The competition is fierce and blustery in the business of off-shore wind energy generation, as companies vie to launch bigger and better wind turbines off the coast of the United Kingdom.
Britain is easily the world's leader in off-shore energy, with 330 wind turbines already in operation in the country's coastal waters. Avinash Rajagopal reports on the latest in wind power technology:
"Last month, British firm Wind Power Limited unveiled a design that, in terms of radical innovation, pretty much blows the others out of the water. The Aerogenerator X (above) was designed by the architectural firm Grimshaw, in collaboration with Wind Power's engineering team, and engineers from ARUP, BP, Rolls Royce and Shell. Inspired by the spiraling motion of a sycamore seed as it falls from a tree, the Aerogenerator X spins on a vertical axis. This means that it achieves the same energy performance, but is half the height of a regular horizontal-axis turbine."
FULL STORY: Blowing the Others Out of the Water
Transmission is Key for Wind Energy From the Sea
Building wind farms in the ocean is an ideal way to generate electricity, but it's not so easy to get that energy back to shore efficiently. This article looks as a transmission project that could address that issue.
Harvesting the Wind on the Open Ocean
Offshore drilling company StatoilHydro is finding a new way to get energy at sea- with large-scale wind turbines.
Northern California Port Seeks Offshore Wind Lease
The Port of Humboldt has proposed a plan to modernize its facilities to accommodate offshore wind energy production, hoping to stimulate the local economy and create sustainable jobs.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance
The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.
Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package
Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.
Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane
The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont