On Tuesday, the South Korean government announced that it will invest 9.2 trillion won, or $8.2 billion, through 2019 to build offshore wind farms. According to reports, the goal is to have 500 wind turbines along the country’s west coast in the Yellow Sea with a capacity of 2500 megawatt hours.

The announcement seems to be a scaled down version of the government’s initial plans. In September, the Yonhap news agency said officials from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy were hoping to spend roughly 9 trillion won to install 1,000 wind turbines. As it turns out, the won doesn’t stretch as far in this capital intensive industry.

Although, the South Korean government may be more realistic these days, the country is not shying away from big investments in the larger cleantech space. If anything, South Korea seems to be picking up the pace. Just last month, the government announced a plan to work with the private sector to invest 40 million won in the renewable energy industry by 2015, with the government  contributing 7 million won and the private sector committing 33 million won. According to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy’s figures, South Korea’s clean energy exports are expected to exceed $36 billion by 2015.

It generally also requires plugging your energy source into the grid so you’re not left in the dark when the wind calms or the sun lingers behind clouds.

Here is a roundup of solutions that can help power a home.

Solar

Solar is, in some ways, the easiest solution, or at least one of the most accessible. Plugging into the sun requires photovoltaic solar panels, an inverter, and batteries that can store a bit of any excess energy for a rainy day.

Performance varies regionally, of course, with states in the southern and southwestern regions enjoying the most days of sun per year.

Solar panels require little maintenance once installed and can provide large amounts of electricity in fair weather. It can be expensive, however, even with incentives, and even when hooked up to batteries, it doesn’t do much good when there’s no sun for stretches at a time.

Resources

GetSolar has a database for finding a solar installer in your area. It’s wise to compare quotes from several companies. Some installers prefer to install panels sold by their companies, while others will install any panels you purchase.

It’s also possible to rent solar panels. One of the largest renters is Citizenrē REnU, which offers 1, 5 or 25-year contracts that include installation.

Wind

Wind energy is often associated with mammoth wind farms, but smaller sized turbines are also produced for backyard energy production.

The speed of the wind is the determining factor in whether wind power is the right solution for your home. Weather services can tell you what the average wind speed in your region is, but it can vary within a region.

Not surprisingly, bigger turbines can produce larger amounts of energy. A 10-kilowatt turbine can usually provide enough energy for a house and is usually around 100 feet tall with a 23-foot turbine.

As with solar, wind energy is climate-dependent so when the turbine’s not turning, you might need a different energy source. Unlike solar, wind turbines have the added con of being built of out of moving parts that need regular maintenance.

Resources

A turbine large enough to power a home often requires a permit. The American Wind Energy Association offers a useful guide for going through the necessary steps to install your own turbine, as well as a list of wind gear providers.

If you’re low on space or looking for a plug-and-play solution, try a personal wind turbine like Southwest Windpower’s Air-X. It can produce up to 400 watts, enough to offset some lighting and appliance usage, and can be installed on top of a roof.

Alternatively, try Clarian’s Jellyfish When it hits the market next year, i will be able to provide the same potential wattage and also feature the ability to power your home by plugging into any standard wall outlet.

If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, find an old treadmill and take a stab at making your own as in this video:

Geothermal

Most geothermal energy is produced large scale, so single-home geothermal is usually limited to heating and cooling solutions. Still, considering how much energy indoor climate control can consume, geothermal heat pumps can significantly reduce your energy needs.

Geothermal heat pumps tap into the earth’s stable temperature to regulate that in your home. The pump moves heat from the earth to your home in winter and pulls the heat inside your house outside in summer.

Most pumps are built simply so they require little, if any maintenance, and can be equipped with a household water heater as well.

Geothermal heat pumps are not a full-service solution, even for heating and cooling. Some models have been shown to reduce energy bills by up to 40%, which means you can’t say goodbye to your utility company and be completely comfortable indoors.

Cost is another concern. A heat pump with enough capacity to keep a home cozy averages just shy of $8,000, but the drilling required to install it can be upwards of $30,000.

Resources

Because of the amount and depth of drilling involved, geothermal heat pumps are not typically a do-it-yourself project. To find a reliable contractor, check the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association‘s directory of accredited installers to find one in your area.

Micro hydro electricity

This one only works if you live near moving water, but it can be very effective. Installation requires running a pipe from a high area where water is flowing to a lower piece of ground. Energy is produced as water moves downhill and turns a turbine at the end of the pipe.

