A Nosebleed Tour of the Wind Turbines Taking Over NYC's Rooftops

According to the New York Times, wind turbines are all the rage in New York City. We decided to find out for ourselves what all the buzz—or whoosh?—was about. So we met with wind turbine maker UGE and its mechanical engineer, Darius Salgo, who was kind enough to show us around the newly-installed wind turbines on top… » 6/06/14 3:20pm 6/06/14 3:20pm

Eureka! A Whisper-Quiet Wind Turbine Based On Archimedes' Screw

When they're standing out in a field, miles away from crowded urban centers, the sounds made by a wind turbine's blades aren't a big issue. But when they're perched atop a downtown building, they create noise pollution that's hard to ignore. A Rotterdam-based company might have found a solution, though, with a unique… » 5/28/14 1:20pm 5/28/14 1:20pm

GE's Wind Turbine Tester Puts Gigantic Drivetrains Through Hell

Modern multi-megawatt wind turbines are downright gargantuan, standing more than 700 feet tall with 260-foot blades spinning 190 mph at the tip. To make sure that these monolithic machines are up for 20 years of energy production, GE has created a tortuous test bed capable of sucking 20 years of life from a turbine in… » 4/03/14 11:40am 4/03/14 11:40am

Hypnotic Flapping Wing Turbines Keep Working in the Gentlest Breeze



Electricity-generating windmills churn out free energy as long as the wind is blowing. So strapping one to the roof of your car where there's always a breeze as long as you're driving just seems obvious. The Transport Turbine—seen here as a 3D printed proof of concept—puts four small wind turbines on the roof of your… » 1/08/14 4:07pm 1/08/14 4:07pm

A Dragonfly-Inspired Wind Turbine That's Designed For Your Backyard

As wind energy has expanded over the years, engineers have raced to build larger and larger turbines—designed to take advantage of as much wind as possible. But the architect Renzo Piano and an energy company in Italy are trying to make a smaller turbine—one that's suitable for the average yard. » 10/24/13 6:00pm 10/24/13 6:00pm