There’s a lot of innovation in the wind technology sector and this bladeless concept could be a game changer in the next few years. In fact, “Turbine-free wind power” was placed on the NY Times Magazine‘s annual Year in Ideas list with this video explaining the idea.
A mixed-use project in Chicago has been getting a lot of attention for its green elements. Most noticeable, perhaps, is the beveled corner that holds 12 vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWT) by Helix Wind. The turbines are stacked in two columns on the building’s southwest corner and were included in the HOK designed-facade to cover all exterior lighting costs.
Southwest Windpower, maker of the Skystream 3.7, unveiled a new version of the popular turbine at CES 2011 called Skystream 600. The turbine features an improved design with larger blades, enhanced software, and an improved integrated inverter. And, according to a press release, Skystream 600 will be the “first fully smart grid-enabled wind turbine” on the market when available in April 2011.
There’s a plot of land on 18th Street and Broadway Boulevard in Kansas City. In time, the owner intends to use it for something commercial or residential, but, in the mean time, 360 Architecture helped transform the land with an interim solution. 18Broadway is now a demonstration of storm water management, urban agriculture, and energy independence on one city block.
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) recently released its annual Global Market Study [PDF] of the small wind market, and I thought I'd share this information considering the intersect of green building and small wind. According to the study, the U.S. market for small wind turbines — those with a capacity of 100 kW of less — added 20.3 MW of new capacity on $82.4 million in sales in 2009.
Urban Green Energy just announced the launch of “eddy,” a new small wind vertical axis wind turbine for home or office applications. The sleek wind turbine, according to the company, is “whisper quiet,” starts turning in 8 mile per hour winds, and has a maximum safe wind speed of more than 120 miles per hour.
