Inventions & Questionable Turbines
This category is a catchall for all those contraptions that burst on the scene in a blaze of media hype as different from those “other” wind turbines only to eventually disappear. It’s not possible to critique every “invention” that plagues the field of wind energy so only those that have piqued my curiosity, or are particularly egregious, are listed here.
Rooftop and Building Integrated Wind Turbines are a Failure Says NREL
By
Paul Gipe
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) concludes in a new report that rooftop-mounted and building-integrated wind turbines are a failure, though readers would be hard pressed to find that statement in so many words.
Google applies for wind-assisted propulsion patent using Makani kite
By
Paul Gipe
Makani Airborne Wind Energy Turbine (AWT) hasn’t been in the news lately. They arrived in a flurry of press in 2013 as the next big thing from Google. The device is a powered kite tethered to the ground or in this new application to a ship. The device is a powered kite tethered to the ground or in this new application to a ship.
Remember that “wind tree”? It’s worse than we thought
By
Simon Mahan
Turns out, the wind tree is actually worse than initially thought.
Ogin Ducted Turbine Employees Speak Out
By
Paul Gipe
Former employees of the erstwhile ducted turbine manufacturer Ogin have posted comments about their jobs on a public web site.
Close-up Photos of Ogin DAWT Dismantlement in San Gorgonio Pass
By
Paul Gipe
More photos of the Ogin ducted wind turbine dismantlement have been “thrown over my transom.” These close-up photos show far more detail of the disassembly and scrapping process than before.
Small Vindication: Renewable Devices Swift Ducted Rooftop Turbine Gone
By
Paul Gipe
I am writing this now to close the book on this sad little turbine and the whole “let’s put them on the roof” phenomenon. Stumbling across an obscure NREL field test report from long ago (see Power Performance Test Report for the SWIFT Wind Turbine) dredged up this dark period in small wind turbine development.
