How a Small Wind Turbine Will Revolutionize Wind Energy

[@UndecidedMF]

Will wind turbines become the new wind chimes? Or should city slickers seek their renewables elsewhere? Use code 50UNDECIDED to get 50% OFF plus free shipping on your first Factor box at bit.ly/3BRkS87! If you liked this, check out How This Mechanical Battery is Making a Comeback kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6O7qGd5ot2foKM

[@jimthain8777]

I think it has a serious shot, and for both apartments and home owners. Pairing wind and solar, helps to offset their "intermittent" nature. If it is light enough the wind speed can be slower, and still turn the turbine. This is clearly an emerging technology, and we don't yet know what the mature technology will look like. I hope you keep following the developments in this field, no matter what strange twists blow through its development.

[@OB17358]

After two power outages in one month, and living where it is often windy at night, this wind “chime” would be unobtrusive and fill the solar gap of cloudy days and night time. It seems size and shape would keep it stable at high rotation. I wonder if height could be adjusted by either moving it up and down a pole, or moving a pole up or down to achieve maximum output. Also could this be engineered to hold more than one collector on a mast?

[@studlystud]

The combined top 100 most populated cities in the U.S. only holds 19% of our population

[@briankuhl9314]

I think the idea is brilliant, but if we believe the photoshopped GIFs in your video, the ideal placement would be in corporate spaces. So the ROI will need to appeal to large landowners who will hang the omni directional SWT off there apartment complexes and deal with the NIBism. I just can't see anyone attaching one to a balcony in a condo, not because it is technically infeasible, just most HOA would actively oppose such visible change to the building.

[@grantramsay9956]

Now that we’re going into the winter I hope you’ll do a video on de-icing systems for wind turbines.

[@RussellFineArt]

I worked in the small wind industry for many years, have seen dozens of designs, some very similar to this omnidirectional one, and they all cost far more than solar and produce far less energy and result in being a rip off. I’ve owned a Skystream small wind turbine in my yard, for the past 17 years and sold over 2,000 of them around the world. There’s just not enough consistent wind at low elevations to make them worth it, which is why every one of them say they’re still in development, ie, they’re getting investment money from suckers, and thin on details like energy production and price. Even large, utility turbines are struggling to compete with utility solar on price, availability, energy production and speed of development to COD. I work in the utility solar industry, I’ve crunched the numbers a thousand times, stick with solar + battery storage.

[@maltekoch1632]

Its strang how many people are stil flogging the dead horse. Perhaps there may be a few individual exceptional cases where small wind turbines are worthwhile, but there will really sparse. Like a off grid mountain Hut all the time in the fog with extremely consistent heavy winds.😂 not the situation many people live in.

[@ronmaximilian6953]

Defy low elevations. The elevation of the roof of a two-story home is very different than say that of the 39-story building that I live in.

[@tombh74]

There are many urban areas at the far end of the Earths lattitudes where solar+storage cannot cope alone simply because of many months with no to little sun as well as lack of available land for solar installation.

[@RiversJ]

That's what you get when economic and infrastructure decisions are allowed to be polluted by emotion and politics. While solar is now at a point that it isn't pure lunacy and some few use cases are quite sensible, it's still being subsidized very heavily by trade politics, near complete externalization of the hazard and pollution costs to society and often direct tax subsidies on top. Yet we still refuse to invest in reliable power generation with cleaner technologies, politics and big oil(Environmentalists) really did do a horrible crime against humanity with their decades long scams.

[@maltekoch1632]

@ronmaximilian6953 39 stories is not low for sure. But the consumption of the building should be so big some few thousand kWh of electricity from this wind turbines will be negligible. Just use the money to build big ones they are more economical. A modern one with 50m wings has 50×50 more are than the ones here presented. Guessing same wind speeds you would need 50×50=2500 times the turbines. Biggest offshore one going up to 260m diameter. Would need 14k of these small wind turbines for same capture area.

[@2Fast4Mellow]

3 years ago I bought a 10kW windturbine from AliExpress and it produced a whopping 125 kWh in one year. We have enough solar panels on our roofs to cover most of the year, but at the edge of our garrden there is a small run (stream) that starts running from September/October to about April maybe May, so I created a waterwheel and using a CVT transmission I connected the watersheel to the turbine and last year the construction produced 1700kWh and it generated enough energy in the winter months and in 2023 we pulled 230 kWh from the grid, so far this year we keeping it at zero. I created a funnel which for about 6 feet reduces the width of the stream with 60%, making the water flow faster which is probably why we're still at 0 and we have the added benefit that unlike a traditional windturnbine, our waterwheel turbine is not visible from the yard which I think is a big advantage...

[@paulmccarter908]

@@2Fast4Mellow you for President 2028

[@vaakdemandante8772]

if the wind-turbine is 10kW, is it hourly, daily, monthly? If it's monthly then fine, 125kW is a lot, but otherwise it's just like 10 days worth of power used by an average home - peanuts really. The waterwheel generator is another matter as 1,7MWh is in the ballpark of a usable solution but then again, who has access to flowing water? Hardly anybody. Not to deny one can setup a home system using zero or almost zero external power. That's certainly doable, but solutions of 150-300 kWh are not viable unless they are dirt cheap and can be scaled when needed. You can setup a lot of solar panels but you cannot set too many wind-turbines on a given area as they will suffocate each-other.

[@CarlinComm]

Wish I had water running near me, but at least I got good solar and wind potential out here! That's cool, thanks for sharing your details.

[@2Fast4Mellow]

@@vaakdemandante8772 It's maximum output is 10kW, but it needs a hurricane in order to produce that. It's like the maximum output of your solar panels, only obtainable in perfect conditions. The turbine can reach 10kWh if it is spinning at the maximum rpm for an hour. It required a 8 m/s wind to start spinning, but about 9m/s to sustain it. Wind power is useless, it was almost never spinning. It spun sometime late autumn to early spring, but not enough to generate real power. Still, the 1700 kWh is nothing compared to the 13.500+ kWh generated by the solar panels, but it is enough for the winter months to help out with the lack of sun power. I started testing first with the waterwheel directly attached to the shaft of the windturbine (as a replacement of the wind propeller) and a garden hose. Did not work, then I started playing with different gear ratio's. We had a defunct scooter and I converted the CVT for use with the wind turbine. On the propeller shaft there is a white marking and a RPM meter is reading that figure, an arduino is controlling a servo that is changing the gear ratio of the CVT. It's typical range is between 400 and 900 wH. Our typical annual power usage is 14-15 mHw and I wanted to make minimal changes to our daily routines (family of 6). The turbine was quite expensive, so I started tinkering in the hope I gout recuperate some of my money. It works, but I agree not suitable for most other people ;-)

[@richard--s]

​@@vaakdemandante8772 if it is 10 kW, than this would be the maximum power output at the maximum allowable wind speed. (it must be a rather big wind turbine for a private person...) When you have these 10 kW for 5 hours, then you get a total of 50 kWh accumulated energy. That would be a full EV charge. But when the wind is too low (like at my place) then it could not deliver anything for most of the time. (except when a cold front rushes through, but when it's over then it's over... at my place...). Solar typically delivers more, but only during the day. 10 kW peak solar power would be a small installation for a house roof. 20 or more would be more typical.

