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Seagen Tidal Power Installation
 Installation Of The World’s First Commercial Tidal Current Power System Confirmed. Marine Current Turbines has today (June 6th 2007) confirmed that installation of its SeaGen commercial tidal energy system will commence during the week of August 20th in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough. At 1.2MW capacity, SeaGen will be the world’s largest ever tidal current device by a significant margin, and will generate clean and sustainable electricity for approximately 1000 homes. It is also a world first in being a prototype for commercial technology to be replicated on a large scale over the next few years.
The installation of SeaGen in Strangford Lough will be carried out by A2SEA A/S of Denmark, one of Europe’s leading offshore installation contractors. The SeaGen 1.2MW commercial demonstrator has been developed on the basis of results obtained from SeaFlow, the world’s first full-size tidal turbine installed by Marine Current Turbines off Lynmouth Devon in 2003. It has taken the subsequent four years for Marine Current Turbines to design and build SeaGen and secure the necessary environmental and planning consents.
SeaGen is a commercial demonstration project with permission to operate in Strangford Lough for a period of up to 5 years. It is intended as the prototype for commercial applications of the technology that will follow.
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Wind Powered Rotating Skyscraper
 Innovative Architect
The rotating towers are the vision of Dr. David Fisher, an accomplished Italian Architect focused on designing “Dynamic Architecture” or “Designing buildings that can adjust themselves to the needs of its Ainhabitants.” Fisher has been involved in building restoration projects in New York and is currently working to develop revolutionary construction technologies. Fisher’s designs are built in the factory and assembled on site, significantly reducing the construction time and number of workers.
Revolutionary Construction
The first phase of construction will take about six months. A central concrete core is erected to house important static amenities like elevators, staircases, plumbing and other utilities. This is the only part of the project which must be built on site. The 12 individual units that make up each floor are prefabricated in a factory in order to ensure safety, cost effectiveness and quality control. Each unit is self-contained and includes all necessary electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning. Units are hooked on to the building and hoisted up to the top of the tower. It takes one week to rotate the entire floor into (watch the construction animation). The tower is effectively built from the top-down. The fact that each unit is independent and moves with the wind ensures a much higher resistance to earthquakes.
Self Powered Architecture
Neatly stacked in between each floor is a horizontal wind turbine (58 in total). Each turbine can produce 0.3 megawatt of electricity and is said to be able to produce enough energy for 50 families. The turbines are integrated in such a way that they are hardly visible from the outside. Their close proximity makes them easy to maintain. “Producing that much electric energy without any implication on the aesthetic aspect of the building is a revolutionary step in tapping alternative energy sources.” Dynamic Architecture’s website also claims that combined with solar panels they could generate up to $7million worth of surplus electricity every year.
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Zero Carbon City
 The Masdar Initiative is an environmental urban ambition by Foster + Partners to develop a sustainable city. They recently released these beautiful images of their conceptual walled city where residents would enjoy a carbon and waste-free environment. The 6 million square metre project is based on the principles of an ancient walled city, combined with modern alternative energy technologies. The mixed-use, high density city will include a University, Innovation Center, Company Headquarters and several economic zones. The company plans to launch the project at Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2007. The initiative is being driven by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company.
There are critics who say that the city appears cold and uninviting, like a computer microchip. However, the fact remains that this project will be a world first, and that it “promises to question conventional urban wisdom at a fundamental level. Masdar promises to set new benchmarks for the sustainable city of the future.” The city will be entirely self-sustaining!
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Hydro Power Invention
 A new hydro power technology is being developed by Sarfraz Ahmad Khan of Pakistan. In theory these hydro plants would not require a reservoir and would have a minimal impact on the environment. They could be run side-by-side in rows and would be much cheaper to build, operate and maintain. Sarfraz has high hopes that his ideas could revolutionize hydro power in his country and across the globe. He is currently seeking expert confirmation of his ideas; this article provides a brief summary of his ideas along with some of the 3D images he has created. You can help him by leaving your comments at the bottom of the page, or by joining the discussion that inspired this article.
SketchUp File 1 | Download SketchUp
What is this Project?
This project is an idea based upon the principal of converting the potential energy of wild flowing rivers into electrical power (without having a huge reservoir). As we know in hydro-power generation there are two major aspects which play vital role: first is water head and second is water velocity. In this structure of equipment, we try to obtain maximum output from a river’s velocity. Very high water head cannot be achieved with out huge cost.
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Solar Heating for Swimming Pools and RVs
Do not think that you have to install an entire home solar power system to enjoy the benefits of solar power. In truth, one of the most cost-effective uses of solar power is a solar heater, and one of the most useful applications of solar energy is for RVs. And, perhaps, one of the most common and easiest applications of the sun for power is a battery charger. So, how do these different applications of solar energy work? It’s likely not as technical as you think!
Solar Pool Heaters
The majority of solar pool heaters work in this way: a pump pumps water from the pool, through a filter to remove any debris, and then up through solar collectors. The solar collectors are the heart of the system; they are what heat the water. They can be placed up on the roof or elsewhere where they will receive the most sunlight.
When the sun is not out — or, rather, when the water in the solar collectors is cooler or about the same temperature as the pool water — a control valve directs the water directly back into the pool instead of up through the collector. And, in fact, during the hottest months of the summer, the solar heater can actually be used to cool the pool. It does so by running the water through the collector at night, and then returning the cooled water to the pool.
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