When I think of wind turbines, I envision the west Texas plains with acres of languidly turning propellers as far as the eye can see.  Texas is tops for wind power in the US, by the way.  But there are more ways to skin the wind than I ever imagined.  Check out these sometimes stylish, sometimes a bit wacky ideas for renewable wind energy.

For the Urban Environment

1) Rotating Skyscrapers

Yup, you read that right.  Every floor of this Dubai building is capable of rotating autonomously with the wind current and providing inhabitants a new view – whichever way the wind blows.  Looks incredibly cool. Check out the pictures here. (more…)

Popularity: 1% [?]

Ridgeblade, a concept wind generation product developed by the UK-based Power Collective, is a clever twist on traditional wind turbines.  The Ridgeblade sits on the ridge of your roof and produces about as much power as a medium turbine, thanks to the vectoring of air that the existing roof provides.  This would be a powerful incentive for those with fussy neighbors and those who need to circumvent homeowner’s association regulations, which often prevent the construction of standard turbines.

According to Inhabitat, the Ridgeblade is nearly silent, something standard wind turbines can’t compete with.  Plus, NIMBYs can’t even grumble at you under their breath for installing the Ridgeblade.  The compact design makes it a neighbor-friendly choice. (more…)

Popularity: 1% [?]

The larger-than-life Michael Jackson will always be remembered as a glitzy, eccentric, peculiar recluse with incredible talent and unshakable energy. He will be remembered by his innovative dance moves, his pop music, one-gloved hand and his ever-changing facial features. So what if his best friend was a chimpanzee and he lived at a fantasy estate called Neverland – we loved him and we’ll never forget him.

The moonwalker icon that crossed all music genres and touched so many hearts deserves a special monument so that he may live on. So, an international competition was formed by Bustler.net, called “LIVE FOREVER: The Michael Jackson Monument Design Competition,” in which they challenged artists, architects and designers to create a monument for MJ. There were no limits or rules. Monuments could be any scale or location, from the ocean to the moon or beyond.

The contest received over 200 entries, all vying for one of the three prizes: BADDEST (1st prize), BADDER (2nd prize), and OFF THE WALL (3rd prize).

Though the 1st place winning design was interesting, we felt that the 2nd place design had more meaning and promoted energy awareness.

The winning entry for the BADDER prize: Foreverland (more…)

Popularity: 2% [?]