[@jayducharme]

For the past three years, I've had a small Savonius-style turbine on my shed to provide power there, alongside a single solar panel. I'm very happy with how it's worked out. On cloudy and windy days, the turbine charges the batteries in the shed. On calm sunny days, the solar panel takes over. With an inverter, I can power electric yard tools, charge tool batteries, etc. I'm not running a refrigerator or heating system. But for the small tasks I need, that system does the job.

[@richpalmisano1740]

This is effective and realistic use of a wind turbine.

[@3komma141592653]

So it's not even connected to your house? Or isn't it worth it?

[@winterrye3022]

Pittsburgh resident here. We have some of the worst solar potential in the states with more cloud cover than Seattle but Solar just eeks out being cost effective in some niche cases. We get as much city wind as any comparable urban area. Here's hoping the economics of this work out. The burgh is probably one of the best regional cases for wind making sense over solar

[@NerfThisBoardGames]

It's an interesting idea for sure, cities could be the grounds where the math works out But it's a problem that would certainly need the city builders to get involved

[@Skumm93]

I see both being imperiative, you get rooftop solar on the buildings and aligning the turbines across the frames, plus of course regional nuclear throughout the US fueling entire sectors of the baseload needs. All of it combining would be enough to greatly reduce power load strain.

[@__Dave__]

@@winterrye3022 it wouldn’t be economical, but a one-way downhill car “incline” would be pretty fun and would generate net positive electricity if the electric motor is left hooked up to the grid. Basically a downhill chairlift for cars lol

[@nathansmith7153]

It's just another scam

[@kadmow]

- work out the energy in wind - wind weight is around 0.075lb / cu-ft and at a certain speed has kinetic energy.... The most you can extract typically is around 60% of that (try any harder and the wind will go else-where, or you extract the very energy required to make the "extraction" possible.... (bodies claiming to exceed Betz limit is calculating their inlet and outlet areas incorrectly) Thumbs up, here's to hoping.

[@icare7151]

Here in the Broadmoor Area in Colorado Springs there was an artist who took Omni directional wind power and turned it into moving metal art sculptures silently powered by the wind. They are mesmerizing and incredibly intricate and beautiful.

[@TheHoveHeretic]

Here in the UK, we've artists in *our* Broadmoor too.

[@stevenhanly4412]

As I was watching this video, I couldn't help but think, "paint them red and decorate the stem with leaves and thorns...make them into roses". Basically, they have an interesting shape that would do well as art projects.

[@laughinggas5281]

Where is it on the hotel grounds

[@icare7151]

It is not on the Broadmoor Hotel grounds but in the area between Cheyenne Mountain North and South Canyons. I am an expert guide in the area. I do not want to give the exact address do to the privacy of the family as the artist sadly committed suicide due to the arrogance and belligerence of the neighbors who pressured the authorities to tear down the beautiful sculptures due to “traffic congestion viewing the awesome artwork.” The artist was an incredible engineer, put into an art form that truly is revolutionary for the energy industry of which I’ve viewed as a young lad at six years old now in my 50s and also an accomplished engineer with revolutionary technology in the energies sector, waiting for the correct moment to introduce the technology.

[@Quasime42]

@@stevenhanly4412 make them see through, that way you minimise the flicker effect which makes them unpopular when in line of sight.

[@svOcelot]

We live on our sailing catamaran (s/v Ocelot). Electricity is always a big issue, as we have to make all that we use. But characterizing it as XX KWh/month if your winds average YY knots (as you did in this video) is slanted, because the higher gusts contain much higher energy. You can't divide that by time to get accurate W/windspeed. What we want is: How many Watts will it produce in YY knots of wind? No averaging over time. Just a curve of Watts vs Windspeed. Unfortunately, a 2m sphere is pretty large for a sailboat. We'd probably be more interested in something closer to 4', or 1.2m. Yes, I know that won't give as much performance, but our needs are commensurately smaller.

[@jaypeltz2587]

I’m disappointed in this article. Any wind machine has performance curve. At different wind speeds it produces X watts. The power of wind goes up at the cube of the speed. All SWT’s or vertical axis wind machine companies never produce the actual curves only estimates. If he was serious he would show us and you the actual power outputs in many different wind speeds. Also he has the turbine out in an open field which is perfect for good performance. How does it do next to or on buildings etc. It’s not a serious product because he doesn’t show the performance output data.

[@richpalmisano1740]

As is the case with the vast majority of SWT's in the marketplace. They promise numbers that can only be achieved in 0.1% wind conditions (tropical storm force winds).

[@maxtorque2277]

Like all "small" wind turbine manufacturers they don't show actual objective data because it's TERRIBLE! It's like Ford saying "hey, look at our new car it manages 10mpg and 20mph" and obviously nobody would buy it........ Hence they obfuscate as much as possibl, talk about "efficiency" or "potential gains" or "site specific suitability" or whatever, but basic physics tells us it's basciallyjust crap.

[@Larsino2000]

You cannot accurately plot 3D data on a 2D graph. Not only that, 95% of people can't even read graphs correctly.

[@richpalmisano1740]

@@Larsino2000 Your point?

[@TTxR2]

I totally agree. A whole video full of emptiness without actual data. It's just hot air! Disappointed by Undecided on that one.

[@djwarner7144]

Back in the Jimmy Carter days I did a preliminary engineering wind energy evaluation for the Chicago area. The gross wind energy available at first indicated sufficient energy for the technology of the day. There were periods when the wind speeds exceeded the safe velocity for the mechanisms and a safety device would feather the windmill. Unfortunately, the 7% of the time when the safety mechanisms were in effect accounted for more than 50% of the annual energy expected. The next problem occurred when examining a windmill parameter called its solidity. If a windmill had a 100% solidity, the windspeed after going through the windmill would fall to zero - and effectively pile up downwind. A solidity factor had to be significantly lower for maximum efficiency. Say the windspeed drop after passing the windmill might be 70-80%. So only 20-30% of the lower energy winds could be effectively captured. This required upsizing a single family windmill beyond the space available on a typical home's plot.

