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.
Questionable Turbines and Siting Give Architects, LEED, Green Builders, and Wind Bad Name
By
Paul Gipe
Updated with a photo of the 18 Venger V2 Savonius turbines on the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Wind Cube Squarely Over the Top (Now Re-Branded as Wind Sphere)
By
Paul Gipe
Is this another example of Federal capital subsidies driving exceptionally overpriced “wind turbines”?
Good and bad bets: new wind technologies rated
By
Mike Barnard
How do specific new wind energy innovations and products stack up? This post looks at nine technologies and companies that have been in the press recently and assesses whether they are good bets or not. For context, the technology with the most red flags is getting the most press recently.
Saphon Saphonian: Good & Bad Bets
By
Mike Barnard
This relatively new entrant scores an amazing nine out of thirteen red flags, yet recently was shortlisted for an African Innovation Award, and managed to convince TED to put them on stage in 2012.
EWICON electrostatic generator: Good and Bad Bets
By
Mike Barnard
The EWICON concept is a neat bit of research, but rates five red flags as a practical technology. Published research puts its net efficiency below that of Savonius wind turbines, which are the worst generators in the world, and that’s assuming free, clean, water under pressure in places where temperatures don’t dip below zero.
Invest carefully; wind energy ‘innovations’ are rarely kosher
By
Mike Barnard
The wind industry isn’t going to be disrupted by someone with an idea and a Powerpoint pitch. If someone is approaching you with a great investment opportunity based on a ‘new’ wind generation technology, be aware.
