The Gesterbine Skyscraper is a design entry for the 2010 Skyscraper Competition organized by Evolo Magazine. Designed by Mode:Lina Architektura and Consulting, this tower is intended for Wielkopolska region of Poland. Rapid urbanization has led to water shortage and decreasing variety of flora and fauna. A problem further magnified by the regulation of the Warta river, which has led to the riverbed being pushed by 100 kilometers.

The skyscraper design intends to combat the above mentioned problem of steppisation by using wind turbines, human kinetics and water. Wind turbines on the structure stand out and are very clearly visible. These turbines will have enough energy to supplement the grid during the day and provide power for nearby areas.

At night, when the demand for power decreases, the excess power will be used to transport river water towards small retention reservoirs. Plants could be grown around these reservoirs, that would further help in tackling the issue of steppisation.

Source: designboom

Texas has the largest wind power generation capacity in the USA, with nearly 9,410 megawatts available, leaving it’s nearest competition Iowa far behind, which has wind power generation capacity of 3,870 megawatts. And it appears that the installed capacity is being put to good use. On February 28, the state set a record with wind power electricity generation at 6,242 megawatts for the ERCOT grid. The record didn’t stay on long and was again broken on March 5, with a peak of 6,272 megawatts. The figures are only for the ERCOT, and do not take into account the power that may have generated at the Panhandle part as that goes to another grid.

Nevertheless, these figures show that nearly 19% electricity requirements of the state were provided by wind power, if only for a short duration of time. These spikes in energy generation also put forth the need for a viable storage and transmission system for wind power. Often, the spikes prompt shutting down of the turbines, or even paying consumers to use electricity. A storage system, would make the use of this energy more viable.

Source: TreeHugger

While most buildings (or designs for that matter) struggle to go near the zero energy mark, the Town Town Erdberg actually promises to generate more power than it would consume. Granted, it isn’t very easy to the eyes, but the new approach has its benefits. Also, the building (design) was good enough to get hold of the 2010 MIPIM sustainability award for its designers.

The building has been designed by Austrian design firm Coop Himmelb(l)au. The design makes a better use of internal space, making 86% of floor space usable, as compared to the 82% that conventional buildings offer. It makes use of a combination of solar and wind power to generate energy.

Exteriors of the building are covered in photovoltaic lamination, while the top has wind turbines. Combined, both of these systems generate more power than what the residents of the building would use. The designers like to describe the building as “”not a passive house, but an active house.”

Source: io9

Apparently, many people are unwilling to setup wind turbines because of none too flattering looks of these wind turbines. Famous designer Philippe Starck has created options for such people, and the options are two good looking wind turbines.

Starck introduced the turbines saying that “Energy should not be a punishment, we should create a desire (among people to produce it).” These sleek Revolutionair turbines were created after two years of work, and will be manufactured by Italian company Pramac. The turbines are intended for home use, and to spread the green message further.

While impressive, the turbines look more symbolic than useful, and perhaps a case of form over function. One of the turbines introduced is the quadrangular 400W WT model, whose name also gives out its power output of 400 Watts; this model will sell for 2,500 euros. The other is a helicoidal shaped turbine with an output of 1kw, and similarly named 1KW WT; it will have a pricetag of 3,500 euros. Clearly, not a huge output, but if shape is all you want, the Revolutionair turbines have the answer.

Source: Reuters

The Winduino II is an instrument from the Fascination Workshop, and it utilizes the power of the sun and the wind to create music. It can be placed indoors or hung outdoors, and the instrument will start off with its surprizing musician, the air. Piezo sensors in the instrument detect the movement of air around the Winduino II, and they can be adjusted for sensitivity by using the vellum coverings on its sides.

Solar panels on top of the instrument capture energy from the sun and charge a built-in lithium ion battery. LEDs on the instrument show when it is powered on, or charging. The Winduino could be likened to a more technological brother of the wind chimes, but this wind played instrument is way more than those simple, hollow tubes of metal, and is quite unique in application.

The solar panels admittedly don’t generate enough power for the instrument to keep running. So, it can also be charged by USB or wall wart.

