Urban Wind Electric Generators

Urban wind generators: wind electricity in our cities

What about generating electricity from wind in urban sites?

Up until now the answer has been no. Problems of noise, safety issues, aesthetics and bad performance (due to wind turbulence, building obstructions, and insufficient wind resources) have turned the production of wind electricity in urban environment a mere mirage. But… some new products are being offered or are on the verge of it. There are some companies offering micro and small wind turbines (without conventional towers) to be used on top of urban buildings, and their goals and claims are high…




Image: urban micro system of Av Architectural Wind


Different urban wind turbine designs and different products

The turbine designs for urban environments are very different from traditional three-blade models supported by a tall tower, and also very different from each other.

The Windside model (from Windside Wind Turbines, a Finnish company) has a spiral-flame look…

The model proposed by AV Architectural Wind, an American company) is based on an array of micro turbines, very similar to large fans.

Aeroturbines model (from Aerocture, based on a model projected by a professor of University of Illinois) has a complex rectangular shape. That’s just examples.

Manufacturers' claims

Manufacturers of these products point out features as the elimination of the support tower, their noise-free and vibration-free characteristics, their quick installation onto buildings, their performance, etc.

But there is a huge problem. Urban wind systems are rather experimental and typically non-tested products. These equipments may function, but their performance and the low maintenance costs at low wind speeds that some manufacturers are claiming are yet to be tested and confirmed.

Experimental products, rather untested

On-building wind turbines are an emerging and interesting technology, but they are also rather experimental products, untested by use and experience, with few or no reports on them.

Though there are claims on contrary, these products are very sensitive to local wind conditions, and their output may vary a lot.

Manufacturers of urban wind turbines

The number of manufacturers engaged in urban wind turbines is rather restrict. Between the most important we can mention:

AeroVironment (USA)
Aerotecture (USA)
Ecofys (Netherlands)
Windside (Finland)
Windsave (UK)
Renewable Devices (UK)

See, for more information:
Wind Energy Basics







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