Oh, boy, advances in rooftop wind turbines. I just had a steel roof installed with a vented ridge. This should be very easy to retro-fit when it becomes financially reasonable.
I wrote about using something like this back in February 2009. I can't tell you how encouraged I am to see that advances are continuing to be made!
>Posted at Inhabitat by Ariel Schwartz, 10/26/09
Rooftop solar panels are unlikely to elicit complaints from neighbors–they’re silent and relatively unobtrusive. But loud rooftop wind turbines? That’s where the virtually NIMBY-proof Ridgeblade turbine comes in. The turbine, designed by a former Rolls Royce turbine engineer at UK-based The Power Collective, boasts a sleek profile that is both powerful and visually pleasing.
Instead of creating a free-standing turbine that sticks out for all the neighbors to see, The Power Collective designed its long-bladed turbine to fit in along the ridge of a roof, where wind currents are strongest. The Ridgeblade packs a powerful punch, too — it has the wind-capturing potential of a medium sized turbine.
The turbine isn’t yet on the market. . . No word on how much the turbine will cost when it is finally released, but your neighbors’ peace of mind might just be worth the extra cost!
Via Cleantechnica
I want these!
ReplyDeleteJoe just pointed out if they'd make the blades spiral, it could take wind from any direction. Quick, get me a patent application! ;)
ReplyDeleteWell, I am with Joe. The first home-sized turbine that I got excited about was a helix & mounted horizontally on the flat rooftop of an apartment house in an urban setting. This one, at least, "blends"--takes care of the NIMBY syndrome!
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