Going green does include many aspects of life, and among those aspects would be the clever use of renewable energy. Solar power, as well as wind turbines do come in handy to power up your appliances and home, but how much wind is required? A whole lot, really, but then again we continue to discover new ways of being more efficient when it comes to generating juice from winds. In fact, it is said that folding offshore wind turbines might eventually be the source of energy for 10,000 homes in the US.
Basically, in order to realize such a vision, the Department of Energy would like to see the implementation of 50MW turbines that will feature 650-foot blades. These massive monoliths of eco-friendliness will be part of a plan to generate 20% of the US’ electrical power from wind alone by the time 2030 rolls around, which is a definite and ambitious intention.
These wind turbines will obviously have to be placed offshore, as that is where winds are steadier and stronger, but to do so would also increase the cost astronomically. Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories have decided that the design in the video above that boasts of 650-foot blades will be able to generate up to 50 megawatts of power – making them cost effective. Now, the only thing is to make sure that such an idea can be implemented.
Filed in . Read more about Eco-friendly. Source: phys.org
