Harnessing The Urban Wind: Sirocco Energy Wind Turbines
Did you know that the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions on our planet is produced by burning fossil fuels for energy production?
Unfortunately, climate change is becoming an increasing and a real concern with each passing year, which is why we must develop innovative solutions to meet our rising energy demands without having a severely detrimental effect on our planet and its ecosystems.
As sea levels rise, glaciers retreat, and the oceans become more acidic, so now is the time for action if we are to stand any chance at reversing the damage already done. Fortunately, thanks to a combination of increased research and funding (as well as government-backed schemes), many companies are now striving to develop solutions that will push us towards a future powered by 100% renewable energy sources.
Traditional green power technologies include solar panels, hydropower and large wind turbines.
Wind power has the potential to replace at least one major fossil fuel used today on a mass scale for energy generation in the United States. With this method, however; there are several issues that decrease their efficiency and hold people back from adopting them.
One company trailblazing the way for the wind energy sector is Sirocco Wind Turbines. This Ukrainian start-up has created an innovative generator that enables consumers to install high-tech turbines near their homes, even in urban and suburban settings.
Current issues faced by the renewable energy industry
Renewables facilitate fuel diversity, enhance energy security, reduce the danger of oil spills, and decrease the demand for imported fuels. However, while this aids in the conservation of the world’s natural resources, there is a reason why renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal have not gained traction as quickly as many would like.
The following are some of the current limitations of renewable energy sources and why fossil fuels remain our primary source of electricity generation:
- Electricity generation capacity is still not large enough
- Some renewables can be unreliable (solar panels rely on clear sky)
- Low-efficiency levels
- A significant upfront investment required for installation
- Expensive storage costs
- Inefficient energy transmission
Sirocco Energy Wind Turbines: Harnessing The Urban Wind
After six years of development, Sirocco Energy Wind Turbines has created a new form of linear wind generator with high efficiency and low price per kW, suitable for commercial and residential buildings in urban and suburban locations. Let’s have a look at some of the major advantages that they bring to the table that traditional wind generators lack.
Innovative and aesthetic design
Sirocco’s cutting-edge wind turbine technology solves some of the most persistent challenges in the wind energy sector, especially those typically associated with the traditional wind turbines that most people are familiar with.
As you know, these conventional turbines are massive and require a lot of space. Because of this, they are generally installed far away from residential settings, in open fields, mainly due to the cost of the land, noise complaints, and problems with visual aesthetics.
Many of these difficulties were addressed by Sirocco, mainly through producing turbines that operate in a linear rather than rotational movement. The team based the turbine’s aerodynamics on a bird’s feather. After all, no one does aerodynamics quite like a bird.
Customers can also alter the generator’s design to meet their unique requirements. For example, each turbine’s power output may be changed, allowing customers to increase or decrease it by adjusting the blade width, angle of attack, and blade density.
Installation near the point of consumption
One of the major difficulties with traditional wind turbines, as we just mentioned, is their distance from the endpoint of consumption. Unfortunately, an estimated 6-9 percent of the power generated is wasted in transmission, and this percentage rises the further the energy source is from the final consumption point.
Fortunately, Sirocco’s turbines can be installed in close proximity to both commercial and residential buildings in urban areas. This eliminates one of the major drawbacks of many of the renewables described previously by removing the loss of energy.
Low noise pollution
Noise pollution is often one of the most common complaints of traditional wind turbines, and it has proved extremely difficult to improve this without sacrificing efficiency. However, due to improved aerodynamic efficiency, Sirocco’s linear wind turbines reduce mechanical noise and infrasound, which means they are perfect for an urban setting. Instead of using one large generator, they use four or five small ones, which cause less vibration of higher frequency.
Remarkably, Sirocco has managed to develop a turbine that only gives off 41 decibels. To put this into context, the average air conditioner unit produces 50 decibels. The noise range for a modern fridge freezer is 32 to 47 decibels.
Unprecedented efficiency
According to theory, the maximum efficiency of a wind turbine is said to be 59%, also known as the Betz Limit. However, most traditional turbines get nowhere near this figure, as they generally only ever manage to achieve sound 35% efficiency.
Sirocco’s turbine blades all move at the same velocity, which means all receive maximum wind at the same time. Additionally, linear motion does not generate the same amount of turbulence as rotational motion, increasing energy production to a point where Sirocco’s turbines can achieve a staggering 50% efficiency.
Final Word
With each passing year, the global climate crisis intensifies, which makes governments and private investors understand that we have to increase the green energy generation capacity on the planet. While solar panels and traditional wind turbines have been adopted slowly, they also need to become more efficient.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration stated that in 2020, wind energy only accounted for 8.4%. However, this is an increase from the previous year in which wind energy accounted only for 6.6%. But the adoption is not happening nearly fast enough as required to reduce the effects of climate change on weather patterns.
There haven’t been many answers to the problems that traditional wind turbines have presented, such as their size, noise, low efficiency, and distance from the final consumption point. Sirocco Energy has done an outstanding job of overcoming these problems by developing a wind turbine that can completely transform the wind energy sector.
