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Wind turbine |  |
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Buzzing Hong Kong is better known for keeping lights on all night and
the air conditioner running full blast, not saving energy. But
engineers in the city have introduced an innovative wind energy
technology than can help both rural and city residents protect the
environment and cut down on energy costs - without having to spend a
fortune on an expensive device. Claudia Blume reports.
A large wind turbine on a small outer island is one of Hong Kong's
few sources of renewable energy. One of the reasons not more are being
built is that the wind in the city is simply not strong enough, a
problem it shares with many places worldwide. Engineers at the University of Hong Kong and a private
renewable energy company have developed a new micro wind turbine that
can generate electricity even if wind speeds are as low as two meters
per second.
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Inventor Lucien Gambarota demonstrates how the micro wind-turbine can generate electricity | |
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Lucien Gambarota , the main inventor of the technology, says this is
its advantage over conventional small wind turbines, which only work
about 40 percent of the time because of low wind speed.
"We never stop this machine and they never stop because there
is always one meter per second wind - 365 days, 24 hours a day, they
keep working," said Gambarota. "They deliver different levels of energy
because the wind changes but these turbines they keep moving, they keep
spinning."
Gambarota says the small turbines are ideal for crowded cities
such as Hong Kong because they can be installed on rooftops and
balconies.
Their design is simple: plastic gearwheels, each about 25
centimeters in diameter, are linked to one another and turn, moved by
the wind. Groups of gearwheels can be arranged in an array of shapes
and sizes, ranging from about two up to thousands of square meters,
depending on how much energy is needed and how much space is available.
The energy generated by the turbines is stored in a battery, which then
powers electrical appliances.
The wind turbine is easy to install and comparatively cheap. At
the moment, a set of 20 gearwheels costs about $25. Gambarota says the
price will go down once the turbines are being mass-produced, making
them a good option for consumers who want to cut down on their energy
costs.
"Let's say if you have good conditions, five, six meters [of
wind] per second, if you are a family with one kid you need most
probably three, four square meters of that then you can most probably
cover at least 60, 70 percent of your [energy] needs."
The technology can also help power bigger buildings.
Administrators at Hong Kong's Sea School, a secondary school offering
basic seaman training, will install the new micro wind-turbines on its
roof in April.
Gambarota says his biggest dream is to see his invention being
used in developing countries. He says energy generated by micro wind
turbines can be used to pump water, for example, saving women and girls
from having to walk for miles to rivers and lakes to fetch it. via VOA News
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