One of the basic problems with wind power capturing wind regardless of direction. Ask any sailor. A number of turbine designers have solved this problem with vertical turbines, which will turn regardless of wind direction. Quiet Revolution, a London-based firm, has one model in production and producing power all over the United Kingdom. Installations of the Q5 turbine, according to quiet revolution, numbered 25 in June of this year, and were expected to top 100 by the end of the year. Quiet Revolution’s FAQ

describes  the advantages of the QR5, which sounds ideal for locations like lower Manhattan: coastal, with a pre-Revolutionary street grid (i.e. narrow streets) and extremely tall buildings, which conspire to amplify windspeed. From the quiet revolution FAQ:

What are the advantages of quietrevolution turbines?

The qr5 is a vertical axis wind turbine that we have designed specifically for the built environment:

* it is much more appropriate for winds near and around buildings, which are characterized by gusty windspeeds and constantly shifting wind direction.
* it is significantly quieter because the blade tip speed is lower.

* it is more easily integrated in buildings and on towers.
* its active control system uses gust tracking to maximize power harnessed from the wind.

QuietRevolution has a number of other systems in development. We think we might like to see a much smaller model, because they’re so nice to look at. Aesthetic considerations aside, we often ask about how new energy technologies can be scaled up; – if one our goals is to decentralize the grid, lots of relatively small and local  production will be essential.