Some micro hydro systems have been capable of producing ten or even 100 times more power than wind or solar. Unlike wind and solar, it can run non-stop and overnight, so long as the water continues to flow. An inverter and batteries can be connected to store extra energy if needed.

As with wind, the turbine requires maintenance and has the potential to break. Also, the size and pressure of the stream affects its energy production, so a very small stream might not be enough to power an entire house. Small streams also carry the risk of drying up in summer or freezing in cold weather.

Resources

You’ll probably need a contractor to install a micro hydro system. Many cities and states require anyone installing alternative energy sources to be a licensed electrician, especially if it connects to the grid. Although there isn’t a national licensing organization for micro hydro installers in the U.S., a local search should or call to your utility company should point you in the right direction.

Or, if you know what you’re doing and are as handy and patient as this guy, you can build your own micro hydro system.

Kössler, a joint venture between Siemens and Voith, makes several turbines designed for small power stations.

Energy Systems & Design also produces micro hydro equipment that can be used for a single home.

Fuel cells

Fuel cells use fuel and an oxidizing agent, typically hydrogen and oxygen, to produce heat and electricity. Inside the cell, he hydrogen’s ions and electrons are separated. An electrolyte substance inside the cell lets ions pass through but blocks electrons, which travel through a wire instead, in the form of electricity. The remaining ions turn into water or carbon dioxide when they meet with oxygen.

Resources

Bloom Energy‘s relatively new Bloom Box, which we reported on earlier this year, might be one of the most talked about home fuel cell solutions, though with its current price tag of $700,000-$800,000, it’s not exactly cheap.

Acumentrics manufactures fuel cells primarily for military use, but can also supply you with one for your home.

Most fuel cell companies don’t sell directly to the public, so you’ll have to search for an installer. FuelCellToday‘s directory can help you find one in your area.

The Department of Energy is working on developing best practices for safe hydrogen handling.

Biomass

Biomass for the home usually comes in the form of a stove used either for general home heating, or to heat water. Stoves are usually fueled by plants, including crops, trees, wood waste or grass. Biomass stoves do pollute the air, but many still consider them green because they contribute less pollution with fewer harmful chemicals than fossil fuels.

Resources

Those looking to buy a biofuel stove might try Bixby‘s MaxFire, which can be fueled with dry-shelled corn or wood pellets.

Bixby claims the stove can reduce heating costs by up to 50% and keep a typical home warm for about $1.50 per day. The stove ignites immediately with the push of a button and has eight heat level settings. When fuel is burned, the stove automatically pushes ash into a drawer that can be emptied without too much of a mess.

None of these solutions provide a fail-safe way to meet all your energy needs, but with blackouts from overburdened grids and severe weather conditions, neither do utility companies. It can be argued that some of these solutions are not entirely green, but even if they can’t completely alleviate the need for fossil fuels, they can help reduce the amount we need.

Most states offer incentives for alternative energy investments, and the Department of Energy suggests additional ways to lower usage and costs and lists products that are currently eligible for federal tax credits.

Despite state incentives, installing alternative energy is still an expensive proposition for most, but it can pay off in the long run.

Photo credit: Flickr by Lodian

The Alta Wind Energy Center currently hosts 150 megawatt GE turbines and is expected to become the largest wind energy farm in the country with a capacity of 3,000 megawatts when completed. Terra-Gen has agreements with Southern California Edison to feed the energy into its grid.

The wind farm’s financing is the largest of any wind energy project in North America and comes primarily from Citibank, which committed to buy the projects when they start operating commercially. Terra-Gen will lease the projects from Citibank and continue to operate the farm.

The completed wind energy farm will raise California’s wind capacity 25%, supplying renewable energy to about 200,000 homes. Vestas will deliver its turbines beginning in October, and the first project phase is expected to go online in January of 2011.

The Wind U135 is the first to contain Intel’s new Pine Trail Platform for the Atom processor. The keys are also supposedly 20% larger, always nice for small-form factor products. On a whole, the device operates on only 7 watts of power, and when combined with the optional 6-cell battery, gives you a decent amount of up-time. The rest is pretty standard. You get Windows 7 and 1 GB of DDR2 memory stock, and you can choose between a 160GB or 250 GB hard drive. It also integrates a 1.3M webcam, 3 USB 2.0 ports and a 4×1 card reader.

These units will run you between 309.99 – 329.99 USD at your favorite electronics retailers.

