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Farming Wind
In the 21st century, we have come to realize that we must reduce our dependence on fossil fuels – that we must mine new energy sources to power our cities, our factories, our schools, hospitals and homes.
Wind is part of the solution. It offers an endless supply of clean energy which we are beginning to harness in a serious way.
Many thousands of wind turbines are now operating worldwide. Capacity is expected to nearly triple over the next five years. And between now and 2020, spending on wind energy projects is expected to reach $1 trillion dollars.
But typically, these wind farms are being developed in rural and remote locations. This means the equipment has to be shipped considerable distances, and towers and transmission lines have to be built – adding significant cost.
And because of their scale, these wind farms can encounter opposition from local residents.
What if we could put wind turbines where they’re needed – in our energy-hungry cities and suburban areas? What if we could create a system of distributed power generation with hundreds of thousands of turbines producing energy at point of use?
Cleanfield Energy, an Ontario manufacturer, has developed a technology that is turning this vision into reality - and turning a few heads upward.
Working with McMaster University, and with funding from the Ontario Centres of Excellence, Cleanfield has pioneered the use of vertical axis wind turbines in urban environments and has been busy going global.
Installed on rooftops or erected on monopoles, these units produce alternative energy for their host buildings – and can feed excess electricity into the local grid.
These competitive advantages have attracted the attention of leading architects, engineers, real estate owners and operators. Increasingly, they are adopting Cleanfield’s technology to create rooftop windfarms. Such as, the Hess Tower in Houston, Texas which incorporates the most advanced green building technology in the world.
It is one of the first to integrate wind turbines into the structure of the building. There are 10 turbines, each 10 feet high, stacked in twos at the very top of the skyscraper. Each is designed to generate approximately 3.5 kilowatts per hour. Their combined output is expected to be enough to light the building at night or power two office floors.
The building is expected to earn its Gold LEED Certification for its sustainable design. This will be the first time wind turbines have been incorporated as a design feature in a Houston office building.
Cleanfield's turbines have been selected for installation at more than 60 sites worldwide, including: Virginia Tech University; the U.S. Department of Energy in Pennsylvania; Dayton University in Ohio; Sustainable Energy Systems in Sligo, Ireland; and Durham and Mohawk Colleges in Ontario.
Farming urban wind will become increasing important in providing modern societies with the green energy they need.
To learn more about Cleanfield Energy visit their website or visit their free online accredited educational course - Vertical Axis Wind Turbines for Urban Buildings
The above course is accredited for: AIA SD, USGBC, CSI & BOMI
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