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Test Center Powers Up Wind Tech
Energy.gov The National Wind Technology Center (NWTC), located at the base of the foothills just south of Boulder, Colorado, is the nation’s premier wind energy technology research facility. Since the earliest days of wind energy, the center has provided an ideal environment for the research and development of advanced technologies. As wind power grows to meet an ever-increasing portion of our nation’s energy needs, researchers at NWTC and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are working with industry partners to develop and deploy new technologies to support it. Here are just a few examples. Better Gearboxes Make Better Wind Turbines Premature failures of gearboxes, the mechanical equipment in a wind…
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Helping Eagles Coexist With Wind Energy Deployment
Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Building energy infrastructure that keeps wildlife safe is a key concern at the U.S. Department of Energy, which is why we have funded six teams to improve technologies that will protect eagles sharing airspace with wind turbines. More than $3 million has been allocated across the six teams for groundbreaking, critical eagle-impact minimization technology research, development, and demonstration projects. The research supported by this funding will provide wind plant owner-operators with viable and cost-effective tools for reducing potential impacts to eagles at wind farms. This important research builds on the Energy Department’s work to enable wind power deployment and ensure coexistence with wildlife…
