Celina-based Provider Turns To Wind To Power Cape Verde Islands
A leading supplier of power station Engineering
, Procurement, Construction and Operations and Maintenance services in emerging markets, is working with a consortium to provide power through renewable energy resources, such as wind turbines, to many islands such as the Dominican Republic and Cape Verde.
"It's more of an Island approach with lots of wind and lots of sun," says Glen Cox, Director of Engineering at a Celina-based company that specializes in power station engineering. There is a lack of fresh water and a lot of salt water so the solutions we're looking at is putting in wind turbines, water desalinization plants and potentially, if there's space, solar panels."
Right now typically all of the Island's power is coming from diesel & coal fired generators, which can be costly, so the wind turbines will help in generating power. Cox says he is looking at various ways of providing renewable and alternative power solutions. With wind turbines, power is produced from the wind instead of diesel.
Wind turbines, which convert kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy, can produce power as long as the wind is blowing at about two to five meters per second, Cox says. Some wind turbines produce direct current (DC) and some produce alternating current (AC). There are both horizontal and vertical axis wind turbines with the horizontal ones being used for large installations.
"Vertical axis wind turbines are good for smaller building applications, less than 100kW, as they are more efficient, produce less vibration and do not require as much maintenance. For larger applications, greater than 100kW, such as wind farms, the horizontal axis wind turbines are more suitable due to their larger designed power capacity." Cox says.
Small turbines can provide such things as battery charging or auxiliary power on boats, while large grid connected turbines can power commercial electricity.
The number one benefit of having a wind turbine is that wind is typically abundant on islands and can be converted into electricity. Using wind reduces carbon dioxide emissions and it is competitively priced when you compare it to traditional energy sources.
Several countries in Africa, Europe and South America all share the same problem: the cost of power being too expensive and the available power source being poor.
Those two factors alone make the Dominican Republic and Cape Verde Islands a great market for renewables.
In order to maintain a transmission line, you've got to spend capital. "If you don't spend the capital to maintain it and upgrade it, you're not going to keep up with population growth and resultant increase in power demand," Cox says.
In Sierra Leone, the power is so intermittent and inconsistent that it interrupts business. For companies such as London Mining, their primary goal is to mine ore and every month, every day, every hour that they can't mine, they're going to have a production loss, Cox says.
"That's why they came to a company like us because they needed something reliable, something consistent." Cox's employer will continue to meet the needs of the company and others like it through researching and seeking out the most effective renewable and alternative energy solutions that are feasible and conducive to the environment.
by: Will Diesel
Hire An Experienced Staten Island Lawyer Tidung Island Indonesia Some Of The Famous International Cuisines Served In Bali Island Get Ready To Be Entranced By The Grand Cayman Islands The Way To Select The Correct Long Island Overnight Summer Camp Initial Consultation With A Staten Island Lawyer Yachting & Sailing In Andaman Nicobar Islands Have A Memorable Honeymoon In Bali Island Retirement Communities Long Island: An Excellent Haven For Adults Tips To Choose A Staten Island Attorney Grab The Opportunity To See Spectacular Andaman Islands Enjoy Full Moon Party In Koh Phangan Island Why Full Moon Party Of Koh Phagan Island Is So Special?