LEED Leads to Bad Wind Turbine Installations
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a rating system by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) designed to reward architects, builders, and owners for integrating energy efficiency and “green” practices into new and existing structures. The rating system has been in use for more than a decade and has gone through several iterations. Unfortunately, this rating system has been abused and USGBC has done little to rectify the situation.
Defunct Windspire Wins Greenwashing Award
By
Paul Gipe
In the annals of greenwashing, no wind turbine company has done more to develop the technique to a fine art. It’s as if the company’s entire business model was built on finding participants who wanted a greenwashing project.
Gorlov Helical Wind Turbine
By
Paul Gipe
The helical rotor design is reputed to reduce or eliminate the torque ripple encountered in traditional two-blade Darrieus or eggbeater turbines.
DWEA: Requesting Wind Turbine Qualification Criteria for On-Site Renewable Energy Scoring
By
Mike Bergey
DWEA believes the current lack of turbine certification and siting criteria under the various LEED rating systems is hurting the distributed wind industry and is counter-productive to the intent of LEED. We are requesting that USGBC add criteria that will ensure that the LEED points earned for on-site wind turbines will encourage safe and effective products and proper siting.
Aerovironment’s AVX 1000 Rooftop Turbines at Logan Airport
By
Paul Gipe
AeroVironment has installed 20 units of its AVX 1000 rooftop turbines on a building at Boston’s Logan International Airport. The 20 kW installation, part of what AeroViron[ment calls its “architectural wind system” contributed to the building’s obtaining a LEED Gold certification.
How Not to Site Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (Mariah Windspire) #2
By
Paul Gipe
This is a classic example of how not to install wind turbines to best advantage. The best that can be said about this installation is that at least they were not mounted on top of the building.
