Green Options » micro wind http://greenoptions.com/tag/micro-wind Posts tagged 'micro wind' Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:33:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines: The Future of Micro Wind? [w/video] http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/20/vertical-axis-turbines-the-future-of-micro-wind-energ/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/20/vertical-axis-turbines-the-future-of-micro-wind-energ/#comments Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:33:22 +0000 Timothy B. Hurst http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/20/vertical-axis-turbines-the-future-of-micro-wind-energ/ vertical axis wind turbine Walking the floor of WINDPOWER 2008, the annual conference and trade show for the wind energy industry, one couldn’t help but be transfixed by all of the different types of turbines - at least I couldn’t. The wind turbine has become the iconic symbol of clean, renewable energy. But the classic three-bladed horizontal axis wind turbine, with its gracefully swooping blades, has become the symbol of not only renewable energy, but also of environmental consciousness and ecological possibility.

Despite the ubiquity of the three-bladed turbine, the oft-overlooked vertical-axes turbines are making quite a splash in the world of wind energy, especially in small and micro-applications. So what’s all the fuss about? Vertical-axis turbines apparently do not suffer from some of the same problems that plague small wind applications in urban settings including, aesthetic concerns, space requirements and sound levels.

Other advantages of vertical-axis turbines:

  • Can produce up to 50% more electricity per year than conventional turbines with the same swept area
  • Generate electricity at much lower wind speeds, as low as 4 mph (1.5 m/s)
  • Will continue to generate power in high wind speeds, up to 130 mph (60m/s) depending on the mode
  • Direct-drive units have no gearbox. No gearbox means a more efficient transfer of energy and no leaking oil
  • Will not harm wildlife, in terms of bird and bat strikes

Below, I’ll cover some more basic differences and show you a few photos and short videos of some of these turbines I saw down in Houston at WINDPOWER 2008.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/06/20/vertical-axis-turbines-the-future-of-micro-wind-energ/feed/ Video: Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (clock included) http://ecoscraps.com/2008/04/15/video-vertical-axis-wind-turbine-clock-included/ http://ecoscraps.com/2008/04/15/video-vertical-axis-wind-turbine-clock-included/#comments Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:27:04 +0000 Timothy B. Hurst http://ecoscraps.com/2008/04/15/video-vertical-axis-wind-turbine-clock-included/ I took this short video of a new, small vertical axis turbine at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. Despite the fact that it sounds quite windy in the video, it really wasn’t. [try to ignore the sounds coming from my very excited dog]. Running time: 50 seconds.

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See also: Top 5 Micro Wind Turbines

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