Urban Green Energy (UGE)
Some may remember the hype around Urban Green Energy’s household-sized Darrieus wind turbines–and there was indeed hype. This company had a well-earned reputation for getting glowing press. These were the people who put two–yes two–Darrieus wind turbines inside–yes, I am afraid inside–Paris’ famed Eiffel tower. (Poor Gustave Eiffel must have been spinning in his grave.) I haven’t been back to Paris since these things were put there. I suspect they’re still there–and still not spinning.
They also put a string of these “devices” on the top of the stadium at Lincoln Field, the home of the Philadelphia Eagles football team. The turbines were finally removed in 2019.
UGE finally bailed on their customers and sold the rights–such as they were–to a Chinese company.
UGE: Wind turbine blades falling off Addison’s water tower result in $1 million flop, crazy lawsuit
By
Dave Lieber
The turbines ran for three months before one blade fell to the ground 190 feet below. Then a second blade crashed through a nearby storage building’s roof, falling into a conference room. No one was hurt.
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.
UGE Dumps VAWT Business—What Happens Now to Eiffel Tower & Lincoln Field Turbines?
By
Paul Gipe
Controversial developer of “urban” wind projects Urban Green Energy (UGE) is quitting the wind business. Using its in-house designed vertical-axis wind turbine, the New York City-based company installed dozens of the wind turbines on buildings in high-profile locations, including the much-hyped turbines installed inside the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
A Tale of Two Turbines and Eiffel’s Tower
By
Paul Gipe
By now everyone has seen the fawning news accounts—several times, no doubt—that a US company has installed two wind turbines inside—yes, inside—the Eiffel Tower.
Poor Comparison Between Small VAWT and Small HAWT: UGE’s VisionAIR Pushing the Limits. . . of Hype
By
Paul Gipe
In the spring of 2014, Urban Green Energy (UGE) announced with much fanfare that they had completed third-party performance testing …
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.