[@anguscampbell1533]

This could be used in conjunction with a friction heater to supply heat in cold climates. This would enable a lower cost installation than generating electricity with a generator, inverter and wiring as well as batteries to store the electricity. Essentially the turbine turns a friction heater which can heat up a water (or oil if freezing is a concern) reservoir in a tank and a heat pump could extract that water as needed. The heat pump could alternate between the ambient air or the reservoir as needed. Producing energy doesn't necessarily mean producing electricity. A friction heater is easy and cheap to build and easily replaced when worn.

[@frederickheard2022]

Mechanical electric generators are also cheap and easy to make, and electricity is much easier to transport and store.

[@wagnerrp]

Your "simple" friction heater still needs a reservoir, fluid pumps, heat exchangers... the heater itself might be simple, but all the surrounding equipment needed to make it do something useful is not. An electrical generator attached to this is going to be at least 80% efficient, potentially above 90%, and the heatpump it powers will be several hundred percent.

[@jeffkilgore6320]

If one turbine produces anywhere near 5k, then for many US homes, that's nearly 50%, which seems worthwhile.

[@JohnDir-xw3hf]

But it doesn't.

[@displayname7t4]

@@JohnDir-xw3hf But it literally says it can.

[@weeveferrelaine6973]

@@displayname7t4 Can and does are very different. It's probably 5kw peak, but the times it'll be at peak output are also very likely close to the times you'd need to consider locking the unit so it doesn't get torn apart in a storm.

[@4nrmike]

The video doesn’t mention peak power output. It estimated 2000 to 5000 kilowatt hours per year. That’s 5 megawatt hours/year production. You’re getting your units mixed up.

[@laughinggas5281]

I'd have to listen to the segment again but I think those numbers might have been applicable to the globe that was 7 ft across

[@ian2593]

should release a 3d printable version (small) to maintain interest. If you can see it spinning yourself it helps.

[@JohnDir-xw3hf]

It's not effective enough. It's a toy.

[@algirdasnausedas324]

@@JohnDir-xw3hf combine it it with fly wheels and scale up. Curious how far would that go

[@JohnDir-xw3hf]

@@algirdasnausedas324 it would be Very Very heavy and expensive and useless. Learn something about how wind turbines work. Start from wind power formula.

[@richpalmisano1740]

Spinning and power are completely different things.

[@shiccup]

​@@JohnDir-xw3hf what if you printed 20 of em

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

I like the idea of small scale wind. Vs the huge looming turbines I see locally. But small scale can make unwanted noise.

[@digitalscribbler68]

Thanks!

[@alklesczewski1207]

There is actually another use case for these and that is on the shore. They are compact enough and look "artsy" enough to line the boardwalk, or other areas near where people actually walk. I was at Cape Cod this summer and there seemed to be winds blowing all day long!

[@hughbrommage387]

Bring it on. More in the mix the merrier. Great concept. Low maintenance is the key

[@matthewyabsley]

If you have the opportunity to install these things the most practical use is in combination with a water tank. You can use what limited energy you have to preheat that water tank. It is unlikely you will generate enough energy to raise the temperature enough for normal use (shower, baths etc) but it is enough to lower the gas or electricity bill if your boiler is clever enough to moderate its burn depending on temperature. Further to that you can divert any excess energy (if exists) to a great big pot of sand, using that stored energy to raise the temperature of the water again if needed. It doesn't interfere with your existing tech, it collects some energy and doesn't need a lot of maintenance.

[@novantha1]

“SWTs struggle to get off the ground” In retrospect it should have been fairly obvious that mounting the device on a pole would impact its takeoff capabilities.

[@EmergentStardust]

From a mechanical engineering standpoint, that design is beautiful.

[@ShuRugal]

the O-wind looks like an excellent candidate for a flat-pack self-assembly kit. the turbine appears to be made of very simple repeating shapes which could be made from pre-cut sheet metal and assembled with simple tools. That would leave the generator and power delivery electronics as the most expensive component. It would be really cool to see this thing sold at several pricing tiers: 1 - "full service" - work with a local installer for the installer to provide and install a factory-built unit with all the bells and whistles 2 - "some assembly" - same full-featured kit as the "full service" version, but shipped as discrete subassemblies, with the turbine itself arriving in flat-pack form for the customer to install or arrange independent assembly/installation (say, from a general contractor) 3 - "turbine-only, assembly required" - just the turbine unit, in flat pack form, with a collet adapter to attach to a generator shaft. customer supplies own generator and control system.

[@Mephistahpheles]

That's my style! Reading all the negative comments on here....but my 1st turbine cost me under $10 in new materials (magnets) to convert a discarded ceiling fan into a generator. Efficient? Nope. Does it power much? Nope. It's enough to keep the lights on in my shed, though. Discarded "out of style", but perfectly good, LED tape light. Also not great....but, hell.....free is a good price. Google search for 3d printable version of this yielded....err...something. Not sure what, haven't chased that rabbit yet.

[@CAMacKenzie]

The thing I worry about in urban wind turbines is that wind exchanges the air in the city and moves out air pollution. If you take energy from the wind, it would seem to me that this would reduce air exchange and worsen air pollution in the city, though I suppose it might reduce pollution in rural areas.

[@WumbologyPHD]

You really kept shortening "small wind turbines" to SWTs, which just adds a syllable

[@AquilaSornoAranion]

And I have to translate it in my head every time. And just like all his videos, it's the only time you'll hear the abbreviation, and then never again (with very very few exceptions)

[@andybwilly]

that's how much he's obsessed with efficiency!

[@domzar7697]

If only our 350 million American friends would pay as much attention to appliance efficiency as Indian households. They do however tend burn a lot of stuff for their energy needs not so much AC etc and there are 1.49 Billion of them so not so green...

[@drachenfels6782]

@@domzar7697 quick math lesson, there is 1.49 billion of Indians each consuming 7586 kWh per year vs 350 million Americans each consuming 77028 kWh. If USA had population of India, we would be effectively Giedi Prime. Saying India is not so green because they have a larger population (and yet smaller energy consumption in total numbers) is laughable. And don't get me started that they started industrialization about 100 years after the USA and if you take historic emissions into account, Giedi Prime to power of 2.

[@KevinLyda]

I live in Ireland and consume about 17 MWh/year. That's because I have fully electrified my home and transport. No heating oil bill, no gas bill, no petrol bill. Just electricity. Wind is appealing to me because my largest use of electricity is in winter, not in summer. So my solar generation is low. Just a few kWh a day from a 6 kW array. Meanwhile I consume 60 - 100 kWh a day in winter. However there's loads of wind in winter. I'd need storage as well because it's not constantly windy. There are times I'd make a ton of energy and times I make very little. Some of that can be heat storage so it doesn't totally depend on batteries. My house is built with concrete blocks so it's a thermal store in itself. Even in rural areas there's a good case for residential wind in northern (or southern) latitudes.

[@KevinLyda]

@UndecidedMF27 does this sort of ridiculousness actually work?

