From a distance they look like white toothpicks standing up out of the ocean. Up close they are towering engines of motion, whirring in the face of unforgiving gusts of wind. Offshore wind farms are a blossoming field of green energy, with trillions of watts of untapped energy flowing along our coasts everyday. Pioneering farms in the EU and China have already begun to harvest a small fraction of this power, and these nations have made large investments in capturing even more. Yet the numbers of watts available is less impressive than simply seeing these farms in action. They look like something straight out of a science fiction film. See for yourself in the videos below. Early success in offshore wind farms are powering the EU towards ever larger projects, set to supply a substantial portion of that continent’s energy needs in the decades ahead. The United States lags far, far, far behind, but recent developments may help push us towards tapping or own vast offshore wind reserves. via Singularity Hub
October 19, 2011
