Wind power is a highly contentious mode of generating renewable energy. Wind turbines have been criticised by politicians and laymen alike for as long as they have been around. This new innovation in the field of wind power could address critiques surrounding wind power’s lack of aesthetic appeal and the high rate at which it uses otherwise natural space.
Is the state of the renewable industry sufficient to meet our target of a net zero future?
In recent decades, there has been a global push to reach for what is termed a “net zero” future. Countries around the world are striving to reduce the amount of emissions they release into the atmosphere so that their emission output does not surpass their emission absorption.
Are renewables as they stand enough to reach this goal? The simple answer is no. The renewable energy industry, though growing at unprecedented rates, does not yet measure up to the energy outputs of their non-renewable counterparts like coal, natural gas, and oil.
One of the primary reasons that renewable energy has yet to be adopted as widely is their comparative energy outputs and their overall efficiency. This efficiency has both to do with total energy output versus energy input, and the ratio of capital to energy output.
Innovative solution to increasing the efficiency of wind power
Norwegian company, World Wide Wind (WWW) has developed a wind turbine with two counter-rotating turbines placed along a vertical axis. These turbines, according to WWW have the potential to double the amount of electrical energy produced per unit.
The turbines are designed to float in water instead of being rooted in the seabed like some other designs. This means that the turbines can be placed over deep ocean waters far away from the seaside views that wind turbines often disrupt.
The turbines spin around the vertical axis, unlike the pinwheel design that characterises most wind turbines (like this turbine that can produce electricity anywhere). The design is thus less top-heavy than other designs, making it suitable for floating, as it is not likely to topple over.
This also allows the blades to be larger. In wind energy, the bigger the turbine, the more electricity is produced. This, coupled with the blades which rotate in opposite directions, enables the turbine to capture and convert more wind energy into electricity.
Innovation upon innovation: this wind turbine might be exactly what we need
The turbine is able to tilt its vertical axis and blade configuration. As a result, wind energy can be captured from more than one direction. The moveability of the turbine also reduces the turbulence experienced by most pinwheel style turbines
The more efficient design allows more turbines to be packed in close to each other. One of the major critiques of wind energy is the encroachment of wind farms on natural space. This design reduces the threat turbines typically pose to natural space.
The high-maintenance hardware is placed near the base of the turbine or underwater. As such, maintenance only has to occur at the base of the turbine and not hundreds of feet in the air. This reduces labour and maintenance costs, adding another layer of efficiency to the turbine.
Efficient, innovative, and cost-effective: the wind turbine of the future
This turbine has the potential to greatly reduce the space, labour, and capital demands of traditional wind farms. This innovation in the wind energy sphere could contribute to more people taking up wind power as their primary source of electricity in their homes and businesses. This paradigm-shifting design (just like this singing turbine) has the power to change how we think of wind power.