[@mybootscamewithoutstraps]

I've said this and will always say this: There needs to be competition in every single space for creating better energy independence and there will never be 1 thing that rules them all. What will probably be best is that we use a mixture of things that are excellent at each individual situation. For a residential home like you or I may have, we might need solar and a few spinny balls to get the job done. For a commercial building, maybe they need a few large turbines and something else. My belief is that we should just try all of these things out and keep making progress. They're all viable.

[@dwwolf4636]

No we shouldn't. These things are an utter waste of time and materials. They are on the order of magnets for carburetors to improve fuel efficiency. The math doesnt math for these things. End of story.

[@kibashisiyoto6771]

Probably more cost effective to build giant wind turbines out in rural areas and send the electricity to the city by wire transmission line.

[@ThankYouESM]

I've been wondering since 2010... why not make the wind turbines out of solar panels to get the maximum from both worlds?

[@chandlermorris2219]

This is the first turbine I think I've seen that looks like an art piece. If I saw it in my city I would never have guessed that it was generating power.

[@Nphen]

I knew as soon as I saw the design it would be a true "omni" directional wind turbine. This is capable of harvesting otherwise wasted energy. Smart public policy would look at trying to find ways to maximize easy placement of these, and setting up home, apartment, and office/institutional microgrids that can act as VPP. For example, the Michigan State U campus is windy in the winter, when solar produces less. These could easily be installed on buildings and along walkways & streets by MSU's internal IPF (Infrastructure/Planning/Facilities) who could install battery banks in dorms and so on.

[@MickEMaus3000]

Rough numbers since they were coy about sharing: 2.2m diameter = 3.8 m^2 frontal area. Approximate mechanical output in a 6 m/s wind (assume Cp = 0.2 (probably high)) P = (1/2) (0.2) (1.2 kg/m^3) (3.8 m^2) (6 m/s)^3 = 98 Watts. The generator might produce 60% of that in electricity. So you are looking at 60 Watts on a mildly windy day. We only see those kind of winds maybe once a week (much less in the summer), but we have a poor wind resource. Omnidirectional wind capture is nice, but most of the wind is on a horizontal plane. So a Savonius would probably be nearly as effective if not more so because it doesn't have to make as many compromises to permit vertical airflow. Anyhow, that is what my gut tells me.

[@abrenos3744]

his invention is his spherical airfoil, its a pretty good idea, and we will be seeing extreme versions of these in the near future.

[@broccoli.invasion]

No mention at all about efficiency, and I guess so because it is probably terribly inefficient. The turbine has a small area, lots of surface area (thus air drag). If the design is to capture turbulent airflow, then it basically captures 'bursts' of energy, making power point tracking difficult and much worse than if the wind energy is stable. If you capture bursts of energy, you need to store it somewhere, because you can't do much with it otherwise.

[@briankuhl9314]

All SWTs are terribly inefficient, there return on investment is terrible. But the niche use case of leveraging gusty wind around tall buildings where the ambient wind is channeled may make them cost effective. Still they need safety testing and zoning approval, so I'm not sure they'll ever catch on?

[@garrenosborne9623]

Instead of big single turbines, lots of small ones integrated with neighbourhood & town planning. Plus most everyday domestic power use divides into heating/cooling {high power}& low power - device charging - like water needs a re think {blue, grey, brown}, maybe different circuits for use & power source. Combine total design integration {passive apartment block, not houses, with district heating - industrial heat run off, with community scale heat pumps, enhanced geothermal...... Chances are if your an urbanite...your not a man with castle & mote, your a built community anyway {apt block etc}, might as well acknowledge it - factor it your design ie earth ship the city space.

[@skierpage]

​@@garrenosborne9623 no, the economics of wind entirely drive you to bigger blades. A small wind turbine producing exponentially less power is not exponentially cheaper. Cities could put up large-ish wind turbines in the middle of parking lots or golf courses (over NIMBY objections); anything else is a waste of money. Instead make Renewable Power Purchase agreements with someone who can build an economically viable wind farm somewhere else, and reduce red tape and utility intransigence so more building owners install more solar.

[@Keovar]

The classic superhero MMO game, *City of Heroes*, has a zone literally named "Steel Canyon". *The original servers closed in 2012, but it's come back, run by fans.

[@Warp9pnt9]

I'm not totally sold on this specific design, but this is a very important area we need to explore and get right. There's massive amounts of free potential energy to capture with minimal environmental impact. This design is fascinating and exciting. But we need to stop relying on hopes and prayers and voodoo magic and corporate saviors. We need a rigorous and comprehensive analysis of the varied yet ultimately finite number of wind types, placement options, and capture options. We need to definitively and mathematically and scientifically prove which designs and scales are best suited for various situationally specific parameters. Additionally, beyond simply first-stage air flow contact, we need to explore and exploit the amplifying effects of positive reinforcement at harmonic frequencies. Like the way jet turbines exploit the Bernouli effect of an aerofoil shaped tube, combined with counter-rotating as well as static blades, to minimize wasted energy from eddies. Also, the claims of silence may be exaggerated, yet possibly plausible. Noise is caused by the eddies, as air molecules move fast around something and slap back together on the other side (right?). So if this sphere does minimize eddies, it could well be quieter than the ambient noise of wind naturally banging into trees, buildings, and our own outer ears. Finally, an area to consider that I think is oft overlooked is a comparison of energy lost by a bare "turbine" (loosely defined) that comes to a slow speed or full stop or changes directions 180° every few minutes, as the air typically moves in waves in my experience, with swells and lulls, back and forth, stronger in one direction than the other... anyways, compare energy loss from these fluctuations on a bare turbine versus a turbine with an in-built mechanical flywheel, an in-built electromechanical flywheel, an electronic "battery" flywheel, vs a nearby bank of such similar devices. These electronic (possibly electromechanical) power storage buffers might lose less energy than a raw turbine, if they keep turbine moving during lulls, somewhere between full speed and a minimum threshhold determined empirically or dynamically, say 10-25% maximum of past 5 minutes weighted also by past hour, or something. Show me the math. Show me the graphs. Show me the CAD files to 3D print or CNC mill or whatever-jet cut plates... also, p.s., as previously mentioned, we need to stop using non-recyclable materials like carbon fiber or fiber glass with plastic epoxy resins. (or find ways to recycle those). Steel, aluminum, wood, bamboo, modern "elastic" ceramics, I don't know. P.P.S. We also need to ensure we're not putting potential IEDs all over highly populated areas. When we get bad weather, these things can not just be over-spinning and exploding, or locked and sheering off their masts, etc. Anyways, my 2¢. Very fascinated by the topic and technology, but truly disgusted at the idiocy and simpkemindedness of humanity. Do better. R. Buckminster Fuller laid out the foundation: Comprehensive Anticipatory Design Science. Use it. Comprehensive scope, analysis, and understanding, anticipate all scenarios from construction to deconstruction, design using the rigours of science and math, observe, inquire, theorize, test, measure, interpret, conclusion, repeat iteration. Otherwise, we might as well throw chicken bones, read tea leaves, draw cards, look at planets and stars, flip coins, or bring back the old Gods, for all the futility and impotence of those fruits of human ignorance.

