tiltin at windmills on the rooftops of holland

January 27, 2003

another reason the netherlands rule

Wind power is usually generated in vast, open spaces -- mountaintops,

prairies, or offshore in shallow waters. But the Netherlands is

taking wind power to new heights, literally: the rooftops of

buildings in metropolitan areas. With light, quiet, efficient

designs that often blend into the surrounding architecture, these

urban windmills are built to take advantage of the severe turbulence

and rapid shifts in wind direction that are typical of cities.

Amsterdam, the Hague, Tilburg, and Twente all plan to install urban

windmills this year, at a cost of $5,000 to $12,000 each. One

windmill that's already been installed on the roof of a technical

school is capable of generating about 5,000 kilowatt-hours of energy

per year, or more than enough for an average Dutch family (although

only about half enough for an average U.S. household).

straight to the source: MSNBC.com, Douglas Heingartner, 27 Jan 2003

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