Source: Fascination Workshop, Make

Offshore wind farms are a rarity even in terms of wind power generation. As of now, only 1% of the total wind power generated comes from offshore wind farms. Considering the technical and financial challenges associated with such projects, all of this seems to be quite natural, but the UK is betting heavily against the odds in hoping that such farms will be viable, and that on a gigantic scale. The country has approved proposals for the world’s largest offshore wind farms, which it hopes will generate up to 32 gigawatts of energy.

This should be enough to meet a quarter of the UK’s projected electricity needs by 2020. Also, the projects will help the country get a jump start on the wind energy sector, where it ranks very low. Winners of the Round 3 tender include Portugal’s EDP Renewables, Britain’s Centrica, Germany’s E.ON and Sweden’s Vattenfall.

The huge project is expected to make UK the biggest market for offshore wind development, and also create 70,000 jobs by 2020. Development costs can create a problem for these projects, but it is hoped that with the development of new technology, the costs will fall.

Source: Reuters

Deepwater Wind may be located in the US’s smallest state, but that didn’t stop them from securing a deal to sell power on Thursday. The project’s long-term goals aim to provide power for 15% of the state’s demands, and is scheduled for 20 years. Deepwater Wind will sell electricity generated from up to 8 turbines, totaling a 28 megawatts production.

Rhode Island set a goal for itself to provide 20% of its power from green sources by 2015 earlier this year, and it looks like they’re doing everything they can to achieve that goal. Wind and solar power sources have been the subject of a lot of attention lately, as more and more states utilize such systems to provide their electricity. Rhode Island’s plans are to get the majority of its electricity from offshore wind turbines.

As of now, there aren’t any offshore wind turbine farms in the US, so this project will be the first of its kind. There is another competitor though, Cape Wind, which comprises of 130 turbines with a total cost of $1 billion, and it’s planned to be built off the coast of Massachusetts.

[ Via CNET ]

The Wind Lamp is a concept that could help the environment and natural resources in a number of ways. This green lamp is designed to serve as a street lamp, and it could come in very handy at places with sufficient wind power. The lamp basically consists of LEDs and a wind power generator.

The wind generators harness energy to power the LEDs, and since LEDs themselves are quite energy efficient, they are in a suitable position to effectively use the energy so generated. LEDs in the lamp use the required energy for light, and any excess energy generated can be supplied to neighboring lamps to keep them running.

Designer Kyung Kuk Kim’s concept generates clean power, gets some load off the grid, and probably even manages to do its job well. All those plus points however, come with some negatives as well. This would be one expensive street lamp to install and maintain, and with the resources each lamp would require, it will likely take away more than it provides.

Via: Ecofriend

The effect of millions of electric vehicles connecting to the grid during peak hours has been feared and discussed since long. While charging vehicles during off-peak hours may be good for utilities, in an interesting turn it may even earn some money for the owners. More specifically, EV/PHEV owners in West Texas and Illinois are being paid to charge their vehicles during off-peak hours, and that’s clean wind energy we’re speaking of.

With the growth of wind energy in these states, there is an oversupply of energy during off-peak hours, and this has in turn pushed prices into the negative range. Since wind turbine owners get a tax credit to the tune of 2.1 cents per kilowatt hour of energy generated, they prefer not to shut down the turbines during off hours and pass on a share of the subsidy to the end user.

Since there is no efficient energy storage system in place for off hours, the turbine owners are short of options. Smart Meters could prove to be useful for customers and utilities during such times, at least for the near future, until the demand increases or energy storage systems like Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) come into play.

Source: Reuters

Mariah Power, a small wind turbine manufacturing company, has created a wind speed measuring app for the iPhone. The basic idea of course, is to let interested users measure wind speed, and see if it would suit their need for a small wind turbine.

The app uses the phones microphone to capture the sound of the wind, and then uses an algorithm to cancel out ambient noise and find out the wind decibel speed. While the speed calculated may not be entirely accurate, potential customers can get a fair idea of the usability of a wind turbine.

The Reno, Nev. based company builds slim 30-foot-tall vertical-axis turbines that can turn wind into electricity. These turbines cost $4000 plus another $1000 for installation and offer 1.2kW of power, or 2000 kWh of power annually and a claimed cost of ownership of 12.4 cents per kilowatt-hour over 20 years. The company says its turbine moves slower, thus generating less noise.

In any case, the app is a great way for people to check feasibility of installing a wind turbine, giving those interested, an efficient and easy to use tool.

Source: earth2tech