DailyDirt: Building Better Wind Turbines

We've mentioned some wind power projects before, but wind is still a relatively small contributor to total energy production in the US. Sure, there are some problems with not having wind available 24/7 -- as well as people complaining about bird deaths and a ruined view. Still, there are some solutions to some of these problems, and it might be nice to generate more electricity without burning fossil fuels.

• The Department of Energy is looking at bigger and better wind turbines to generate more wind energy. Towers over 100 meters tall could increase wind energy supply in the US beyond 5% of the nation's electricity demands. [url]
• GE has an interesting design that improves wind turbine efficiency. A dome shaped attachment allows the blades on the turbine to harness more wind energy -- not by an amazing amount, but any improvement is a good one to make things more cost effective. [url]
• Vortex is a bladeless wind turbine design from a Spanish company that oscillates in resonance with the wind. It doesn't have as many moving parts, so it's cheaper to build -- and doesn't kill birds or bats. If you'd like one, you can get a desktop scale model in its crowdfunding campaign. [url]

After you've finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.

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