Tag Archives: turbine

Outer Banks Cinemagraph: OBX Wind Energy at Jennette’s Pier

Posted on
1

Have you heard of these super cool picture/video thingys called “cinemagrpahs?”

They’re awesome. Basically a still picture with a subtle touch of motion…a picture with a tiny piece of video. Very cool.

Here’s the definition from Wikipedia: Cinemagraphs are still photographs in which a minor and repeated movement occurs. Cinemagraphs can give the illusion that the viewer is watching a video.

I’ve been trying to get all of the pieces in line to create one, and I finally figured it out. At the risk of being less than humble, I have to say that I think it’s pretty groovy.

Below is our first of many Outer Banks Cinemagraphs. It is a picture of a beautiful day at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head with the wind turbines spinning to generate some OBX wind energy. Rad right?!

Stay tuned; we’ll have more OBX Cinemagraphs headed your way soon. And if you have a special one that you’d like to see, please let me know in the comments below…I love to hear from you. :)

Oh yeah, and let me know what you think of the Outer Banks Cinemagraphs…cool or what?

PS – You may have the click on the picture to get the full effect of the movement. :)

Outer Banks Cinemagraph: OBX Wind Energy at Jennette's Pier

Outer Banks Cinemagraph: OBX Wind Energy at Jennette's Pier

Outer Banks Treasure: Outer Banks Brewing Station

Posted on
4

Continuing with our Outer Banks Treasure Series. I am proud to present a behind the scenes and “exclusive” ;) tour with Eric Reece, one of the owners of the Outer Banks Brewing Station .

How many times have you been on a vacation and thought about where to take the family to eat that is good, reasonably priced, and fun? I know this has happened to me many times and so I thought, how great would it be if I could help make this decision an easy one?

Well look no further! On your next Outer Banks vacation make sure you check out all the great things the Outer Banks Brewing Station has to offer. The food is top notch, ranging from a sandwich to a prime rib entree OBBS has delicious food prepared by award winning Chef Pok. If you’re in the mood for some great beer and drinks this place has everything you could want. With house made root beer, cream soda, ginger beer, and multiple types of handcrafted and in-house brewed beer, from the brew-master- Scott Meyer, there is something for the whole family.

Although the nightlife on the Outer Banks can be rather limited there is always something fun going on at Brew Station. There is usually a local acoustic band there during weeknights and on the weekend they bring in some awesome headliners and open the backyard for fun and games. There is an outdoor bar, cornhole, and the latest addition is the beer wagon, a traveling one stop shop for all your favorite beverages, ice cream and treats.

The Brewing Station is definitely one of the best features for dinning and fun here in the OBX and I highly recommend stopping by. There is fun and great food for vacationers and locals, and for families or friends. If you are heading this way you can find the Outer Banks Brewing Station by looking up until you see the 93 foot wind turbine which powers over 10% of the establishment and is the first wind powered brewery in the United States!

To learn more about OBBS check out their website where you can view all of their brewed beers, specials, menus, and event calendar.

Another Wind Turbine Proposal on the Outer Banks

Posted on
2
Outer Banks Brew Station - Wind Spill, No Damage

Outer Banks Brew Station - Wind Spill, No Damage

The wind on the Outer Banks is pretty relentless. A continuous stream of wind flows through the OBX, some days stronger than others, and it shifts directions, but almost always there. The Wright Brothers chose the Outer Banks wisely.

It almost seems like a natural fit for wind power to be generated by the endless breeze. But can a 500 foot wind turbine be considered a “natural fit?”

We’ve mentioned the quest for OBX wind power in previous posts.  Up to this point, those wind projects have run aground for various reasons, but a new project is in the works. The Virginia Pilot is reporting that another attempt at an alternative source of energy is making headway.

An experimental wind machine that could reach 500 feet into the Outer Banks skyline will be the subject of a public hearing April 18. Gamesa Energy and Northrop Grumman have partnered for plans to build a one turbine control group near Skyco on Roanoke Island. The turbine is part of a broader plan, aimed to perfect offshore wind-energy generators. Plans are also in the works to build an additional experimental turbine somewhere off the coast.

In a presentation last month, Gamesa representative Todd Hopper said that Skyco is the ideal place for the project’s land-based turbine because of its proximity to water and isolation from development. He asked Dare County commissioners to consider amending zoning laws to accommodate the project.

The news comes as no surprise to Dare County, as there have been wind turbines put in at Jockeys Ridge State Park and the Outer Banks Brewing Station,  as well as previous plans to build a wind farm along the Outer Banks by Duke Power last year.

Gamesa intends to sell the electricity generated by the wind turbine to recover costs of the design and building costs. With costs of $20 million, the company aims to install the turbine next year.

What do you think? Are these wind turbines productive “gentle giants” or do they take away the gorgeous OBX views?

 

Outer Banks Wind Farm Hits a Snag

Posted on
2
Wind Turbine

Wind Turbine

Duke Energy has been working towards a wind farm along the Outer Banks.  The initial plan called for a pilot program in conjunction with UNC Chapel Hill to build three wind turbines in the Sound, but Duke Energy has decided it will not build the three wind turbines in Pamlico Sound as a pilot project..

The costs of the small pilot project were too steep. Duke had estimated the costs at $35 million. But it now believes the costs would be closer to $116 million to build three turbines.

Duke Energy feels the economies of scale still argue that building a large number of offshore turbines would be economically feasible for developers. The problem with the small project is that the utility cannot sufficiently defray the design, permitting and other fixed costs with only three turbines.

Duke Energy does not consider this a failure.