It looks like MSI is getting set to launch a 12-inch Windows 7 netbook from its U200 series. You’ll recall that the company released the Vista-based U210 back in mid-September, and this new one, the U230, appears to be very similar with the exception of the newer operating system and a bumped ATI Radeon GPU.

Let’s run down the specs for good measure:

• AMD Neo X2 MV40 CPU at 1.6GHz
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• AMD Radeon HD3200
• Up to 4GB of RAM
• 12.1-inch LCD at 1366×768
• 160GB/250GB/320GB hard drive options
• 1.3-megapixel webcam
• Card reader, Ethernet, b/g/n Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth
• VGA and HDMI output
• Three- or six-cell battery options
• Weighs 2.86 pounds with three-cell battery
• Up to four hours battery life (with three-cell battery)

No word on pricing or availability yet, but the Vista-based U210 model carries an MSRP of $429.99 so it’s likely that the U230 would settle in close to that number – maybe $449.99 or so. It’d also stand to reason that the machine would go on sale in the near future, what with all the recent Windows 7 hoopla still fresh in everyone’s minds.

Wind12 U230 [MSI Global via The Link]

Okay, here’s the MSI Wind U110 ECO. It’s a netbook, through and through, with the added twist of a nine-cell battery good for what MSI claims to be over 15 hours of battery life. Not bad considering the weight of the computer is kept at a very-portable 3.2 pounds.

It’s not going to set any performance records, with an Atom Z530 CPU at 1.6GHz, 1GB of RAM, Intel GMA500 graphics, and a 10-inch screen with a resolution of just 1024×600. It’ll probably appeal to those of us who hate carrying AC adapters around everywhere, though.

Comes with Windows XP and a 160GB hard drive and is priced at $430 (MSRP) from MSI or, better yet, $399 at Newegg.

MSI’s gone the AMD Neo route with the Wind U210, available now for $429 at Amazon and Newegg. The U210’s got a 12.1-inch screen with a 1366×768 resolution, 1.6GHz CPU, 2GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive, Vista Home Premium, 3.2-pound weight, and a six cell battery good for over four hours according to MSI (five hours, according to Amazon’s product page).

Full press release:

MSI US Announces Availability of the New 12.1” Wind U210

The U210 Features the new AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 Processor, 12.1” HD LCD, and a Spacious 250 GB HDD

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA – September 15, 2009 – MSI Computer, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, is excited to announce the availability of the new Wind U210. Weighing in at just 3.2 pounds, Wind U210 is MSI’s first notebook to feature the AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 1.6 GHz processor. The newest edition to the Wind family of ultraportables, also features a 250 GB hard drive, 2GB of DDR2 memory, and an energy efficient 6-cell battery with a 4+ hour life.

MSI paired the Wind U210’s 12.1” HD (1366×768) 16:9 aspect ratio LCD with ATI Radeon X1250 for crystal clear graphics. The combination delivers a bright widescreen visual experience with exceptional color saturation and crisp imagery.

The Wind U210 also features MSI’s EDS (Ergonomic De-stress) keyboard with keys that are 51% larger than those on a standard keyboard. The larger keys greatly improve finger contact range, which reduces stress on fingers and wrists to provide a more comfortable typing experience.

Additionally, MSI included a 1.3M webcam, HDMI port, 3 USB 2.0 ports, VGA port, and a 4×1 card reader in the U210.

The new Wind U210 is available now at Amazon.com and Newegg.com for just $429.99. MSI offers a 1-year limited warranty with the U210 and extended customer services hours at 1-888-447-6564.

MSI’s got a 12-inch Wind netbook rolling out to the US in the next few weeks. The U210 will feature an AMD CPU, though, which ought to place it in direct competition with Gateway’s LT3100. We can probably expect to see shorter battery life (the LT3100 promises five hours) in exchange for some extra power over Intel’s Atom offerings.

The U210 will apparently ship in two configurations: an XP version for $379 and a Vista version for $429. Both will, according to Gizmodo, feature 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. I’d normally expect the Vista version to have at least 2GB of RAM, though we’ll see if that actually happens or not. The 12-inch screen, too, means that it’ll have a decent resolution — likely 1280×800.

MSI is also planning to debut a touchscreen Wind netbook based on Intel’s upcoming Pinetrail initiative (see previous coverage here). We won’t see the U150, as it’ll be called, until CES in January. It’ll apparently be a touchscreen convertible tablet-type affair, though.

