Page 39 - North American Clean Energy July August 2015

• VAWTs, with their proiles that can take • Helical & Bladed ‘Hybrid’ VAWTs (Image 3) combine the best It is evident the rooftop VAWT revolution is here; turning the

winds from all directions at once; and
aspects of the Helix and Darrieus Bladed geometries. hey can rooftops of American cities into aesthetically pleasing, clean energy
that can work well in the turbulent winds reach 40% eiciency peaks, become architectural features for a generating powerhouses.
around buildings and trees, could operate modern building, and operate year-long in supplying both power
where HAWTS needing steady, non- production and interesting visual qualities to a unique facility. William Becker is President and CEO of Aerotecture International Inc.

turbulent, single-direction winds could not;
Due to low/no vibrations coming from these machines, their located just south of Chicago.
• VAWTs work at lower spin rates and unique stands can support cantilevered solar arrays thus making
therefore create less noise than the higher them hybrid-hybrids in producing clean renewable energy.
Aerotecture International, Inc. | www.aerotecture.com
RPM HAWTs. Less noise is a major factor

in being accepted in densely populated
towns and neighborhoods;
• VAWTs, due to their lower RPMs, have
less vibration transferred to a supporting

tube tower or supporting stand, making
them much more compatible with being We’re with You from
mounted on buildings;
• Some ind the aesthetics of VAWTs more

compatible with the architecture of Concept to Construction
modern buildings on which they might be
mounted. Architects in particular seem to
like VAWTs, but not HAWTs; and

• Maybe, most importantly for safety. It
appears that VAWTs, particularly helical E & E provides strategic environmental consulting services for the
turbines, have the inherent capacity not
full life cycle of wind energy projects, enabling clients to meet
to overspin, even in storm winds and if
lightning has knocked out any electronic aggressive schedules and keep projects on budget. Our highly
braking capability. his is a special quality experienced professionals have worked on more than 450 wind
reserved to non-bladed wind turbines.
energy projects in 38 states and have helped clients successfully
he makers of helical VAWT machines
can guarantee no over-spinning, where develop facilities that can produce 6,340 MW of environmentally
other manufacturers cannot. Also, most
helical-type turbines don’t spin faster than safe, renewable electricity.

500 RPM, even in winds over 60 mph. It
is at over 650 RPMs that spinning fans At E & E, our renewable energy experts provide smart, practical
and turbines of all kinds start to become
transparent to the eyes of birds, bats, solutions that help move projects from concept to reality through

and other wildlife. Because most VAWTs careful planning and a proactive approach. From avian and bat impact studies to socioeconomic
don’t spin up to transparency, they can
be seen before doing mortal damage to and noise analyses, wetlands considerations and community outreach, we anticipate potential
wildlife. his is of particular importance
project delays and resolve issues early to reduce risk and keep wind projects on track.
for turbines placed on tall buildings.

It is for these reasons and others, that For help with your project, contact:
VAWT turbines of all proiles have gained
Jef Hammond • (716) 684-8060 • [email protected]
acceptance and building permits for rooftop
installations in cities and suburbs where
few HAWTs have.

As of 2015, there seems to be three main
categories of rooftop VAWT technology:
• Helical ‘ONLY’ VAWTs can become an
architectural feature for a modern building

and operate year-long in supplying both
power production as well as an interesting
visual aesthetic to a unique facility. It

is probably noticed by many who work
at this large medical research facility,
(Image 1) that the helical turbines have
qualities quite similar to those of the DNA

molecule.
• Bladed ‘ONLY’ VAWTs (Image 2) can
also become an architectural feature and
operate year-long in supplying renewable
ecology and
clean power to a unique facility. hese
helically- shaped, bladed machines operate environment, inc.
as quietly as the helical only systems, with
a little more lift, and eiciencies closer
Global Environmental Specialists

to 40%. Most VAWT manufacturers and www.ene.com
suppliers also have longer warrantee times
and lower maintenance schedules than
non-VAWT machines.

North American Clean Energy 39