Yearly Archives: 2014

Fine Energy will be taking part in this year’s The Renewables Event, which will be held at the NEC in Birmingham on 16-17 September 2014. The Renewables Event is an exhibition which allows companies to share their renewable energy solutions with a wide audience.

We will be showcasing the Fine Energy Wind Optimiser – an innovative relay device for maximising the efficiency of on-site energy use. Currently under development, the Optimiser is designed for installation at our small and medium scale sites and can automatically switch on up to four appliances when more energy is being generated than is being consumed. This reduces loss of energy off site to the grid and helps residents continue to use wind energy even during periods of lower wind speeds. We will be providing a demonstration of the Optimiser on both days of the exhibition.

We hope to see you there!

Managing Director, Graham Hygate, visited Franklyns Farm on Tuesday 26 August 2014 to witness the installation of an E3120 wind turbine. This is the second wind turbine to be installed on this particular site and Fine Energy have enjoyed working both with the land owner and the Local Planning Authority on this project.

Wind turbines are known for having three blades, a design which has been an industry standard for the past 25 years. Now it appears that some companies are considering reducing the number of blades down to two in an attempt to cut costs.

The two bladed turbines will typically be used for offshore installations and the pros of this design include cheaper costs and easier installation. Two-bladed wind turbines are easier to install as the rotors can be preinstalled onshore, and they cost less because they use fewer materials (one less blade’s worth to be exact). Cons? The blades spin faster which makes them louder and the flexibility of the blades can cause them to hit the tower in particularly strong wind conditions.

Investors are taking some convincing, however the Crown Estate has taken a calculated risk and entered a lease deal with Forthwind Limited for the UK’s first offshore demonstration of two-bladed turbines on the seabed at Methil in Scotland. Huub den Rooijen, Head of Offshore Wind at The Crown Estate, has said that these gambles are necessary in order to encourage engineering innovation and ultimately reduce the costs of renewable energy technology. The interest shown by the Crown Estate will surely provide confidence and encourage future investment, helping this new design realise its full potential.

Siemens is a popular brand in the UK. The multinational engineering and electronics company has designed everything from mobile phones to energy efficient dishwashers and it now looks like Siemens has successfully launched its latest piece of technological sophistication- a 6 MW wind turbine!

In 2008 The Crown Estate announced Round 3 which proposed nine offshore zones of varying sizes and these sites were offered to offshore wind developers. Siemens’ prior involvement in Rounds 1 and 2 made it a key player in Round 3 and this project poses the biggest single opportunity for Siemens Energy anywhere in Europe.

The machine, designed by Siemens, has a 154m diameter rotor and represents the next generation of larger turbines that are expected to produce greater yields than current models. The B75 rotor blade, which measures 75 meters in length, is manufactured from glass fiber-reinforced epoxy resin and balsa wood. After announcing the decision to invest £160 million in wind turbine production and installation facilities in Yorkshire, Siemens looks set to retain its position as market leader in the offshore wind sector.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/world-view-from-architects-to-explorers-experts-reveal-what-they-feel-are-the-most-beautiful-places-on-earth-9662249.html