The project has already proved that the best place for building such turbines would be on the ocean side of the Outer Banks.  Duke Energy feels that Pamilco Sound is too shallow for the barges that would be required for construction of the offshore turbines. And the greater wind resources in North Carolina are clearly on the ocean side of the Outer Banks.

This may seem like a step back, but Duke Energy is still committed to the wind farm and has increased its investment in UNC Chapel Hill’s study of offshore wind power for North Carolina to $4 million, a $400,000 increase.

Wind Turbine Built at Jockey’s Ridge

Posted on
2
Wind Turbine

Wind Turbine

Wind is an everyday occurrence on the Outer Banks, and the winds can play a large role in daily activities.  Storms come and go, surf rises and falls, water temperature adjusts, all with the help of the wind, and these days energy bills can be affected as well. 

The OBX has recently been the focus of an effort to put large energy generating wind turbines in the Sound, and potentially in the Atlantic.  These efforts have not been approved yet, but smaller wind turbines are being erected.    

The Outer Banks Brewing Station has had a wind turbine for a few years, and just recently, a 60-foot-high wind turbine was built near the visitor center at Jockey’s Ridge State Park.  Construction of the turbine was completed in late May and park officials anticipate it will begin generating electricity in June.

The turbine will be connected to the power grid via Dominion North Carolina Power, and park officials anticipate its power generation will offset most of the cost of supplying the visitor center, which includes an exhibit hall, an auditorium and park offices.

Park staff conducted studies with a mobile lift to assess any negative visual impact the turbine might have, and the staff and biologists also conducted a year-long study to ensure the turbine would not have any negative impact on coastal or migratory birds. The monopole-style structure, which doesn’t require guy wires, was chosen to reduce effects on birds in flight.  The turbine also includes an outdoor exhibits that explains its operation to park visitors.

Outer Banks Represented at the World Beer Cup 2010 – Congrats to the Brewing Station

Posted on
Reply
Outer Banks Brewing Station

Outer Banks Brewing Station

There are some great micro brews offered on the Outer Banks, and the purveyor of most of these libations is the Outer Banks Brewing Station (Brewing Station review on Yelp here). 

Here’s how their Brew Master describes their brewing process:  “I like to think of our pub brewery as a kitchen rather than a factory. I never stop experimenting. Every brew is the result of the culmination of everything I’ve learned about brewing to date. Sort of the way a jazz musician approaches music.”

The Brewing Station recently participated in the World Beer Cup 2010, and took home a silver medal!  Their Lemon Grass Wheat Ale won silver in the Herb and Spice Beer category. 

Congrats to the Brewing Station for a great local OBX business and some awarding winning beer. 

Another intesting point about the Brewing Station…they provide their own power with the first private wind turbine on the Outer Banks.

Information (and Questions) Continues to Build About the Potential Outer Banks Wind Farm

Posted on
Reply
Wind Turbine

Wind Turbine

The Outer Banks continues to garner national attention due to the possibility of a wind farm being constructed along the coast. 

The current proposal is for a feasibility test of three wind turbines in the Pamlico Sound along Hatteras.  The three towers would stand taller than the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse standing 260 feet tall.  The blades for the towers would be 150 feet long. 

Many questions have risen as a result of this proposed project.  Will there be an electromagnetic interference? Will the towers result in the death of native birds?  Will the farm look unattractive and possibly drive  people away from the Outer Banks? 

As  mentioned in the previous post on the subject, the US Army Corps of Engineers and Duke Energy launched an environmental study.  Since the towers would be the first offshore wind turbine in the country, the topic has raised some debate.  A meeting has already been held that allowed local residents to openly voice their concerns on the subject.

Outer Banks “Wind Farm” Continues to Make Progress

Posted on
6
Wind Turbine

Wind Turbine

The Outer Banks wind energy  project continues to make progress.   It was recently announced that Army Corps of Engineers has asked Duke Energy to perform an environmental impact assessment.   To begin the assessment process, Duke Energy will be holding a public meeting this month to discuss the project.

The meeting will be held in the town of Manteo, and the new environmental impact study will be the main topic of discussion.  A Duke Energy spokesperson mentioned that the project is contingent on permits and that there is no specific start date for the project.  The meeting will serve as a means of letting locals voice their opinions and express their concerns.

In addition, Duke Energy is currently working in conjunction with UNC Chapel Hill to conduct a demonstration project.  The purpose of the demonstration project is to determine the feasibility of offshore wind turbines off the North Carolina coast.  The demonstration project is capped by North Carolina statute at three offshore turbines.  A UNC representative points out that a small demonstration project like this has the potential to move forward more quickly than larger projects and could be the first offshore wind project built in the United States.

Outer Banks Wind Farm Update

Posted on
1
Wind Turbine

Wind Turbine

As a follow up to a  previous post about the potential for a “wind farm” on the Outer Banks, here is an update on the Offshore Wind Project:

The US Army Corps of Engineers has asked Duke Energy Co to undergo environmental impact reasearch on an offshore wind project that will take place in the Pamlico Sound.  The project plans for three wind turbines within 3 square miles and 7.3 miles west of Avon and 9.1 miles of Frisco.  The Turbines will be connected to the island from an underground electrical cable. This project was announced last September. 

The project is being conducted as a test by Duke Energy and UNC Chapel Hill of commercial wind energy along the OBX coast.  One of the most common concerns at this point for tourists and residents is the site of the large wind turbines. 

As a results of this impact study, 9000 permant jobs could be created.  The Corps announced on Tuesday that undertaking this study could take about two years. A public meeting to discuss the scope of the study will be held in Manteo on March 18.  Written comments will be taken until April 2. Write: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District, Regulatory Division, Attn: File Number SAW 2009-01880, P.O. Box 1000, Washington, NC 27889-1000.