UK and Ireland gear up for Global Wind Day

By Michael Smith (Veshengro)

A host of events are planned for Global Wind Day – an annual event that is being marked in more than 70 countries across the world and events are being held across the globe with community groups and business coming together to promote wind power.

The event, which is always held on June 15 aims to promote the benefits of wind power while encouraging people to have fun.

In the UK and Ireland there are a number of events including a documentary screening by RenewableUK featuring TV presenter Bill Oddie looking at green projects around Britain and the documentary will be shown for the first time at the launch with Mr Oddie introducing the film at the Curzon Cinema, in Soho, London.

In Ireland Bord Gáis Kilgarvan Wind Farm will hold an educational open day, with local school children invited to have a look and learn about the technology at the site.

Global Wind Energy Council chairman, Klaus Rave, said: “With wind, we can achieve a genuine energy revolution and on June 15, people on all continents celebrate the promises that wind power holds for our planet.”

The problem is that we are still using, and I know I am repeating myself but I will do so until the message gets received, the wrong kind of voltage and current type when using wind power and other renewable electricity.

Instead of using 240V AC we must get down to lower voltages, such as can be produced by small wind turbines, of 12V DC, and store any surplus for use in batteries, such as deep-cycle marine 12volts ones.

There is no need to have high-voltage (and 240V AC is a high voltage) mains net in our homes anyway anymore as most of our electrical appliances do or can work on 12V DC or less. Our computers have power supplies – transformers, we used to call them – simply because the 240V AC (110V AC in the USA) has to be brought down to the working voltage of the PC, which often is below 12V DC even.

As we now have very good LEDs and other low-voltage lamps there is also no need for high-voltage AC lighting in the home.

Aside from the fact that (1) it will create less CO2 if we use less voltage and direct current electricity and (2) that thus we can store the energy at home for use during the times when wind does not blow and the PV panels cannot generate energy either, it is (3) also much safer, as electrocution from 12V DC is very rare indeed, even with children.

Wind – and especially here small wind – and “solar” - and again here small installation on every home – plus other renewables can provide, I am sure, all our needs, especially if we use low-voltage direct current electricity.

© 2011