“Cityproof” wind turbines

Traditional wind turbines can only capture wind travelling in one direction unless they are steered, and are notoriously inefficient in cities where wind routinely gets trapped between buildings. Fortunately, a solution capable of harnessing wind power in urban regions has been developed by Turkish cleantech startup Deveci Tech.

Called Enil, the vertical axis turbines turn when exposed to either natural wind or breezes created by passing cyclists, cars, taxis, buses and coaches. This wind energy is then converted into electricity which can either be stored in a battery or other storage arrays, or used immediately to power devices such as road signs or air quality monitors.

The developer of the technology claims it works best when positioned next to busy roads or cycle lanes, next to bus or train routes, or along lane dividers on multi-lane highways. The innovative turbines are currently in the early testing phase in Istanbul, where they are being used to power earthquake monitoring systems and weather sensors.

 

Source: edie