Like a gargoyle, this wind turbine from AeroVironment is designed to be perched high on structures, in this flat-roof commercial buildings. The company, which has been developing these "small wind" turbines for a few years, has installed slightly larger versions of them--with five blades and capable of generating 1,000 watts--at Logan Airport in Boston and a number of other commercial sites. They are optimized for gusty wind that comes up the sides of buildings. They also have a screen to block birds from flying into the blades.
Despite a great deal of interest from consumers, small wind for households is problematic, said Paul Glenney, the director of AeroVironment's clean energy technology center. Consumers like the idea of clean energy but tend to be averse to any vibration, sound, or high costs, he said. But right now, those trade-offs come with small wind systems.
Photo by Martin LaMonica/CNET News.com
AT&T Tech Support 360
