Urban wind turbines are redefining the best locations for generating wind power. Although many parts of the world have strong wind speeds, the best locations for generating wind power have traditionally been remote ones. But now with the introduction of urban wind turbines, a crowded city can also be a prime place to generate wind energy.
Why Do Urban Wind Turbines Work Well in a City Environment
To best cater to facilities in a city environment, urban wind turbines were created with these four main benefits.
1. Protective Outer Casing to Keep Wildlife Safe
Each turbine is enclosed in a protective outer casing that provides protection from wildlife such as birds, bats, or other animals that could be harmed by the rotating blades. With the protective outer casing, the turbine is enclosed ensuring that wildlife can’t reach the blades inside the wind turbine. It is actually this specific attribute that makes this product legal to use in urban settings.
2. Smaller Rotor Sizes Available
Urban environments typically have less room than an offshore or remote location. Because of this, urban wind turbines have been created to have a variety of rotor sizes. The new turbines we are speaking of have rotor sizes from two to 50 feet. If your facility has a limited amount of rooftop space, an urban wind turbine could be a good option.
3. Requires Low Wind to Generate Power
The urban wind turbine has a broader operating wind range that establishes a new benchmark for wind turbines. This type of turbine can easily operate with wind speeds within a range of 1.12 to 67 miles per hour. Normal wind turbines do not usually operate at speeds but this type of wind turbine has new enhancements that it’s competitors don’t have such as new blade advancements.
4. Easy Energy Storage and Building Automation Integrations
These urban wind turbines are designed to easily be integrated with energy storage solutions, such as batteries so excess power is generated. They can also easily be connected to building automation systems so the power they generate can be used at the most opportune times to lower energy costs. Using wind power, in general, can help reduce your facility’s reliance on the electric grid and can lower electric demand costs and overall utility costs as well.
Why Invest in Wind Energy
Wind power is one of the fastest-growing renewable energy technologies. Global installed wind-generation capacity onshore and offshore has increased by a factor of almost 75 in the past two decades. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency’s latest data, wind generation jumped from 7.5 gigawatts (GW) in 1997 to some 564 GW by 2018. Also, usage is on the rise worldwide as well as production. Production of wind electricity doubled between 2009 and 2013, and in 2016 wind energy accounted for 16% of the electricity generated by renewables.
How to Fund a Wind Energy Project
If the urban wind turbine sounds like it would fit your facility well, then the next step is financing. At EnergyLink, we provide energy financing options that help your desired energy project become affordable. An investment tax credit is a popular way that our clients receive funding. Check our blog post, “How An Investment Tax Credit Can Fund an Energy Project”, for more information. Or click here to contact us on how to start that process!
For More Information
For more information on new products in the energy industry, check out these blog posts.
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