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News Releases LANL scientists have the edge on wind energy
Ammerman, Hemez discuss cutting-edge project in radio interview
Today Americans get about 1% of the electricity they consume from wind but by 2030, DOE wants to see 20% of the nation's electricity generated by wind, Lab scientist Curtt Ammerman told a KRSN audience yesterday morning.
Along with François Hemez of Verification, he talked about their Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD)-funded project, “Intelligent Next-Generation Wind Turbines,” on the AM radio morning show.
Not only will these new turbines perform better, Ammerman explained, they'll also be more reliable and less costly to operate and maintain.
A big step up
The jump from 1% to 20% is a big step up, but Ammerman believes it can be achieved if wind energy becomes significantly more affordable. And that means building better wind turbines and reducing operating and maintenance costs.
Last year, the pair were granted seed money to conduct a feasibility study to develop next-generation turbines. Based on that study, the researchers won a competition and were granted LDRD funding, Hemez said.
Listen to the interview now.
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