Wind energy without the turbines
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/18956998 w=500&h=400]
Among the features in the New York Times 2010 Year in Ideas was a short animated video illustrating vibro-wind technology, which harvests wind energy without the use of traditionally large, bladed turbines. Instead, wind causes an array of lightweight members in a vibro-wind installation to oscillate; connection to a piezoelectric transducer converts the mechanical energy of that oscillation into electricity. The technology is young, but a research group at Columbia University developed and built a vibro-wind prototype last year. If successful, it could be installed on building facades, rooftops, and various other urban infrastructure, purportedly at lower cost than larger-scale turbines.
(via Jetson Green)