Small Rooftop Wind Turbine Solutions for Urban and Rural India

Small rooftop wind turbines for Indian cities

Objective

• i) Small, vertical/horizontal axis rooftop wind turbines for urban landscapes where these turbines can help in reducing the dependence on grid power, ii) Similar small-scale wind turbine systems will also be useful in rural or remote areas as a part of the microgrid mix (along with solar/small hydro/biomass).

Description

• In a bid to reduce the threat of global warming and at the same time meet the increasing energy demand, all countries, including India, have to rely more on non-fossil fuel-based energy sources, Due to its availability, wind energy is one of the best non-conventional energy resources for power generation, However, wind turbines' power production faces significant challenges due to variable wind speed, both in direction and magnitude. Thus, any research effort should start with suitable blade designs for low cut-in speeds for roof-top applications. Further, noise reduction and footprint reduction are the other objectives of the present research.

Impact

• To be cost-effective and achieve maximum possible power output, these turbines must be fitted with suitable generators and power converters to track maximum power drawable. It is proposed to study suitable machine designs and integral power electronics, aiming for a modular design.