Wind energy has been considered traditionally as both cumbersome and ungainly with the way in which it needs to be tapped into. Giant windmills and large wind turbines are deemed unfit for modern cities as they are a both a physical obstruction and not profitable enough as an investment. But modern designers have amalgamated design with energy savvy methods to create sleek and sexy wind turbines that are blowing away traditional perception of wind energy. Here is a look at the 10 best modern wind turbines that take clean energy forward in a classy and silent fashion.

1. Energy Ball

The perfect wind turbine for the modern world, Energy Ball works on the principle of the Venturi Effect. Making use of the change in fluid pressure at different points to produce motion, it acts a lot more effectively than wind turbines and is a lot more quiet and adept for city life. The wind turbine can be put on your roof or in your backyard, and it will start immediately producing energy. Silent and effective- Energy Ball surely is the charmed prince of the new millennium’s turbine world.

2. Helix Wind Turbine

The design of Helix defies the conventional design of wind turbines. Its curved body and effective new design make it perfect for your modern home even in terms of style and ergonomics. Helix Wind Turbine is an elegant solution for home and small business owners. Powerful enough to supply your needs yet harmonious with the environment, the strength of the wind is captured by our unique and highly efficient vertical blade design. Truly modern!

3. Helical Structure for the Future World

These futuristic helical structures are designed by Asia Alliance Base, and are simple and compact offering a fluid mechanism to capture and generate energy from winds that go waste atop many roofs in cities across the planet. The structure also seems good for desert lands where low land winds also produce sustained and substantial energy. The helical blades of these Space Age Turbines offer both safety and efficiency.

4. Mini- Stylish Wind Turbine Charger

The Mini might not be a giant among the wind turbine domain but surely is a lot more practical than most other designs. This neat mini wind turbine charger is small enough to hold in your hand or attach to a bike. It needs only 9mph of wind to start charging the internal battery, which can then be used to charge many devices, such as mobile phones, digital cameras and iPods. If you are looking for a clean way to charge up your iPhone, then the Mini is here for you.

5. Selsam Super turbines to tame the rough waves!

If you took one look at the Selsam wind turbines and thought that they were some thorny desert plant that has been used to decorate a ship or some radar emitting signals, then it would be hard to fault you. These flexible futuristic wind turbines are shaped in a way to utilize wind power to the fullest on the rough seas. Apart from being flexible, they are completely submersible and hence can withstand even the toughest of storms. Selsam’s design and style makes them an absolute personal favorite for us.

6. Architectural Wind

Architectural wind is a collection of many turbines that form a small modular wind turbine system. The unique system makes wind power a viable option for urban centers, because it doesn’t require a massive tower. The wind turbines are sleek and low profile so they can be perfectly integrated into new or existing buildings. The design is meant to be shown off, rather than hidden away on the roof. Now you can get eco-friendly and do it in a proud, fashion-conscious way!

7. Philippe Starck wind machine

The design offered by Philippe Starck barely looks like a wind turbine, but this wind machine can apparently produce enough energy to power up to 60% of domestic energy needs. While it is priced at $360, if it indeed provides 60 percent of household energy, then you will reclaim you money in a matter of months- Fine design with great utility.

8. Swift

If pace, efficiency and silent power is what you are looking for then Swift might be the end of your search. This is the first quiet rooftop wind turbine that generates electricity by harnessing the power of the wind providing you a cost effective clean energy source. Swift is a pioneer in its field and one could call it the path-breaker for every other model that you see in this special collection.

9. Broadstar AeroCam

This is anything unlike your traditional windmill design and the AeroCam even functions unlike anything else you have known. It operates on principles first established by the French aeronautical engineer Georges Jean Marie Darrieus (1888-1979), who invented a wind turbine capable of operating from any direction and under adverse weather conditions. Its advantage lies in its ability to automatically and interactively adjust the pitch or angle of wind. Unique and efficient, it surely merits a place on the elite list.

