Here’s a very interesting idea for generating electricity from windstalks rather than using wind blades. New York design firm Atelier DNA consider that these wind stalks will generate as much electricity in the same area as conventional wind farms. However, the land underneath wind stalks could not be used for agricultural purposes as conventional land-based wind farms do. But could the idea be used on old industrial sites brownfield sites like some of Liverpool or London Docklands. What about on the roofs of concrete buildings – Wind Stalk – micro-generation plants? On a micro-scale don’t they look like spikes that are used to keep birds off windows ledges? Could we have nano-generation energy plants?
Read on for more information about this idea.
Atelier DNA’s “Windstalk”project came in second in the Land Art Generator competition a contest sponsored by Madsar to identify the best work of art that generates renewable energy from a pool of international submissions.
The proposed design calls for 1,203 ““stalks,” each 180-feet high with concrete bases that are between about 33- and 66-feet wide. The carbon-fiber stalks, reinforced with resin, are about a foot wide at the base tapering to about 2 inches at the top. Each stalk will contain alternating layers of electrodes and ceramic discs made from piezoelectric material, which generates a current when put under pressure. In the case of the stalks, the discs will compress as they sway in the wind, creating a charge.
Read the full article in Discovery News
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