Wind turbine

To maximize the exposure of wind turbines, blades are placed atop tall towers on the crests of hills or miles off shore. But a new study has shown how turbines behind hills could actually produce higher amounts of energy than those out in the open.

Norway's Wind Catching Systems has made a spectacular debut with a colossal floating wind turbine array it says can generate five times the annual energy of the world's biggest single turbines – while reducing costs to be immediately competitive.

Wind turbines are a good source of renewable energy, but they typically incorporate heavy-duty towers – thus making them permanent structures. The new Wind Catcher, however, is designed to be lightweight and portable.

Denmark's Vestas is looking to become an industry leader in offshore wind, and has introduced the V236-15.0 MW turbine to take the fight to GE. The new design's blades offer the largest swept area in the world.

We’ve been tracking the progress of the world’s largest offshore wind turbine since GE Renewable Energy first revealed its plans for the enormous machine in 2018, and the company has now revealed an even more powerful version.

America's first "commercial scale" offshore wind energy project has decided to use GE's colossal Haliade-X turbines, the world's largest. Standing as tall as an 85-story building, with 722-foot rotors, each one is a 12-13 MW generator.

As renewable energy grows in popularity around the world, efforts to cut costs and increase its appeal in every way possible continue, and a bug-inspired six-legged robot may have an important part to play in this.

Hassell has designed UWA's new Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences building. The project is defined by a shading screen of metal "petals." It also boasts sustainable technology, such as solar power and an advanced monitoring system.

The wheels have begun to turn on an interesting new form of wind turbine in Sweden, with the country’s first wooden power-generation tower now complete. It's hoped the tower will be a harbinger of cheaper and greener solutions for renewable energy.

Wind turbine blades can be truly enormous, reaching lengths of up to 107 m (351 ft). They often incorporate lightweight balsa wood, which may soon be easier than ever to reclaim for recycling when the blades' time is done.

The waters surrounding the UK have long played home to some of the world's most ambitious renewable energy projects, and they are set to welcome another with construction now underway at Dogger Bank, the world's largest off-shore wind farm to be.

​While we've already seen that large-scale wind turbine blades which are shaped like humpback whale fins can be more efficient, what works for big turbines doesn't necessarily work for little ones. In fact, a new study suggests that for small-scale units, copying seagull wings may be the way to go.