[via Gizmodo]

Hey, if you guys are thinking of starting your own netbook line — and why not, everyone else is doing it — take note that MSI has released the Wind U123 with a six-cell battery as the standard battery, while still keeping the machine under three pounds. Upgrading to a nine-cell battery only costs $30, too, and pushes the weight to a still-manageable 3.2 pounds.

The U123 comes in one of four colors: blue, gray, red, or white and features Intel’s newer Atom N280 CPU, which runs at 1.66GHz. Other specs include XP Home, 1GB of RAM, 10.2-inch 1024×600 screen, 160GB hard drive, Wi-Fi/webcam/Bluetooth, and pricing at $349 for the six-cell version and $379 for the nine-cell version. That nine-cell battery apparently lasts over eight hours, mind you.

The U123 models are now available at the following stores:

Amazon.com, Newegg.com, Buy.com, Mwave.com, Zipzoomfly.com, JR.com,
BHphotovideo.com, and www.msimobile.com.

Johannes over at German site Eee-PC.de was able to push a nine-cell MSI Wind U115 – the one with the hybrid SSD + HDD setup announced at CES this year – past the 25 hour mark using the Battery Eater notebook benchmarking test.

It should be noted that the 25 hour figure was attained as the computer sat idle. LAPTOP pushed the nine-cell U115 earlier this year to just over ten and a half hours by letting the machine undergo constant web surfing. Assuming that you’re not going to constantly flip between web pages for that long, real-world results should settle in between 10.5 and 25 hours before needing to recharge.

Of course, we’re all still waiting for the U115 to hit the market here in the US. It’s supposed to launch in the UK sometime in May for £499. That’s $729 in US dollars, although I’d think it wouldn’t cost that much stateside. The initial announcement featured three- and six-cell versions, so it’s likely that US pricing might begin at or around $500 or so.

U115 MSI wind with 9 cell battery at idle: 25:04 hours! [Eee-PC.de via Wired]

Here are some more details on that MSI Wind U115 Hybrid that we discussed earlier this month. The big selling point is the SSD + HDD setup, which allows the device to operate using the solid state drive while writing files to the hard drive, resulting in much longer battery life (MSI previously claimed up to ten hours, but the official press release just says "super long" battery life.

Everything else looks pretty similar to the standard Wind netbook line: 1.6GHz Atom CPU, XP Home, 1GB of RAM, 10-inch 1024×600 display, and a 2-megapixel webcam.

Storage options will include either a 120GB or 160GB hard drive paired with an 8GB or 16GB solid state drive. A three-cell battery will come standard, with a six-cell battery as an available option. That ten hour battery life claim is almost certainly referring to a six-cell setup.

Pricing and availability haven’t been announced but we’ll find all that out next week at CES.

Aw, there I go giving away the entire post in the title again. I should have made it something like “What’s in your city’s water supply? MSI knows! Full story on the ten o’clock newscast” or something sensational like that. Oh well.

Laptop’s got some interesting info about what we’ll see from MSI at CES, including:

The currently-available Wind U100 will continue to be sold alongside the new Wind U120 — available in January. Specs between the two systems are pretty similar, except that the U120 will sport a new design and feature WiMax and 3G options.

Also available at the end of January will be the Wind U110 and Wind U115 – both will feature the new Atom Z530 chip and the U115 will have an SSD and a hard drive. The hard drive will be able to be turned off to save power, which will give the U115 a battery life rating of ten hours!

MSI will also release information about the U300, which is not a Wind computer but will be a low-priced 13.3-inch ultraportable. MSI’s Andy Tung says people will be “shocked,” according to Laptop. I’m guessing this computer will be an attempt at a direct shot across Apple’s bow as it pertains to the MacBook Air.

I’m not a touchscreen guy, but MSI will be showcasing a touchscreen Wind at CES. The company also has no plans to release Linux-based notebooks here in the states. Finally, it’s been revealed that adding more RAM to your Wind is a perfectly acceptable and normal activity and will not void your warranty.

Hark! Here’s a good deal on the MSI Wind. For one week only, starting today, MSI is offering a $50 mail-in rebate on the Wind with XP, 120GB hard drive, and 1GB of RAM. Buy.com has them for $299 after the rebate. That’s a good, good, good deal, so hurry.

