The renewable energy sector is experiencing significant growth around the world. With the increase in consumer demand and as per the guideline of the Paris Climate agreement, it is necessary for the developing countries to implement technological advancements in harnessing renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. India is continually investing in both wind and solar energy production and these two sectors will provide sustainable economic growth for the country.

Vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) have been attracting attention around the world as they are perfectly suitable for the urban landscape.  Installation of VAWT in urban areas like on rooftops of tall buildings and on the median of the highway is a welcoming solution to solve the energy problem of the country. VAWTs located on the median of a highway right-of-way (ROW) have been referred to as ROW-VAWTs (Leah and Damon 2020). This concept of ROW-VAWT can be implemented along Indian Highways, which can produce at least 1kwh power due to turbulence caused by vehicle movement. Installation of VAWT at urban spaces would lead to optimum utilization of available space in the country.

Prototype
Prototype installed in Istanbul by Devecitech

Flower wind turbines, a  type of VAWThas been already patented by a company in Europe. These wind turbines are small with almost no noise and can provide a good option to satisfy the electricity needs for the infrastructure along the highways if installed along the median.

Flower wind turbines
Rendered Image: https://flowerturbines.com/technology

Indian culture is focused on sustainable development from its very beginning. Days are not far when a similar concept can be adopted for electricity production in the country.

Pretensioned spun high-strength concrete (PHC) piles are an economical deep foundation system with superior quality and consistency compared to conventional cast in situ/pre-cast concrete piles. These piles have a hollow section with an outer diameter ranging from 300 to 1200 mm. The piles can easily join any combination of lengths as per design requirements. A conventional hammer can be used for driving PHC piles without any special requirements.


PHC piles are widely used around the world for power projects, bridges, high-rise buildings, marine structures, etc. They are popular in countries like Japan, Germany, China, South Korea, and in the Southeast Asia region. They have low unit weight and lower cost of manufacturing due to their hollow section. Higher-strength of concrete enables pile driving through hard strata. Better product quality is achieved due to manufacturing in the factory environment. The piles have high flexural strength and resistance against corrosion in the marine environment. The higher production rate of the piles ensures the early completion of the project. The complete manufacturing process is carried out inside the factory eliminating the need for a casting yard at the site. The piles can be driven 10 days after manufacturing due to high early strength.

PHC Piles Vs. RC Square Piles

• Larger section provides high bearing capacity and reduces the number of piles
• Lesser drivability resistance due to hollow section reduces the installation cost
• Reduction in the construction period
• Faster delivery to the projects site
• Better quality and higher productivity due to manufacturing in factory
• Cost of transportation is less due to lower pile weight
• Higher tensile strength due to pre-tensioning