[@mkkm945]

I've always thought of the tops of NYC skyscrapers, particularly the 99% without outdoor viewing areas, as ideal. They're out of sight in a windy environment + the buildings themselves have shafts for wires and connections to grids. It's definitely worth investigating and perhaps investing in.

[@careylee2595]

One other plus; no strobing. In our marina, our neighbour has a 3 blade wind generator. On sunny windy days, we would get a strobing effect, making it unpleasant and hard to enjoy out cockpit.

[@TheCollectiveHexagon]

9:48 that's a problem of U.S households consuming 5x as much energy as any other country, 3x as much as the global average, not of the wind turbine itself.

[@davidbaker9943]

I could use this between my house and my neighbors it’s always windy there on both sides

[@MellowWind]

I've been waiting for a house turbine for years. It should be cheaper than solar which is very cost prohibitive in USA. I would buy one in a heartbeat if it were affordable.

[@skierpage]

As everyone in comments is explaining, small wind is not cheaper than solar. Wind power becomes economical when the swept area gets really big.

[@thedownwardmachine]

I would be happy to have a small one of these as an emergency backup power source for charging a solar generator, which in turn only needs to power LED lamps and recharge phones. I don't get much solar energy on my balcony but there is plenty of turbulent wind.

[@saschaganser9671]

Whole thing fall apart if you simply look at the wind speed and the energy it holds. Cities slow it down, making it senseless trying to harvest that little energy, as wind speed goes in with 3rd potency. Also, nobody wants these noisy turbines near living areas. There`s a reason for big windturbines far up at the coast and on hills / mountains. In cities, PV is way easier.

[@maltekoch1632]

There idea is capturing the spots in the city where wind speeds are high. Dought there are a lot of places which have stable this conditions. Not talking about the difficulties fixing these things to existing buildings. Big wind turbines are not to loud. Even as I was standing beside one most streets would be louder. A few hundred meters away trees and bushes are louder from the wind.

[@deniskhafizov6827]

If this turbine is truly omnidirectional, then why the inventor stays silent about mounting it on a horizontal axis? Or an axis of an arbitrary angle? This would be a huge benefit for installing it in the urban landscapes... if only it could work.

[@pgrosebud2012]

2 questions just popped into my mind: 1) do wind turbines get dirty enough naturally, to degrade efficiency. 2) if they do get dirty, how can a condo owner 20 floors up, clean the turbine?

[@phoenux3986]

New market for skyscraper window cleaners?

[@TheHoveHeretic]

A new drone application perhaps?

[@wirelesmike73]

Everything gets dirty, especially on the side of a building in a city. The buildup of dirt, mold, mildew, and other types of grime can both add to the weight of an object, and change the surface texture, both of which can affect the performance of almost anything, especially something that requires equal balance to function correctly. As far as cleaning, that would fall to the professionals, like those who do high-rise window cleaning. Those companies already do much more than just cleaning glass. They scrape, scrub, pressure-wash, clean, caulk, paint, reseal, and otherwise resurface most all building surfaces of all sizes. Anything larger than a standard residential home requires professional cleaning, even a simple one-story building like a gas station or fast food restaurant. Cleaning turbines would simply be another annual or biannual service requirement for any property, commercial, or otherwise. And, the fact that they connect to a power grid (even a localized one for an individual building) would require a certain level of safety protocol for maintenance. Not to mention the danger of working on or around such a large moving structure in a high-wind area. They would have to be locked down somehow to prevent them from moving while they're being worked on, and would most likely only require a good pressure washing every few years... depending on the environment and surrounding buildings. [On a high-rise rooftop, perhaps not so often. But, on a lower level building, surrounded by other structures with lots of exhaust and closer to ground traffic? That would require more regular maintenance. You'd be amazed how filthy things can get on the roof of any building. Even those way up above regular traffic and occupation.]

[@bysshe51]

So short answer yes, long answer it may not matter at this scale. On the largest scales damage due to dirt etc of the leading edge of the blades of a windmill degrades efficiency significantly. But on these small scales… probably not.

[@wirelesmike73]

@@bysshe51 💯 I would imagine that, even though these have more surface area than a standard blade type, they don't likely suffer the same kind of shear forces that result in such damage. Their shape and efficiency would probably protect them from such problems. They have so little drag that the effects of any erosion-type damage would likely be nominal. But, no doubt, there would be issues unique to their design that would be discovered over time. I can only imagine they would be less of an issue, though. This seems to be a really good design, even if the esthetic appearance isn't for everybody.

[@danfat5288]

It doesn't need to fully cover the energy demand ... It's enough only a percentage and it's something. More, you install it and it works day and night. Would be interesting to see a farm of these work in hurricane areas.

[@TheWhale45]

Ran a Body Shop Next to a 14 story building back in the 80s. Had a Wind Come down out of nowhere and almost rip the door of a car off the hinges. IT also lifted the Car and me Up about 2 inches. Needless to say the lady dropping her car off to be fixed was not happy. But she didn't blame me. She Blamed her Landlord as she worked in that building. Montgomery county md.

[@TheWhale45]

@UndecidedMF27 That's Nice. LOL>

[@RyuuKageDesu]

We live on the side of a small hill, where the wind can get to some dangerous, even destructive, speeds, but most the time it's supper calm. So, I'm curious about the extremes of the design. What is the slowest wind speed that will generate any energy, and what's the most destructive speeds it will handle.

[@maltekoch1632]

@@RyuuKageDesu besides the mechanical problems I heard a lot of power inverters die on small wind turbines. As input power fluctuations seems to be a lot worse then on solar.

[@williamwilson6499]

Ain’t no calm like supper calm.

[@RyuuKageDesu]

@@williamwilson6499 When it goes from nasty to calm, the supper calm can get so eerie you can almost taste it. Thanks for catching my typo. Too funny not to keep.

[@dwc1964]

I wonder if a flywheel might help mitigate these fluctuations

[@maltekoch1632]

@dwc1964 would push up the rotation mass. This would significantly increase the demands on bearings and stability and thus drive up prices. Less mass is needed if further from the rotation center, but giving big needs on the structure to keep the centripetal forces in control.

[@David-yo5ws]

I can see this in many niche markets. Being a low power producer in a small footprint, with little to no maintenance, it would be a beneficial asset to a small village or remote habitat. Maybe a low voltage system using 12v DC rectifier? But I think it could be a small business model for the DIY handyman as a franchise business model . That's where I think he should go instead of a central supplier or company.

