Wind Energy and Its Uses

Large windmills are turning up in many places and their size makes them more acceptable in rural spaces or on offshore power islands. However, there are some city dwellers that may be missing out on the ability to use the wind for their own benefit. Solar collectors are one method that is being used to produce electricity in the city-scapes, but since the wind is the largest natural resource available, turbines are being developed that fit better into the urban landscapes.

Technology has developed what is being called wind tunnels, outfitted with turbines to capture the wind and move it through the blades of what looks like a fan. These blades turn a turbine shaft to generate electricity that can be tied into the power source of the building or into the local power grid. They are ideal to use on rooftops, especially on urban buildings that are much higher than surrounding structures.

Issues with solar collectors include inclement weather, periods when the sky is overcast and the sun can't get through or simply after dark. Wind, on the other hand, does not have those restrictions and on the tops of tall buildings, the wind seems to always be present. However, it is not always strong enough to provide enough power to turn the turbines. This is where the small wind tunnels can come into play. By forcing the wind through a box-like structure, focusing its power on the turbine's blades, even a light wind can provide the power to produce electricity.

These devices can be mounted in a variety of locations such as on the roofs of buildings, on poles located near the building they are intended to serve on even closer to the ground on the peaks of hills. They are smaller than many of the current wind turbines and are not as intrusive. Additionally, when used in buildings, the inverters and storage batteries can be installed in the building's basement and computer-based controls can make monitoring the system quick and easy.

As more individuals, businesses and even communities look for ways to reduce their power cost as well as methods to save natural resources, using these types of wind tunnels to produce power can be an option to the larger windmills often seen today. Their output is determined by their size as well as the generating power of the turbines and the storage capacity of their batteries will determine how well they perform on a continuing basis.

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