Research and Development

Harnessing the Wind Energy in Urban Environment

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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.

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