[@davocc2405]

Would love to see this painted a matt black or similar matt dark colour so it's hard to discern its physical movement and looks more like a static sphere than something spinning that triggers our sense of motion detection.

[@theresolutemind9538]

I live on a windy/gusty ridge in the Colorado foothills and at an elevation 7,640 feet. With net metering, I’d loved to be a test site.

[@c.t.murray3632]

I like this Omni directional in that it doesn't hurt Birds, doesn't have insect nests. It does create electricity. I really don't like the large huge 900 ft tall wind turbine sitting in a field of corn. This is a great idea with time it will be exceptional energy source.

[@UndecidedMF43]

Here’s my W.A buzz breakdown: start with 1657, following with 353, and finish strong at 0772. I'll be expecting it on W.A

[@fattybusdriver]

If maybe scaled down slightly I think these would be perfect for being attached to street lighting along motorway networks. It would be an elevated position and in large open space. I saw a clip of them beside the road using the wind produced by moving vehicles but throw it up high as well. If they produce enough energy that the light uses in a year then the savings would be remarkable ans less strain on power networks especially in the winter.

[@ggardner1138]

We get good, sustained winds on the Texas coast. But can it survive salt or a hurricane or even a tropical storm?

[@xptechmikie]

I think this is an excellent innovation that could light up every city with electricity enough to replace all light bulbs with LEDs. It can also help store battery power in vast ways more efficiently.

[@johnbrooks5211]

Need something like this for the rv community say under 24” diameter. A little wind with some solar would make a big difference for an rv.

[@sebcam9498]

No matter the design, the energy produced is in direct relation with the surface covered by the blades. Three blades design is the most efficient of all, at producing the most electricity for a given surface, because they have been refined continuously since decades. And they are huge! Meaning is, to extract the same energy from the wind, supposing it would have the same efficiency (which is not true of course), that design would need to be big too, to be interesting for customers. Beside this, most areas are simply inappropriate because not seing consistent wind.

[@kicksnarehat4393]

Maybe take a reduction in efficiency but surround it with a wind permeable membrane so anything that makes contact with it just touches a solid stationary surface.

[@karlstathakis7786]

This is random, but I dig the new music you have in your intros. The old one wasn't bad or anything, but this one is just *nice*.

[@UndecidedMF43]

Here’s my W.A buzz breakdown: start with 1657, following with 353, and finish strong at 0772. I'll be expecting it on W.A

[@zero11010]

Definitely seems like tall buildings should be harnessing wind power and also hydroelectric power. Seems like bridges would be effective for this as well. Though, as far as hydroelectric power generation goes, you need a LOT of surface area or a LOT of height (some bridges have both), but it seems like you’d need to build for the weight/force of the water as well. It wouldn’t be as simple as each drop of water passing through a turbine on its way off the structure as it normally works. Funneling it would essentially capture more of it which would be more weight.

[@philsoldierX78]

This is goofy to focus on, but I never realized how consistent you are when mentioning the sponsor in the beginning when this is the first time I’ve seen you mention it without saying “more on that later.” Through me off more than I would’ve expected

[@PatDollard-h5u]

So often the case - it looks promising but really needs to be tested over time to see if will endure all the real world conditions that get thrown at it. i hope they have the funding to do just that. It would be so great to see a truly successful urban SWT solution.

[@ewwatt]

I love the design and I love how the inventor says what it is and what not. -An exception in a start up branch that lives from exaggeration of the features. I see the biggest challenge in the manufacturing. The bigger the plastic casting parts the more warpage. The more warpage the more assymetrical the turbine can get needing a complex balancing production step which increases production costs. I see no way to produce that turbine in UK cost efficient.

[@ewwatt]

@UndecidedMF27 I fear you are waiting for Godot. The time that I can spare on riddles is limited. Not being able to understand what VVA or WA means I'm missing a corner piece of the puzzle. The limitation of the digits to numbers allows 10^9 combinations so the result could cover IP4 range, a short URL or your Patreon UID ;-). Chances that I come back to the riddle are little. Having been flooded (in September in Austria, currently living with family in apartment) I have other priorities even throughout the holidays. At least on Patreon I can find you w/o riddels ;-).

[@Platypus2012]

Sending you healing vibes. Thank you for your great videos.

[@willburn182]

I would put one on my house!

[@FiveEars]

The Tumbleweed Rover is the Rover straight out of The Prisoner 😂

[@simon359]

All I need is the wind in the evening when there’s no solar coming in! If I could only dial the wind in on those hours, it would be great! 😜

[@theelectricmonk3909]

So buy a battery - get the best of both worlds: Energy when you need it, which is topped up when it's available.

[@tombh74]

I think the main downside of this product is the challenge with predicting production for a given location. For solar, production can easily be estimated, but with turbulent wind in city areas it can be a big challenge for wind generators. This can make it difficult to calculate return of investment. If some early adopters experience much lower production than promised, and without the option for a refund, the product can quickly get a bad reputation. Otherwise I like it,. Also the esthetics of it. It doesn't look so intrusive in the urban environment as other small windmills.

[@maltekoch1632]

My hopes are low on the visibility of the data, as many small wind turbine companies had big claims. If its specialized on turbulent gusty wind. How do the work with the extremely spikey power production? Extremely over speced power inverters, what pushes the cost. 2.2m wind turbines is not small. As are the forces big winds are acting on it. Especially with quickly changing direction even having dynamic and cycling loading. Giving needs to a really beefy holding structure. Nothing people renting just bolt to there 4th floor balcony.

[@bysshe51]

Actually less hard than you think. We have wind maps too 😊 biggest thing will be placements by knowledgeable installers. A shadow is easy to see. A wind-shadow less so.

[@maltekoch1632]

@bysshe51 wind maps with meter or less resolution. Predicting the turbulent flow from the buildings around on all wind angles. That seems pretty complex. Nothing you would have country wide.

[@tachywubdub2469]

I always had the same assumption. My guess is that a small demo device could be used to approximate true output over a trail period. Folks could then compare that to public wind data. And extrapolate power generation by date It won't be perfectly accurate but it is an estimate. What is apparent is that this isn't already a process and given the simplicity of the idea, I worry the engineers already know it is a bad idea.

[@maltekoch1632]

@@tachywubdub2469 in an open field with traditional locations wind maps should be the first step. With turbulences produced by the buildings around you, the simulation has to be a lot more detailed. Small difference can make huge difference in the outcome. There are maybe some spots with really higher wind speeds, but there are although some with much less than without the buildings. Problem the extemes can be pretty close each other.

