The latest clean energy breakthrough to appear on the streets of Istanbul, Turkey, is a wind turbine that generates power from passing traffic.
The vertical devices, known as ENLIL, can harness air currents created by moving vehicles to generate energy while also absorbing solar power.
The roadside mechanism was developed by researchers at Istanbul Technical University in collaboration with a team from the technology firm Devicitech.
The breeze generated by passing cars may appear insignificant, but ENLIL’s long, unobtrusive, upright blades are powerful enough to produce one kilowatt of energy per hour.
A single turbine with an additional solar panel on top can produce enough electricity to power two Turkish households for one day.
Standard wind turbines have a life expectancy of 20 years, which ENLIL may one day exceed due to its simplicity and durability. Each turbine has a simple design that makes it simple to assemble and repair.
The apparatus is small enough to be placed next to moving vehicles without causing any disruption, and it occupies a small amount of surface area no matter where it is. This allows for simple transportation and assembly in places where traditional wind turbines would be impractical, such as city streets and buildings.
However, the environmental benefits of ENLIL go beyond that. The turbines also use a number of smart technologies to monitor the surrounding area’s temperature, humidity, carbon footprint, and earthquake activity.
