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Doron Bracha

Apr 25, 2014
12:42

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Wind is indeed a valuable source of renewable energy in various locations and conditions, and it's been used at different scales around the world: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferhicks/2012/05/17/small-wind-energy-goes-urban-in-italy-korea-brazil-and-texas-yes-texas/ http://www.urbanpowerusa.com/ http://www.windpods.com/ Whether such systems can and should be installed in urban areas, needs to be examined and considered, taking into account not only aesthetics but also economic viability, safety, accessibility for maintenance and repair, and overall efficiency. Here's a resource for additional info: http://www.mass.gov/eea/energy-utilities-clean-tech/renewable-energy/wind/wind-energy-facts.html Cheers !..

Sara Magalhaes

May 3, 2014
10:21

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Hi Valles, Thanks for your proposal! Can you please complete the rest of the categories? Best! Sara

Ajith (aj) Rao

May 8, 2014
05:04

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Hi Valles, Building-integrated wind can indeed hold significant potential if done right, and I would encourage you to focus on two aspects that would help strengthen your proposal: - Quantifying the overall potential for building integrated wind in the proposed location - Techniques to deal with turbulent and varying wind flows With regards to #1, existing wind studies can form a good starting point. In the mainland US, there are approximately 4.6 million commercial buildings, with approximately 60% located in areas with Class 2 or better wind resources, thus offering significant energy generation potential. You can also refer to this UK based study that was released in 2005, that concluded that building-integrated wind can meet between 1.5 and 4.5% of the domestic sector electric demand (http://ukerc.rl.ac.uk/pdf/BUWT_final_v004_full.pdf) For #2, you need to get into details about the wind turbine technology and what would be appropriate for use in an urban context. For example, vertical axis type turbines might function better in the wind flows seen in urban areas. The location of the turbine would also make a lot of difference-- a rooftop turbine would see different wind flows than a turbine attached to the side of a building. I look forward to your continued contributions to this proposal! Regards, AJ

Chad Knutsen

May 15, 2014
11:28

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I would suggest utilizing wind power generators that utilize wind REDIRECTION rather than wind resistance. discuss :) Let me know if you have any questions.

Derrek Clarke

Jun 4, 2014
04:36

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I would like to add an additional comment to those listed above. Urban wind corridors can be very useful, but they are also plagued by inconsistent flow of air. Also, when the wind does blow in these conditions, it is turbulent. Maybe urban wind solutions focus more on alternative uses such as replenishment of urban electricity storage to augment rooftop storage on highly overcast days?. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your proposal when it's uploaded. Good Luck!

Mark Johnson

Jun 4, 2014
09:05

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Piggy-backing on Chad's Wind Redirection idea. We've all seen the "Rooster" Wind Direction Finders atop nearly every Barn in America. Wonder if there are any ideas out there on "channeling" and "harvesting" the "primary, secondary and tertiary wind streams" into a Venturi Effect? Would have to be desolate areas with empirical evidence supporting high prevailing winds - the redirection effort would require lots of structure mass though.

Mark Johnson

Jun 17, 2014
10:40

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Wind farms in CA have high WM unit counts. Many cities in America have fairly low highrise counts. Exceptions NYC and LA. See Distributed Wind vs. Wind Farms URL below. Also, there is the issue of interfacing with/replacing existing grid infrastructure. http://www.endurancewindpower.com/distributed_wind_vs_wind_farms.html

Maryette Haggerty Perrault

Jun 19, 2014
10:07

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I agree with ajithrao that your proposal will greatly benefit from added information on how you foresee integrating wind turbines into the physical structures of skyscrapers in particular. The few building integrated wind projects I am aware of (Boston City Hall and Boston's Museum of Science) both are low rise installs. These types of building integrated wind turbines are generally much smaller in capacity (in the kW range) than those of traditional wind turbine installs (often in the MW range). What output capacity are you envisioning? As many other commenters mentioned, small wind turbines in urban environments must be placed very carefully to benefit from the costal winds and wind tunnel effects common in dense urban areas by the ocean. Some resources to consider: MOS - http://legacy.mos.org/energized/museum-wind.php http://legacy.mos.org/events_activities/events_archive&d=4434 COB - http://www.cityofboston.gov/eeos/conservation/wind.asp (curiously does not mention the City Hall Plaza install...) Paper on the feasibility of rooftop within the City of Boston - http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-050410-163916/unrestricted/mc_rd_an_js_Rooftop_Wind_IQP_Report.pdf I'm eager to read your elaborated proposal!

Sara Magalhaes

Jul 5, 2014
12:12

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Hi Valles, The contest deadline is near! Please don’t forget to complete your proposal so that it is easier for potential supporters to elaborate upon your ideas. Best Sara