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this study, performance of an off-grid roof-mounted Photovoltaic (PV)-micro wind-battery hybrid system is experimentally investigated for the first time, under real varying outdoor climatic conditions for 1.5 years in the Indian Western Himalayan region. With good solar access but low to medium wind resources. The performance of the system during different seasons and weather types (cloudy, partially cloudy, and sunny) shows the maximum monthly generation of 91% by PV with 09% wind system share. The follow-up research areas are also identified for sustainable utilization of available resources, which can contribute significantly to achieve the sustainability goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a renewable energy source, wind power has received growing attentions, but mostly been utilized in wind power farms or high-rise buildings where the wind with high speed is available. Few studies focus on the micro-wind utilization in low-rise buildings due to the bottleneck that the wind speed cannot meet the minimal speed requirement of small wind turbines. This paper aims to identify the optimal building design which could enable the harvesting of the maximal micro-wind power around low-rise residential buildings. Based on the comparison among different building shapes and the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis via software Phoenics , this paper identified that the building shape of “composite prism” could enable the harvesting of the most micro-wind power. The identified building shape was then tested in a simulated environment of a residential community in Pingtan Island, China. The local wind conditions, long-term community planning, and the requirement of comfort level were all considered in the simulation model. The result shows that the potential of utilizing wind energy in low-rise residential buildings is huge by adopting the proposed building shape of “composite prism”. The finding has significant implications for renewable energy utilization in built environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Small scale wind turbines installed within the built environment is classified as micro generation technology. This paper reports the investigation results of wind power application in buildings. First, general information is given for common type of wind turbines are used on buildings. Second, the wind aerodynamics and wind flows over the buildings are investigated based on local meteorological data and local building characteristics. However, to receive the highest potential wind energy resource and avoid turbulent areas, the tool of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has to be used to model the annual wind flows over buildings to help analyze, locate, and design wind turbines on and around buildings. Three different sample models for buildings and rural residential areas are explained with CFD models. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Small scale wind turbines installed within the built environment is classified as microgeneration technology. Such turbines may soon become a commercial reality in the UK as a result of both advancements in technology and new financial incentives provided by the government. In addition, microgeneration technologies, especially those with appreciable resource, have the potential to reduce built environment related CO2 emissions coupled with reductions in consumers’ electricity costs. In many cases payback on capital investment is within the lifetime of the device. Micro-wind turbines installed in certain areas in the UK will fit within such criteria. The work presented here addresses modelling of such installations around the UK and presents a methodology to assess the suitability and the economic viability of micro-wind turbines for domestic dwellings. A modelling tool “μ-Wind” has been developed specifically for studying both energy yields and the payback periods for micro-wind turbines. μ-Wind predicts wind turbine performance prior to installation according to specific power curves either defined by turbine manufacturers or the user. Numerical consideration of wind speed data at specific UK sites was used to estimate energy yields and the results are projected to real electricity demand data from monitored dwellings in the UK. The results show that it is possible to predict with a good degree of accuracy the expected financial payback period for a typical domestic dwelling. Furthermore, the paper postulates that micro-wind technology could have the potential to make a significant impact upon domestic electricity generation when located at the windiest sites in the UK. The likelihood of a proliferation of these turbines in the urban or suburban environment is low but at coastal or inland high elevation sites the technology appears to have a promising future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]