EWP says a collection of 10 of its 50-kW Sky Farm turbines could trim a 500,000-square-foot high-rise’s power needs by 10 percent. That estimate is based on on wind studies it did on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Green Building in Cambridge (where EWP is based). There, the company said, a single Sky Farm would generate about 45,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year – enough to power six to eight homes.

“One turbine can power a building’s electrical emergency/backup, eliminating the need for a diesel generator,” said Jonathan Haar, president of EWP. “It can also produce more usable energy than a 10,000-square-foot solar photovoltaic array.”

image via Shutterstock

The smaller footprint of vertical-axis turbines is a point the company is emphasizing in its marketing;  Vice President Linda Haar alluded to it in an interview with EarthTechling in November 2011 when explaining why the company was aiming to sell its products to high-rises. And, she noted, “this is a market that’s really important because urban areas demand the most energy, but also have the least options, as far as green energy.”

EWP has partnered with Siemens to develop on improving its generator and inverter system. It erected a prototype at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport in 2010 and that turbine is now grid-connected and producing power for the airport.

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