Buoy sited off the Virginia Coast will use lasers to measure wind speeds at high altitudes

Demonstration turbines planned for deployment in federal waters during 2017 will capture winds up to 600 feet above the sea surface. The buoy pictured, now moored approximately 23 miles from shore, is equipped with lasers to assess winds speeds at different altitudes. The information gathered over the next year is crucial for assessing the potential for large scale wind development and will provide data helpful to personnel involved in the deployment of the twin 6 MW test turbines. Learn more about the demonstration project. Read more about the Buoy.

Image: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Virginia Offshore Wind Demonstration Project

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has released an Environmental Assessment (EA) of the proposed Virginia Offshore Wind Technology Advancement Project. BOEM will hold an informational meeting Wednesday, December 17, 2014, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, 717 General Booth Boulevard, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451.

Read more about the project.

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Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Brock Environmental Center is Energy Independent

Located on the Lynnhaven River in Virginia Beach, the Hampton Roads HQ for CBF is set to open in Jan. 2015. Powered by a 38.8 kW rooftop solar array and two 10 kW wind turbines, it is expected to produce more energy than is consumed on an annual basis. Excess energy will be exported to the grid.

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Dominion North Carolina Power Dedicates MicroGrid Research Project on July 25

The MicroGrid Research Project enables the Kitty Hawk regional office to generate some of its own on-site renewable energy.

With a battery backup system, the facility will be powered by four wind turbines capable of generating 13 kilowatts of electricity and a ground-mounted solar array that will generate an additional 6 kilowatts

Large Solar Array Dedication at Old Dominion University - Tuesday, July 8

7.7.14 - The 132 kW system going online tomorrow didn't cost the school a penny. Installed under Dominion's new "Solar Partnership" program, which involves a long term lease arrangement, the school will earn income by renting the recreation center rooftop. The system, including all the energy produced, is owned and maintained by Dominion. This is the second completed project in a program aiming for 30 MW of generation capacity. The company is looking to develop more Virginia rooftops. A quality roof with ample space and proximity to Dominion infrastructure is required. For more information on the project, see the Solar Partnership program website.

Transforming Retired Landfills and Hazardous Sites

Landfill and superfund sites are being repurposed to produce clean energy. Read more about the Virginia Veterans Administration array in the Winter edition and more in the Waste as a Resource post in the Features section.

Largest rooftop solar array in Virginia completed at the Canon facility in Gloucester

Read more about the project and alternative energy in Virginia at TidewaterCurrent.com

Post on the 2013 Hampton Roads Solar Home Tour, which featured Zenman Energy of Norfolk. The non-profit is developing an affordable and scalable solar concentrating steam generator to provide low cost electricity.