Pile Drivers and Renewable Energy Plans November 12, 2010

Pile drivers have been around for centuries and assisted the Romans in their creation of the Roman Empire.  Since then its evolution has been astonishing.  The ingenuity with which they are utilized seems to have no limits.  From projects that are designed to contain the sea to their application on the world's largest structure in Dubai (the Raj Dubai; which stands over a mile high); wherever difficult and unthinkable tasks are envisioned, it is highly likely that a pile driver (or many different pile drivers) will be found on the project site.  Now pile drivers are beginning their next foray into the well-documented and storied existence: wind farm development.

The latest developments in the wind farm construction can be attributed to a bi-lateral movement that has two uniquely different groups agreeing to a common cause; renewable energy.  Two very vocal proponents of the movement come from environmentalists that have been promoting "green" initiatives for years as a result of their benefits and low impact to the planet, while the other group is comprised of Americans tired of dependency on foreign oil for our energy needs.
During the end of the first decade of the new millennium, gasoline prices in the United States rose to an astonishing level which greatly impacted the consumer market in America.  Although the countries that make up the members of the cartel of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (more commonly known as OPEC) provided reasons that they felt were sufficient to raise the price of crude oil to record high prices, the impact of the situation created massive unrest politically in the United States.

As the top consumer of fossil fuels in the world, the United States began to focus on renewable energy.  The report Outlook on Renewable Energy in America was a comprehensive report published by the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) in 2007 and laid the groundwork for "a new reality for renewable energy in America."  A short segment from the report states "America needs energy that is secure, reliable, improves public health, protects the environment, addresses climate change, creates jobs, and provides technological leadership."

In President Obama's inaugural address in 2009 he made it clear that the push for renewable energy was important to secure America's future regarding our energy sources for future generations, which is also a large step in the direction of reducing the carbon footprint in America for the benefit of mitigating climate change.

Wind farms have been erected in the wide open areas of the United States.  Large farms can be found in California, Texas, Oregon, Washington, and states in the Great Plains.  A typical wind turbine can be nearly as tall as a football field.  Wind turbines act in a manner similar to an alternator in a car by utilizing the power of nature to spin a magnet through a copper coil to generate electricity.  This concept multiplied many thousands of times over results in an investment into a future for renewable energy for the United States.

International Construction Equipment (ICE) is located in Matthews, NC and has been manufacturing premiere construction equipment for over 25 years.  Their product line includes a variety of top of the line pile driving equipment, and they are internationally recognized for their advanced and complete lines of deep foundation equipment.
 

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