Building-integrated wind turbine technology has been receiving a lot of heat for not being able to deliver what it promises in terms of energy production.
Fast Co. Exist profiles a system that places the turbines where they can actually turn. The WindRail was designed in Zurich, Switzerland, where there isn’t enough space for a wind or solar park. Sitting between a building’s façade and the roof edge, the system combines wind and solar energy harvesting, taking advantage of the building’s air flows, even if it's in the middle of a city.
The system was developed by the Anerdgy. “When wind flows around the building, it creates a pressure difference between the façade and the rooftop. The façade has a higher wind pressure,” CEO of Anerdgy Sven Koehler told Fast Co. Exist. “Because we are channeling the wind and making a connection between the high and low pressure areas, the speeds are faster and we have more energy.”
Koehler, an engineer and economist, came up with the idea with the help of his parents. After years of research, he came up with the WindRail System and started the company in 2012.
According to the company, pressure effect accounts for 50% of the power the WindRail generates. The device comes in two meter modules and can generate 1,500 to 2,000 kWh a year. For comparison, the average U.S. home uses 10,837 kWh a year, Fast Co. Exist reports.
Related Stories
| Feb 2, 2012
Call for Entries: 2012 Building Team Awards. Deadline March 2, 2012
Winning projects will be featured in the May issue of BD+C.
| Feb 2, 2012
Mortenson Construction to build 2.4 MW solar project in North Carolina
Located on a 12 acre site in the Sandhills region, the 2.4 megawatt (MW) system is expected to generate approximately 3.5 million kilowatt hours (kWhs) of clean electricity on an annual basis.
| Feb 2, 2012
Fire rated glazing helps historic university preserve its past
When the University embarked on its first major addition since the opening of Hutchins Hall in 1933, preserving the Collegiate Gothic-style architecture was of utmost importance.
| Feb 1, 2012
Replacement windows eliminate weak link in the building envelope
Replacement or retrofit can help keep energy costs from going out the window.
| Feb 1, 2012
Two new research buildings dedicated at the University of South Carolina
The two buildings add 208,000 square feet of collaborative research space to the campus.
| Feb 1, 2012
List of Top 10 States for LEED Green Buildings released?
USGBC releases list of top U.S. states for LEED-certified projects in 2011.
| Jan 31, 2012
AIA CONTINUING EDUCATION: Reroofing primer, in-depth advice from the experts
Earn 1.0 AIA/CES learning units by studying this article and successfully completing the online exam.
| Jan 27, 2012
Caterpillar reports record sales and profit for 4Q and full-year 2011
Momentum carries into 2012 with sales and revenues outlook raised to $68 to $72 billion.
| Jan 27, 2012
Columbia University’s New Core Laboratory aims for LEED Silver
Construction manager Sordoni Construction Co. along with the design team of Payette Architects and Vanderweil Engineers will provide design and construction services to renovate the majority of the existing Core Lab building to create the new Lamont Center for Bio-Geochemistry.
| Jan 26, 2012
Siemens launches smoke detection knowledge center
New knowledge center web site demonstrates efficacy of smoke detection.
