| Philippines: Harnessing Wind Energy for Off-grid Rural Electrification |
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| Tuesday, July 21, 2009 |
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Wind energy is a secondary form of solar energy. It is considered one of the safest and cleanest forms of renewables. Wind turbines do not generate greenhouse gases although there are concerns about their noise and harmful effects on bird life. Moreover, wind energy systems do not pose environment problems related to decommissioning of obsolete plants. Apart from low operating costs, wind energy system can be used for various applications in agriculture and industries. The system, however, is site-specific requiring areas with wind speed of at least 3-4 meters per second. It requires storage in terms of batteries or water reservoir due to considerable power supply variations. A back-up system is also recommended for areas where wind supply is low. Philippines: Harnessing Wind Energy for Off-grid Rural Electrification Wind farm technology has had more advanced applications in Europe and the US. The Middelgrunden wind farm in Denmark is currently the world’s largest offshore wind farm with a capacity of 40 MW. It is the first step towards a batch of other Danish offshore wind farms, each planned to generate 150 MW. In the US, the state of Texas has become the hottest wind energy market, having recently developed a 250-MW wind energy facility. A 500-MW facility is scheduled for construction this year; another 300 MW is being considered. |
Submitted by Singapore
AIM
This paper seeks CTI's endorsement on a work programme framework for environmental goods and services (EGS) in APEC.
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