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Brussels tests mini wind turbine on residential buildings to diversify clean energy sources in cities.
Brussels City Council is testing a new approach to generating renewable energy in cities. The aim is to diversify the sources of clean energy available to the population by generating wind power in urban areas. The project involves installing a mini wind turbine on a building on Avenue de l'Héliport in the Laeken district. The initial investment is 6 euros to assess the viability of this technology in residential settings. wind turbine can become an important alternative for energy generation in cities.
The wind turbine and its functionality
the mini CBT wind turbine was developed by the startup Renewind and is designed to be installed on the roof of buildings.
This equipment can take advantage of the acceleration of the wind at the edge of the roof, a phenomenon that can generate between 1 and 3 MWh of energy per year.
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According to Benoît Hellings, Brussels’ Councillor for Climate, urban wind turbine technology can provide stable and predictable electricity throughout all seasons.
Using wind turbines on rooftops could transform the way cities generate energy.
Challenges of wind turbines in cities
Production the energy from wind turbines in urban centers faces challenges, mainly due to wind variation.
Buildings can cause obstructions that make power generation less predictable.
Despite this, the idea of using wind turbines in cities is promising, especially in places that don't get many hours of sunlight but have access to consistent air currents.
The Brussels city government plans to expand this test to other regions of the country, highlighting the importance of the turbine for the future of cities.
Success stories in other cities
Research from institutions such as the Institute of Energy and Environment and the Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences at USP shows that wind energy can be generated in urban areas.
A study carried out in São Paulo, focused on small wind turbines, revealed that, even in environments with unstable winds, it is possible to produce renewable energy.
One of the models studied, the Proven 2.5, managed to generate around 4.330 kWh per year, enough to supply two homes.
This data reinforces the viability of wind turbines in cities, showing that this technology can spread.
However, the implementation of small turbines still faces difficulties.
The high cost of the equipment, which can reach R$43 thousand, makes the financial return unfeasible within a reasonable period of time.
In Brazil, although the country ranks eighth in terms of wind power generation capacity, small turbines still represent a minimal fraction of total generation.
The expansion of the use of turbines is essential so that cities can make better use of their potential.
Future of wind energy in Brussels
Brussels is at the forefront of the search for innovative energy solutions, investing in technologies that enable the generation of renewable energy directly in homes.
the introduction of turbines wind power in cities can represent a significant step forward towards sustainability.