MSI Wind U100-439US [Buy.com]

Apparently MSI has recently swapped out the Synaptics touchpad on the MSI Wind with a touchpad from Sentellic. What’s the difference, you might ask? Well, that thing you’re able to do with Synaptics touchpads where you gently stroke your finger up and down the right-hand side of the pad to scroll up and down web pages and documents isn’t available on the Sentellic models “due to legal issues,” according to Mobility Today. The Sentellic pad has tap zones instead, where tapping your finger creates up and down movement — might as well just use the keyboard’s arrow keys.

For Wind owners who long for the days of Synaptics-stroking, members at the MSIWind.net forums have outlined how to order an $8 replacement Synaptics pad from MSI’s competitor, ASUS (here’s the product page). Installation isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you’ve ever cracked open a notebook, it shouldn’t be too bad.

This little guy, the Febot, charges your batteries, literally. Like, it literally charges Duracell (and other, lesser brands) batteries. Well, “literally” is a bit strong, as it’s only a concept, but whatever.

What it does is charge batteries using THE POWER OF WIND. You plop the Energizer in there, then stick the contraption on the window. There, it catches wind that turns the little propeller-things which turns the motor.

It’s an ingenious device. Too bad it’ll never be more than a render, probably.

Holy crap, you could drive a truck under that thing. That’s a nine cell battery for the MSI Wind netbook, which is available on Ebay’s UK site according to a post in the MsiWind.net forums. The item ships from China for a grand total of around £70 – roughly $115 in US dollars.

Owners of this gigantic lump are reporting over 6.5 hours of battery life. When I tested the six-cell MSI Wind, I was able to get a little over five hours before having to recharge so I’d almost think you could squeeze 8+ hours out of a nine-cell battery with everything tweaked to maximize power consumption.

[via Wired]

The Averatec netbook that we caught “wind” of (pun majorly intended) back in August is now shipping. It’s called the Averatec Buddy and you’ll remember that it’s actually pretty much a rebranded MSI Wind, except that the Buddy has dropped the Bluetooth connection and popped in a 160GB hard drive.

Oh, and the 10.2-inch screen features AveraBrite! Also, Averatec lists the Buddy’s weight at 1.65 pounds with its three-cell battery, even though the 3-cell Wind weighs 2.3 pounds. I’m going to assume that Averatec’s weight is incorrect, because the site also says that it’s got a 12.1-inch WXGA screen even though the product’s title lists it as the “Averatec Buddy Notebook 10.2 in” – if they’ve got a 12.1-inch MSI Wind that only weighs 1.65 pounds, I’ll buy three of them.

Averatec Buddy [ShopAveratec.com]

Wow, lotsa good deals today. J&R is selling the black MSI Wind with Windows XP for $399 after a $50 price break and $50 mail-in rebate. And – and! – it would appear that they have them in stock, too. This is the three-cell battery version, if you’re wondering. But for $399, that’s a hard deal to pass up if you’re looking for a good netbook.

The $50 mail-in rebate is good until the end of the month.

MSI Microstar WindBook U100-016US [J&R via dealnews]

The fine folks over at Fudzilla have managed to wrangle photos of the upcoming MSI Wind U120, which should be available at the end of the year. Specs appear to be very similar to the current MSI Wind U100, except that the U120 will feature a SIM-based 3.5G wireless chip, presumably to attract a more business-oriented crowd.

The netbook will still have a 10-inch screen and decent keyboard, and hard drive options are reported to be either a 120GB conventional drive or a 20- or 40-gigabyte SSD, which seems odd since we normally hear about 16GB and 32GB solid state drives. I also wouldn’t be surprised to find out that the processor would be one of the dual-core Atoms, since the U120 isn’t supposed to ship until December. Fudzilla claims it’ll cost under $600, which would be consistent with MSI’s aggressive pricing strategy.

A couple more photos after the jump…

[via SlashGear]

Sylvania had the right idea when it rebranded the 7-inch Everex Cloudbook as the Sylvania “g” netbook except for the fact that the Cloudbook never really took off. Then came the 8.9-inch Sylvania MESO, which was a kinda-sorta rebranded Amtek Elego by Digital Gadgets, a licensee of Sylvania. Huh? Now, Sylvania seems to be on the right track by rebranding the 10-inch MSI Wind as the Sylvania g MAGNI.

Price and availability aren’t known yet but we do know that it’ll have a 120GB hard drive, run Windows XP or Ubuntu Netbook Remix, and have 1GB of RAM.

[Laptop via SlashGear]