Wind turbine

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.

​According to a US Geological Survey estimate, anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of bats are killed by wind turbines annually – in the US alone. New technology may help reduce those numbers, however, by causing the turbine blades to whistle at the animals.

​While some people might say that electronic devices have no business being on camping trips, the fact is that items such as LED lanterns, GPS units, two-way radios and cameras all have batteries that need charging. The Giga is designed to meet that need, using the power of the wind.

Although wind turbines may be a valuable source of eco-friendly energy, they do have at least one drawback – bats are frequently killed by their spinning blades. A promising new system is designed to help keep that from happening, however, by producing an ultrasonic acoustic field.

The O-Wind Turbine has taken out the UK£30,000 (US$39,000) first prize in this year's James Dyson Awards. This crooked, vented spherical device is designed to hang from skyscraper balconies and generate electricity in the chaotic wind conditions of a high-rise metropolis.