Eco Factor: Floating wind turbine platform can hold large wind turbines.
While solar energy can only be harnessed during the day, wind power may be one of the best renewable energy solutions. However, as turbines get larger they get noisier and turn into an eyesore on the landscape as well. Ocean-based wind turbines do better the conditions, but current technology restricts the turbines to near-shore waters, with depths no greater than 50 meters.
As an alternative, several manufacturers and designers are envisioning floating platforms that can allow wind turbines to be installed in deeper waters, where winds generally gust at higher speeds. Principle Power has designed a floating platform, dubbed WindFloat, which is less destructive to the environment as it floats and its base doesn’t need to be anchored to the bedrock.
The company states that the WindFloat can hold even the world’s largest wind turbine that will be capable of generating about 5MW of power – enough to power a small town. They’ve also designed the turbine so that it can be assembled onshore and then carried to the installation space.
Via: Science Daily/Inhabitat
