As a follow up to the Cleveland Indians renewable energy story we posted back in October, the innovative wind turbine designed by Cleveland State University professor Dr. Majid Rashidi has finally been mounted atop Progressive Field.
The 18-foot-wide helix turbine – the first of its kind to sit atop of a baseball stadium – will generate approximately 40,000 kilowatt hours per year (about the same energy used to power four homes). Both CSU and the Cleveland Indians hope that the installation of this unprecedented wind tower will help Northeast Ohio to become a world leader in alternate energy development; spurring both jobs and research.
Dr. Rashidi, who felt that there was a better way to harness wind power, first received a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2008 to develop a wind amplification turbine system that would not only be cost-effective, but commercially viable. The success of Dr. Rashidi’s wind tower paved the way for CSU’s deal with the Cleveland Indians.
Unlike traditional wind turbines that need vast open space, Rashidi’s tower can be retrofitted on existing structures such as farm silos and former water towers; making it possible for commercial use in rural and urban areas! The ability to transform such existing structures would greatly reduce costs and generate enough energy to power individual buildings during peak energy hours, power outages and other emergencies.
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