Building integrated wind turbines

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Wind Energy)

Applied Research and Development

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

Not Cross-cutting

Mr DE Kirton
Materials
Bradford West City Community Housing Trust Ltd

3

Carbon Trust

01 February 2004

30 April 2006

26 months

£79,830

Yorkshire & Humberside

Mr DE Kirton, Materials, Bradford West City Community Housing Trust Ltd

Project Contact, ESD Ltd
Project Contact, Renewable Devices Ltd
Project Contact, Genasys Ltd

The overall aim of the project is to demonstrate the technical viability of installing and operating wind turbines on high-rise buildings. This will provide scope for further product development and improvement towards full commercialisation. It will stimulate the take up of wind technology in urban areas through replication of this project, increasing the reduction in CO2 emissions.

The project will look at the practical issues of installing and operating wind turbines on high-rise residential blocks. There will be three key stages to the project: 1.Technical design of the turbines to suit the building context and design of the fixing platforms and elements. 2.Installing the turbines - logistics, mounting, commissioning. 3.Monitoring turbine performance and reporting. While wind as an energy source has had increasing exploitation in the UK, smallscale urban projects, andparticularly building integrated systems, are virtually non-existent. Therefore, it is necessary to develop early demonstration projects that will look into the processes and stages involved in applying wind technology to buildings and will build up evidence of its performance in this context. Bradford West City Community Housing Trust (BWCCHT) manages a large portfolio of tower blocks in Bradford in three varieties - 'Y' blocks, 'H' blocks, and Court blocks - all due for refurbishment. Sustainable energy is high on the Trust's agenda and prominent roof-mounted wind turbines will make a strong visual statement of the comprehensive energy upgrade undertaken. Two leading UK wind turbine suppliers, Genasys Energy and Renewable Devices have been drawn into this project. Each will supply and install a selected model from their products range - five Ropatec 6kW turbines and two RD SWIFT turbines. The installation will be preceded by thorough planning and design whichwill address the specific context of the tower blocks in terms of building structure, roof layout, mounting, fitting, output and safety. Following installation, continuous monitoring for up to 15 months will be carried out in order to establish the yet unknown performance of wind turbines in built-up spaces, particularly with regard to technical feasibility, structural integrity and energy outpu

01/01/07