What are the challenges and opportunities of using wind turbines in urban settings?

50 years of wind power design and harvesting systems have taught me to emphasise that wind power harvesting to be successful in urban areas it must be built into the design of the building and include signigicant noise reduction design features

I think there are many ways that wind turbines can be implemented in an urban setting from an architectural standpoint. There are two significant skyscrapers that have incorporated wind turbines into their design and for the most part have been successful. The Strada in London, United Kingdom and The Pearl in Guangzhou, China are two great examples of how to tackle the question of wind energy in urban settings

I would argue that in an urban setting, you’re going to be battling noise and vibration whether you have wind turbines on the building or not. If you don’t like don’t and vibration i would not recommend city living. The wind sheer created by the buildings themselves down narrow streets and alleyways alongside cars, public transportation and general traffic will all generate noise and vibration.

In the United States, we are past the point where we can use design and aesthetics as a reason to now allow sustainable energy sources of any kind within urban infrastructure. In typical American planning and zoning when it comes to approvals on design, you only need to face the public for approval if you’re requesting a variance from the code in place within that jurisdiction. But if we can implement planning and zoning changes and laws that allow for the design and implementation of wind turbines, it will make introducing them into urban settings much easier.

For example, large wind turbines are much more efficient at generating energy than small ones, but they are harder to fit on or around buildings. Smaller turbines fit well on buildings, but may not generate enough electricity to make up for the high cost of customizing the building design to accommodate them. The Bahrain World Trade Center incorporates medium sized turbines into an open space between two towers. This ingenious solution is better than mounting them directly on the building, because they would block the view if put directly on the facade.

I concur with Mr DeLorenzo. However, Ms McDade sounds like a NIMBY with lots of excuses not to consider renewable energy. We indeed are past the point of worrying about the visual impact of solutions that will save the planet.

I absolutely agree, by creating highly visible wind energy infrastructure and incorporating it into the built environment, you trigger a subconscious new mindset that someone is doing their part to help the environment and I should as well. Lead by example if you will

People are generally afraid of change. Whenever you are trying to make a major systemic change to someone as crucial in our lives such as energy security, a lot of people will be hesitant and even combative. The biggest part to making meaningful change is education. Start educating our younger generations about the benefits of sustainable energy and why we need it. I am not entirely sure we would be able to convince older generations at this point, but through proper and meaningful education anything is possible