory_id=5571428

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,69492,00.html

I know there's a lot of bright minds on here, so I'm hoping some of you know more about this technology than I do and can elaborate, maybe fix some of the mistakes I've made reciting the facts and figures from memory. I'd like to see RI put these up wherever they could. Could it be possible to put these on top of, say, the hospital trust building?

they could go on top of the buildings, actually, it'd be cool if the spire on OTW was one of those to offset the power for the building (they could lower condo fees by powering the common areas and elevators with this).

i saw some sort of engineering-type competition, might've been junkyard wars, that involved windmills. and i think the design using this type of windmill won.

i also read an article or 2 about them. i think they're pretty cool, and from what i understand, they're safer for birds (one of the concerns of the cape wind project).

[Cotuit]

i also read an article or 2 about them. i think they're pretty cool, and from what i understand, they're safer for birds (one of the concerns of the cape wind project).

The Audoubon Society has given their approval to Cape Wind.

[Cotuit]

Bump!