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The galician firm VICUSdt analyzes the feasibility of installing wind generators in urban buildings

The Galician company VICUS Desarrollos Tecnológicos, based in Vigo, is conducting a project in collaboration with the engineering firm Larpro Engineering S.L., to discuss the feasibility of installing systems for wind power generation in urban places in Galicia. It also aims for optimizing designs of wind turbines and its operating environment (roof, terrace roof, front, etc.), in order to get maximum energy efficiency.
Until now, large fields of windmills have been in exclusive to promote wind power in areas such as Galicia. However, mini-wind turbine in cities is a new opportunity that is presented to the renewables energy sector, and initiatives such as VICUSdt will make the best possible way. This work has INCITE program financing from the General Director of R & D & I, belonging to the Ministry of Economy and Industry, Xunta de Galicia.

URBAN WIND ADVANTAGES

Such facilities have the main advantage that the point of generation and consumption are the same. Electricity does not have to transport, therefore avoiding potential losses that would occur during transport. It´s produced at small-scale and energy efficiency increases. The objective of the implementation of wind energy in urban areas is to encourage distributed generation, clean energy production as well as to increase energy independence and savings.

"Wind energy can be affordable for all, and most importantly, it would generate energy close to where it is really needed," says Adrian Sarasquete, VICUSdt manager. Moreover, this technology is used to supply electricity in remote places, but also to relieve the low voltage power networks in cities.

IDEAL LOCATION AND DESIGN

The conditions for wind power generation in urban environments are more complex than in open areas or on mountain tops because the wind speed is lower and more turbulent flow. The effectiveness of the device depends on factors such as geographic location of the building, surrounding buildings or the shape of the roof.

Therefore, the work of VICUS Desarrollos Tecnológicos is crucial for optimization of wind energy in cities. The exact locations, the necessary height and the improvement potential if building design is reviewed will be identified with protocols for analysis and assessment of the locations and layout of the buildings that this firm will launch, along with its advanced mathematical tools for computer simulation.

The predictions of the noise generated by wind turbines are a very important aim in this project, because noise pollution is a main problem for the living in urban areas. This will be carried out complex numerical simulations of aero acoustics.

The experimental simulation research will focus on other aspects such as characterization of the wind environment in the city, the performance of specific wind generators in urban areas, the comparison of applicable technologies (vertical and horizontal axis of the mill) to discover its efficiency, and the impact of changing the design of the roofs of buildings or wind turbines.

The direct beneficiaries of this project would not only engineering firms and installers or school of architecture, which would save costs by having all that information, but building owners and residents' associations or companies, as allowed optimal placement of these devices.

"The technological knowledge generated as study models of locations and building design means great interest to promote the integration of this type of energy utilization in Galicia from 2011", says Adrian Sarasquete. Moreover, VICUSdt research are the first steps to open a research and innovation to define new locations for wind power, as could be the vessels.

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