Environmental News, Eco-Friendly Gadgets - FreshAirTimes.eu

Thinking about making a low-cost, easy-to-install wind power device that provides a safe and attractive method for harnessing power from the wind? Virtually all modern wind turbines convert wind energy to electricity for energy distribution. So why not follow these steps and make your own Vertical Axis Wind Turbine or VAWT that stands on the ground and can accept wind from any direction, a unit that will potentially experience high winds, above 25MPH.

Vertical–axis wind machines have blades that go from top to bottom and look like a giant two-bladed egg beaters. The advantages of this arrangement are that generators and gearboxes can be placed close to the ground, and you need not worry about the wind direction. It is easier to maintain because most of their moving parts are located near the ground and there are no emissions or pollution produced by its operation. For those who live in areas with high winds and want to curb their electric bills, this option can be highly efficient and moreover an attractive energy source.

A floating wind turbine that its makers claim could significantly boost the renewable energy sector was officially launched at a trade show in the German capital. Wind turbines at sea are nothing new, but until now they have had to be sited in shallow waters so the bases could be fixed to the seabed. This not only means complicated and costly construction but also visual pollution, as the rotating blades can be seen from the shore. Unlike normal offshore wind turbines it does not need to be anchored to the seabed and can be used in waters deeper than 50 meters (164 feet), depths at which installation costs for fixed turbines become exorbitant. It will soon go into operation off the coast of Puglia in southern Italy.

Via: RawStory

Ok, so till date we were so consciously looking for an alternative to fossil fuels that we actually overlooked the hazards that such methods could possibly cause. One such important issue is about the micro wind turbines, designed to suit the cities. The ‘oh so good’ alternative for generating electricity actually has the potential of increasing the carbon footprints of any environmentally conscious city household where it might be installed.

A study by The Building Research Establishment Trust (BRE trust) on the performance of wind turbines in the cities like Manchester, Lerwick and Portsmouth revealed that the weak wind and turbulence can make turbines produce so much carbon dioxide that it possibility of paying it back is nullified.

Apart from the energy spent in the manufacturing process of such units using aluminium, steel, fibreglass and copper, the transportation of the units to the site and its maintenance thereafter (due to weak and turbulent wind in the built up areas) is also likely to increase the carbon footprints of the turbines which were actually perceived to be environmentally friendly.

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