Wind-Roof

Rooftop Wind Energy

 There are several challenges to efficiently harnessing the power of the wind.  One of the biggest obstacles is the cost of transporting the power (that is generated) from the sparsely populated high wind speed areas to the densely populated areas where it is needed most. Another obstacle is the cost of building towers that will reach the heights  where wind speeds are greatest.
 I have an idea that deals with both of these issues in a simple yet cost effective way.

 First let’s look at the importance height plays in harnessing wind power .  There are two points to consider. One is that wind speeds are generally higher, the further above the ground you go. Of course wind speeds vary day to day and hour to hour, but overall, the  higher up you travel off the earth’s surface, the faster the wind blows. Another very important factor is that wind power increases exponentially as wind speed increases.  What this means is that when wind speed is doubled, the potential available power increases 800%!
 Now the issue of transmission is obvious, the farther you have to transport something, the  more it costs to do so.
 What if we built wind turbines right in the midst of our most densely populated areas by  placing them on top of our tallest buildings?  We would achieve our goal of getting our power collection device (the windmill ) at the higher elevations where wind speeds are greater . . . without having as much expense getting them up there.  At the same time, your transmission expenses would drop to almost nothing because the power generated could be used for the very building that supported the wind turbine.

Now certainly there are obstacles to overcome such as noise, vibration, and the stress that would be added to the structure, but with over 10,600 buildings worldwide that are 300 feet tall or more, it would be worth some engineering research to help solve these problems.  Besides, I am not suggesting that the devices would have to be large enough to meet all of the electrical needs of the building. Any cost effective contribution would be worthwhile.

 Think about it, why do they call it the “windy city” (Chicago)?  And  with all of those   people and all of that energy consumed, it only makes sense. Chicago has almost 100 buildings that are over 300 feet tall, the ten tallest standing at over 800 feet!(nine more buildings are either under construction or planned that will exceed 800 feet, the tallest will be a stunning 2000 feet!)

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