10. Windspire

Windspire turbine from Mariah Power has a propeller-free vertical-axis design, and is expected to produce about 1800 kilowatt hours per year in 11 mph average wind conditions. That amount of wind power is roughly 25% of a typical household’s energy. Unlike the other turbines in the list, this one is 30 feet tall but is still fir for residential use. It does away with the traditional design of blades and is simple and easy to install. But at $ 4000, this is not for those who hate to part with their cash.

There are some of the best wind energy options available today and if you happen to live in a pretty gusty place, you can gladly give them a try. That does it for the Talk Ten for now and we will be back with more cool clean stuff very soon!

So what exactly is ‘Solar Cogeneration Power’? That is probably something that we should clear out first and foremost before getting in to the meat of the matter. It is quite simple actually and it just means that solar power will help power the engine to a partial extent. Why are we so bothered about that one little term when we have such a huge story unfolding before us? Simply because it very cleverly hides the fact that this Solar Powered Cargo ship will probably be powered by solar energy to a very little extent. I would be surprised if it was even 10% of the total power required to power a cargo ship.

Japan’s biggest shipping line Nippon Yusen KK and Nippon Oil Corp said that solar panels capable of generating 40 kilowatts of electricity each would be placed on top of a 60,000-tonne car carrier to be used by Toyota Motor Corporation. The ship system is expected to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1 to 2%, or about 20 tonnes per year. While the news is indeed great, using wind and wave energy would probably be more viable along with solar power. Any amounts of energy saving is indeed good, but why stay content for so little when it can be a lot better?

The energy provided by the solar panels would probably amount to 5% of the total power that the ship needs and both salinity and vibrations of the ship will further hamper their efficiency. On the wide blue oceans, it just makes more sense to tap in to the unabated wind and the untamed waves!

Via Nextenergynews

Germany is a country that has vividly stamped a class of its own in the international arena with what the world considers as the unending quest for perfection. Germans are known to be hard taskmasters who strive for that final millisecond and that last millimeter of perfect design, form and function. It is something that comes up with German athletes, German technology and of course the ever green German beer. From that perfect lap of magic by Michael Schumacher to the precision of the Mercedes- it is all about power with grace and accuracy.

But Germany has been a land that has been changing away from the technology to the green technology which saves both on oil and emissions. The home of the Mercedes, BMW (even though British) and Volkswagen is moving from oil-guzzling technology to windmills, green gadgets and electric vehicles. Germany is already the single largest producer and market for Solar Energy in the world.

To add to that Germany has recently taken to wind energy and now 7% of the country’s total power is produced by windmills and driven by those gusty flutters of the blade. It seems that the Germans are driven to even eek out perfection out of the renewable energy sources and that once again is a welcome sight.

Via Eco-Chick

It is nice to see that more South American nations are actively taking to production of alternate energy and with the immense natural resources the continent possesses; it will not be long before they start producing clean energy in a large way. South America is endowed with natural resources that are varied and unique and the continent is only now realizing its true potential. With vast open desert and plenty of Sunshine, Peru seems to be ideal to harness power from alternate sources.

Iberoperuana Inversiones plans to invest $240 million in a wind farm, which is projected to provide clean electricity for an estimated 80,000 families in Peru’s southern desert region of Paracas. The wind energy park will be located near the city of Ica and will be known as the “Parque Eólico San Andrés”. Iberoperuana Inversiones hopes that the park would already be generating 22 megawatts of energy by the end of this year.

This new venture is the first major investment in Peru in regards to the production of alternate energy and the country hopes that this will encourage further investments in both wind and solar energy. This is not just a wonderful new venture that will benefit Peru and other South American nations around it but will also help the planet to cool down that tad bit further.

Via Ecoworldly

Geothermal Energy is almost like the step-child of renewable resources and the Solar and Wind Energy departments get the treatment of being the perfect brand ambassadors for green energy. This is due to a couple of factors. One is that people do not quite comprehend how valuable and immense the potential of geothermal energy is and secondly those who know about its worth are still unable to find ways to properly harness it. But that seems to be changing fast off late as people seem to have rediscovered its magic.

Google, which has an interest in affordable power to run its growing numbers of server farms, is heavily investing (through Google.org) in research into the development of geothermal power. In the US, Google is the largest funding source for geothermal research. While traditionally the US and North European nations have been considered Geothermal Energy hubs, there seems to be a new leader in the race as well.

