Comments on: why yes, I do have the TV on in the background

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:43:54 +0000

My architect-in-Bahrain-friend on those turbines:
“That was being built while we were working there. Its all bullshit. Structurally they found out the two buildings would fall over onto each other without those middle supports then they just slapped the wind turbines on. Theyâll barely work.” ]]>

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 19:47:06 +0000

I imagine it’s all in the design — I remember my MechE roommate in college rhapsodizing about propeller design. The optimally efficient shape does depend on the speed at which it’ll be operating. I can easily imagine that gusts might be harder to use efficiently.
Still, it’s gotta be possible to gain some benefit. It’s not like this is a problem that wind turbine designers haven’t faced before. That weird vertical axle design isn’t used more because it requires constant wind, for instance. ]]>

By: Megan McArdle

Megan McArdle — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 01:45:45 +0000

I’m under the impression that really high winds like that aren’t actually a good thing for wind power; supposedly, turbines operate best at like 30 mph. ]]>

By: Becks

Becks — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 04:30:54 +0000

The new Freedom Tower on the WTC site is/was supposed to have them, too, but I'm sure Larry Silverstein will get them chucked if he hasn't already.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 23:38:45 +0000

Awesome. Good job, Bahrain. ]]>

By: matt

matt — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 23:36:47 +0000

someone hasn’t been looking at their Wired fold-out sections lately:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/03/bahrain_install.php
10-15% of the building’s energy, although one would imagine that any building constructed to include wind turbines is probably energy efficient in a variety of other ways, if not LEED certified ]]>