This so called Green Age is surely picking up speed every day as more people try to tackle the issue. It's not only the big companies like GE that are working on the subject of alternative, clean energy but also recent engineering graduates who feel that their design is better than the rest. Now, windmills in general have not changed much in their design but improvements in generators and related technology has allowed for some decent sized gains in the efficiency of windmills in general. A typical wind farm is about as exciting as a plain bagel on Monday morning but it produces an immense amount of electricity.
(Image jacked from planetsave.com)As much as I'd love to drive past towering pillars of bird killers everywhere, I figured that there had to be a better way to harness the power of the wind. A design that has been emerging as better, safer and more eye friendly is the vertical-axis type pictured to the left. (If you haven't
figured it out by now, the regular windmills we see are
horizontal-axis. Its okay, I won't tell.) Such windmills are beginning to take the limelight from their bigger counterparts. Why? Well for starters, the windmill is vertical and its blades span the vertical length of the windmill. That means we don't have to have gigantic windmills all over the place and instead, perhaps have something like this that will occupy all of about 6 foot by 6 foot area.
(Image stolen from: news.cnet.com)
They can also be built smaller or bigger as necessary and could show up soon in neighborhood backyards. Another advantage would be that you would be able to go to sleep at night knowing your windmill didn't kill any birds that day. Apparently, since the structure is more cylindrical and the rotations more predictable, birds can see this and steer clear of it relatively easily.
One of the more famous implementations of the vertical-axis wind turbine is on the roof of Jay Leno's huge antique car garage where it powers all the lighting for it. That's the kind of random facts you end up knowing if you watch Discovery channel and History channel too much.
figured it out by now, the regular windmills we see are
horizontal-axis. Its okay, I won't tell.) Such windmills are beginning to take the limelight from their bigger counterparts. Why? Well for starters, the windmill is vertical and its blades span the vertical length of the windmill. That means we don't have to have gigantic windmills all over the place and instead, perhaps have something like this that will occupy all of about 6 foot by 6 foot area.(Image stolen from: news.cnet.com)
They can also be built smaller or bigger as necessary and could show up soon in neighborhood backyards. Another advantage would be that you would be able to go to sleep at night knowing your windmill didn't kill any birds that day. Apparently, since the structure is more cylindrical and the rotations more predictable, birds can see this and steer clear of it relatively easily.
One of the more famous implementations of the vertical-axis wind turbine is on the roof of Jay Leno's huge antique car garage where it powers all the lighting for it. That's the kind of random facts you end up knowing if you watch Discovery channel and History channel too much.
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