[@graphixkillzzz]

i used to live on Jamaica Ave in Queens, and every few days a crazy gust of wind would rush up or down the street, regardless of season but i think it was crazier rushes of wind in the summer. i got caught in it a few times and it is definitely always strong enough to push you around. given all the shops with roll-up gates, it sounded worse than some good earthquakes i been in 😳😵‍💫🫨😵🤯

[@akinnon2000]

How about.. just placing solar panel ON giant wind turbines ?

[@renecaminada5867]

As you yourself have already mentioned, maintenance is the key to efficient use of wind turbines. That is why large wind turbines are much more cost-effective than small wind turbines. This design can also only provide a positive balance in specific places, and that is where the problem lies, which the designer himself honestly indicates. What I think is that this design also needs a study every time into what the wind strength is over a longer period to find out whether this design is applicable. Of course, the costs for research will decrease per individual/household if a study is applicable to multiple households or placement of multiple wind turbines, but the design seems to focus on an average household and then the costs for research into whether it is suitable will increase drastically. Where the 'resident' always experiences wind around his home, this will not immediately translate into a positive cost-benefit ratio. The fact is that wind is present 24/7, 365 days a year. Sun does not shine at night, wind does blow at night and at times when more power is required, such as in the evening when there is no sun. The question can also be asked for the US why they consume so much power? Our household does not even consume 2500 kWh per year, if you consume more than 4,000 kWh in the Netherlands, even your provider will wonder why, let alone 10,000 kWh per year :o . It would be much wiser for the average household in the US to change your consumption in order to save costs, then a wind turbine like this can be applied much more easily.

[@rynait]

US power consumption is bit skeptic. the real problem did not post the source here. my source said usa average home of 1,000 sq ft, tend to consume between 4 to 6 kwh. The problem is "average" home is not consistent (home vs condo vs apartment vs high rise) in USA thus SKEWING the data. When he said 10 kwh in usa,, I looked for source. nothing. bah humbug fake reporting.

[@rynait]

also another thing about "study" did you notice WHEN this inventor patented the o wind? I did; year 2018. Well that is 6 plus years old invention and that O-innovation did not publish preliminary study ... I liked robert murray's video about o-wind and how study is "delayed", but six years old...(head shaking).

[@KatharsisderWelt]

Solar panels don't work in a forest, and I doubt these will either. What options do forest dwellers have?

[@brianegendorf2023]

One of my grandfather's favorite jokes was, "Why is a windy area known as Napolean's corner?" Answer: "Because you get "Blownaparte"

[@stevefrancis4949]

I like the Darwin turbines which takes dirty air and makes it clean. There's a company called Ventum using this kind of design could be a new chimney especially if you string them in series

[@onenote6619]

Thing you have to remember about all Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTS) is that half their blades are always moving into the wind and losing power while the other half are being pushed by it and gaining power. They work by shaping the 'into' side to resist wind less than the 'away' side. Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTS or windmill-style) generate power across their entire surface. For an equal surface, HAWTS will always beat VAWTS on efficiency, which is why all the big windfarms use them. Anything that spins will generate vibrations. Nothing is built perfectly. And if you put rapidly-spinning machines on your dwelling, there will be vibrations. The higher you go, the more wind you get. The more cluttered the area is, the less useful energy you will get.

[@TheHoveHeretic]

I'm thinking Voith Schneider propellers?

[@richpalmisano1740]

Good analysis, someone actually did some research and didn't have their rose colored glasses on.

[@maxtorque2277]

Also you need to consider the V cubed term in the power formula, a turbine that has a small capture area (omi-ball thingy) relys on fast windspeeds to make it's power, but the cube terms means hugely varriable output. ie 2m/s wind = 8w, 4m/s =64w, 10m/s = bang! (1000W), this makes it really really hard to load match it

[@onenote6619]

@@TheHoveHeretic Those are designed for propulsion in water, not power generation from air. The cases are very different.

[@SSGrille]

Matt, thanks for sharing this. I think this could be an added option in the right environment. I also work in the city, and experience the winds funneled down the street. I don’t see why these could not be of benefit. I like hearing about people and groups who are thinking outside the box, and at least trying, and testing, different ideas. This may, or may not, be an option, but it has given thought to another out there to help solve their issue.

[@2Burgers_1Pizza]

Make it reflective so it works for pigeons as well. My neighborhood will be filled with these overnight. 🤣🤣🤣

[@Jourei_]

Now _there's_ the marketing energy we need!

[@Yay295]

I really don't think you actually want a giant disco ball outside your house.

[@wirelesmike73]

@@Yay295 or, multiple rows of them. lol

[@katanatherobocrux]

@@Yay295 *disco dancing intensifies*

[@LVANH_Lynx]

😂

[@dinokknd]

Generally these small turbines never generate enough power to actually justify their installation. I wish O-wind the best of luck actually beating those bleak prospects.

[@DanielEdwards-]

Put a wind turbine where I live on the north east coast of Scotland and you’ll have all the free energy you need. Some places are better suited than others, especially in winter with that cold Arctic breeze blowing from the north for 4 months!

[@billberg1264]

A while back, I was trying to find a good wind turbine design for a tjasker. I looked all over for something suitable for a DAWT that wasn't just a tilted VAWT or HAWT. Nice to see someone bring one to market. Can anyone find firm numbers for this thing's % efficiency? My back-of-the envelope math suggested that tilting a VAWT at 45° could give a 30% performance penalty in the worst case. -VAWTs being 10-40% efficient to start with, that results in 7-28% efficiency when all is said and done. If this thing can hit 30% efficiency, it's a good fit for this use case.- Actually, let's compare it to Savonius-type turbines, since I've read those are suitable to applications that move water, such as a tjasker. Those could reasonably be 20% efficient, then apply the 30% penalty for being at a 45°-angle, and the tjasker would be getting about 14% efficiency. This thing would then look good to me if it can manage 15%.

[@StoneTitan]

Given how many have their airconditions hanging on their Buildings, could be interesting if they found a way to combine a wind turbine with an Aircondition it would bee a natural combination imo

[@UndecidedMF43]

Here’s my W.A buzz breakdown: start with 1657, following with 353, and finish strong at 0772. I'll be expecting it on W.A

[@v57Videos]

Can someone explain to me like I'm 5 why the costs for something like this is so high / equivalent to modern solar? I clearly don't understand all the costs associated, but the actual wind capture mechanism seems like it shouldn't be too expensive given it's size... So outside of general R&D, where are the costs coming from?

[@maaike_franskravelzen8467]

I've been working in this field and I can tell you this. Small wind turbines are not efficient enough (and will never be) to compete with solar. Period. They make noise, need maintenance, will fail and disappoint you. The motto with wind turbines is, the bigger the better. Albert Betz discovered that there is a maximum amount of energy you can harvest from wind (59,3%). And that is in laminair flow.....

[@jakejacobs1227]

The Venturi effect is not how a wing generates lift.

