VAWTs (vertical axis wind turbines) are both effic...

2009-09-22T23:26:32.570-07:00

VAWTs (vertical axis wind turbines) are both efficient and quiet, making them more suitable for energy production in residential areas than previous wind-based renewable energy technologies. Many current VAWT models resemble eggbeaters, with two blades attached to a central shaft, which is in turn anchored in a power generator. Others have a number of large, flat blades protruding from the central axis; and still others have a helix of extremely light plastic surrounding the axis. They typically stand between two and five feet in height and the best ones are able to attain 30 – 60% efficiency, depending on where they are located.

Chasing specific technologies is a fool's errand. ...

2008-06-29T23:51:00.000-07:00

Chasing specific technologies is a fool's errand. Technology advances as you use an item. Wind technology advances as you use wind power. The exact technology that will be used in a wind turbine is hard to predict; the fact that some improvement will be made is easy to predict.

Across a wide range of technologies, costs drop nearly 20% whenever production doubles. Costs drop in half whenever production increases by a factor of 10. For wind, we can be fairly confident that production will increase by another factor of 10 and drop costs in half. For solar, we can be reasonably confident that production will increase by a factor of 100 and prices drop by a factor of 4. For coal, we can be fairly confident that production of power plants won't increase nearly as significantly and costs will hardly budge.

Comments on Enterprises in Energy: My Adventures in the World of Energy & Utilities: Vertical Wind Power, fluke or future?

VAWTs (vertical axis wind turbines) are both effic...

Chasing specific technologies is a fool's errand. ...