The Australian government is investing nearly four times as much as Google to develop geothermal power for Australia. The Australian group estimates that just 1 percent of the country’s geothermal capacity could provide 26,000 years worth of clean electricity. With more countries like Australia and firms like Google investing both money and time in Geothermal Energy, the future indeed looks ‘steaming hot’ for the energy that lays hidden in the heart of the planet.

Via Ecogeek

They say that the best way to spread the word and catch the eye of the world is by actually churning out that magical performance that attracts one and all. If you wish to initiate a kid in to the world of basketball you want him to look at the tapes of Michael Jordon and if you want him to put brush on canvas then Da Vinci and Van Gough might be your best bets. It is similar in the eco world as well as one needs to spread the green word with a sense of style and finesse that catches the eye initially.

Natura Levo is a small wind, vertical axis wind turbine. It is a 66? tall turbine that contains two non-traditional blades that can catch wind from any direction. The center axis is a beautifully formed stationary shape that mounts to existing architecture. Natura Levo is intended to harness energy from a renewable energy source while co-existing with its natural surroundings. Natura Levo should be so beautiful that it raises awareness of natural energy by admiration of its design.

The innovative conceptual product by Laura Sink of The Art Institute of Pittsburg is all about style and ergonomic delight in a wonderfully practical and compact way. This should surely fill the eco-awareness sail with enough wind!

Via Idsa

Our first look at the Ventomobile was around a couple of months back as the students of the Stuttgart University were working hard on it. At that time they appeared pretty confident about the chances of their unique trike in a unique wind-powered race that was to test their creation. Now the race is over and as the dust still settles, the Ventomobile has finished on top as expected by many.� The solely wind-driven Ventomobile constructed by the InVentus team, a team of some 20 Stuttgart University students of Aerospace Engineering, came in first at the “Aeolus Race” in the Dutch town of Den Helder.

Racing the extremely stylish and lightweight three-wheeler, the vehicles of five European universities and research centres had difficulties to catch up. For their “innovative design” and public relations work, the InVentus team was also awarded prizes. In this first time ever race the participating teams were challenged to drive directly into the wind, without tacking. During the preliminary races, the Stuttgart Ventomobile had already proven to be the most lightweight and most efficient vehicle among the contestants when, with its 130 kg, it succeeded in racing at 64% of the wind speed directly against the wind. From then on it was considered a serious contender for the win.

Beyond being a single race wonder, the Ventomobile proves the immense capability that wind energy holds and it gives the world a new alternate source of energy to look at other than the traditional solar power. Now hopefully more bikes and trikes in future will be powered by the wind!

Via:� Nextenergynews

Wind Energy is one alternative source of power that has been under-utilized and especially since Solar Power has really taken off in the last decade. But harnessing the power of the wind could be essential in our effort to cut down our dependence on conventional sources of energy. If we wish to go green with our energy production and consumption in a grand fashion then we need to try and cap every possible source of energy. California Edison seems to be doing exactly that with its new project that taps in to the energy of the wind.

Southern California Edison (SCE) signed a 20-year contract with DCE, an affiliate of Caithness Energy, which will provide up to 909 megawatts of wind power. The project, called Caithness Shepherd’s Flat, involves the installation of 303 wind turbines across 30 square miles in Gilliam and Morrow Counties in North-Central Oregon between 2011 and 2012. Shepherd’s Flat is expected to generate 2 billion kilowatt-hours per year of renewable energy, which is more than one-tenth of SCE’s overall renewable portfolio. Looking at the numbers though one wonders if SCE is a bit superstitious about figures- 909 megawatts of power from 303 windmills spread across 30 square miles!

The project though, will benefit SCE customers because it requires no additional or upgraded transmission lines, which significantly lessens the time it takes for a power plant of this magnitude to come on line. Developers say that once completed, the Caithness project will be one of the world’s largest fully permitted wind farms. It is indeed nice to see such new avenues being explored considering the increasing pressure on conventional resources and growing crude oil prices.

Via: Nextenergynews