From The Workbench - Alternative + Renewable Energy Blog Valuable information for do-it-yourselfers interested in the latest in alternative + renewable energy

If you know us at all here at From The Workbench and Northern Tool, you’ll know how big of fans we are of all things alternative energy.  Whether it’s solar power, wind power, water power, biodiesel, heck, even human power (bicycles et. al), they all make us happy.  So reading today’s news about a new compact wind turbine that could effectively triple wind power output.  TRIPLE.

According to some new reports from those in the know, “Normally wind turbines lose up to 39.7 percent of potential energy because wind not only flows through the blades, but is also directed away from the turbine. The new FloDesign Wind Turbine takes cues from jet engine designs in order to minimize this wasted energy.”  Apparently, by enclosing the blades with smaller, stationary blades, all of the wind is thereby directed to the rotor.  While current turbines use giant blades to make up for the lost energy, the new FloDesign compact turbines can actually produce the same amount of energy as a turbine double its size.  Smaller turbines mean more turbines can fit in a single area, more turbines mean more energy.  This is good.

As the article mentioned as well, this new development might also silence a lot of wind power critics who think that wind farms are eyesores on the landscape.  The turbines can now be much smaller and take up far less space.  I for one, Love the sound of this.  More alternative and renewable energy, less complaining!

Image via Wikipedia