[@jakejacobs1227]

@UndecidedMF27 Waiting for? Is this your VE equation calculation?

[@jerm22278]

The biggest problem I see with them; is the industry keeps trying to make them "comparable to solar". They're never going to make it unless they're more affordable. Wind is simply a supplemental backup to a solar backup behind the grid's power. Even off grid, wind would only be used to backup solar. They can't price it as a primary power source, when it's so far down the line.

[@CFPVideoProductions]

What happens to our weather system when large amounts of energy is pulled from the air? Will we have drouts where large annual rainfalls are expected for crops? Will we have floods where they never happened in the past?

[@CFPVideoProductions]

@UndecidedMF29 ? Confused with your response.

[@franceswilliams2421]

Hi Matt, love your work, could you do a video on why energy consumption is so high in the states?, is it cultural ie never switching off the lights or is it lack of energy efficiency in home appliances and construction, thanks so much for your work 🎉

[@andmicbro1]

While the turbine might not meet the total energy needs of the average American home, my thought is using it as supplemental energy generation. So like use it in combination with solar panels. I've actually had an idea in my head for a while now, that using traditional solar panels, plus some small residential wind turbines, and having decent battery storage, you could probably meet a good deal of your energy needs. There were also those transparent solar glass that was in a prototype state a few years back. And while it is less efficient than a traditional solar panel, if you used solar glass for windows, and solar panels, and wind turbines, taken together you could reach a level of power output that would be pretty impressive. It'll probably take doing something like that in an industrial building, or large office as a proof of concept, since the cost to install everything would likely be quite high. But in the future if we mass produce this stuff and it becomes more common, it wouldn't be surprising to see it become more common in residential dwellings of all kinds as well. I'm also excited for the promise of geothermal power as well. We might someday power everything off green generation sources. From wind, solar, geothermal, and other forms, and we won't need to touch coal ever again.

[@EdwardBartel]

Matt, a question on consumption: a device like this that provides 2,000-5,000 KWH per year ought to be sufficient for the average American homeowner when paired with an energy storage solution, right? I live in Buffalo, NY, where the average wind speed is 11.8mph. So, I would assume that I should get output on the high side of the range. If I have a power wall solution installed, e.g. an Anker Solix X1 with 12kw storage, that 5,000 kwh output should be sufficient to fill up the power wall during off peak hours so my demand is leveled out in a largely off-grid solution. I am NOT an expert on this, so please correct any errors or gaps in my logic. This might be a good topic for you to cover in a future video as I haven't been able to find any content on KZbin about pairing small residential wind turbines like this with home energy storage.

[@enmodo]

I think it would be more popular in urban spaces if they put LEDs along all the leading edges and enabled it to do 3D animated displays. That would not use much power and could be aesthetic, informational, or commercial.

[@anotherplottwist]

Would love to have this one in the backyard

[@kim-ys2fs]

I support anything which brings energy independence to urban areas like this But frankly, we also need to be considering renters, people who dont own the buildings they live in, have no gardens etc. Because thats when we will have won the energy transition battle

[@caseyleedom6771]

Something you didn't consider: What's the effect of the "O-Wind" on wind in a City Scape? Imagine if you had a significant number of these within a city: Could this have a significant calming effect on wind at Ground Level? This could be an additional advantage, somewhat akin to the idea of Noise Treating a Restaurant in order to bring down the total Acoustic Energy bouncing around the interior.

[@mworld]

Here in Australia we have an energy storage problem. Through the day there is more than enough energy being produced by all the roof top solar. The energy managing authorities now want a way to turn off the output of roof top solar indicating there is too much energy available. Opinion: Energy transition is really wealth transfer.

[@domzar7697]

G'day . I spent a 18 months in OZ, Perth WA, Mt Isa QLD and Sydney NSW and you definitely have way too much solar. What you need is battery sound obvious I know and they aren't cheap but you get to store all that sunshine for the evening and night time and when the battery is full sell what you don't need overnight those greedy Utility companies. FYI I have solar and a battery (Powerwall3) in not so sunny Manchester UK but the 13.5kwh storage supplies all our household consumption and then some. In winter we charge the battery from the grid at cheap rate prices (wind blows over the North sea most of the time) which makes up for the lack of solar as its seriously dark and miserable here mate 🥶

[@scottstormcarter9603]

Those could be mounted in between divvied highways. Getting air movement form Wind and vehicles.

[@JorisRobijn]

Have you though of what part of the car's movement energy you can actually catch? And does that cause extra fuel use on cars? If the latter is the case, you can also use a conventional energy plant to burn some organic matter... The idea sounds nice but is very cost-inefficient and is only used to catch subsidies, not wind.

[@pablomax9376]

I have also looked into windmills since where I live it's always at least a bit windy. The costs are just obscene when compared to solar though. For the amount of power they can generate, it's simply not reasonable on the scale of a single family home.

[@Bbonno]

What does this thing do if you mounted it like a gyroscope?

[@someoneoncesaid6978]

Apartments are out, unless it's something being done by the landlord. I've lived in apartments most of my life, and I don't think a single one of them would've allowed the electrical infrastructure overhaul that would be needed to install any type of renewable energy source. Most won't let people put up a small Dish antenna - they're definitely not going to allow a 7-foot ball attached to the side of their building. It's also one of the reasons why the US will not be able to move to totally electric cars within our lifetimes. Most apartment complexes across the country just have open parking, and even those that do have assigned parking space don't have any way for the tenant to run electricity from their apartment out to where their parking space is in order to install a charging station. Unless landlords are heavily incentivized to run buried electrical cables from each apartment out to designated parking spaces, then apartment dwellers will never be able to purchase totally electric cars.

[@isaacgraff8288]

I have been thinking putting wind on sky scrapers for years. That high up, they have their own wind patterns

[@piknar]

All fixed wind turbines are ole fishing tech. I have proven that wind turbines should always be moving and not waiting for the wind. WOD stands for "wind on demand", and you can follow my handle and see for yourself. Wind turbines should be moving. Not standing and waiting for wind. i think i am the first person to prove that a 2 blade turbine works in wod power set up, i call it winde prounounced windy. big love

[@TeslaEVolution]

This is great - you show TONS of great tech but FEW become commercial realities, so adding "PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS METER" and timeline for it would be GREAT. Without it, it is mostly a "Hey this is a cool tech!!" nothing more!

[@Potrimpo]

Even the O's can offset a fair amount of non-renewable energy sources. It won't completely eliminate it, 20%-50%, but that's 20%-50% that's being used. Added that if there's wind at night, then there's potential of being able to store it as either hydrogen fuel, batteries, capacitors, even that ocean battery.

[@lemon_boy577]

that's OK tho. it's not suppose to take care of it all. it's like a side dish since city dwellers can't do anything crazy

[@chisaomusician7752]

I'll take one.