Since God first invented wind some 2000 years ago, the world has been rather windy. It blows here and there and even against my window as I write this. But we’ve mostly squandered Vishnu’s gift, relegating it to the mere pushing of boats around the ocean. That is, until recently.
During the last few years, we’ve seen massive growth in wind turbine construction and wind energy adoption. The trouble is that the towers are not that appealing. In my home city of Vancouver, Canada, we received (or rather, built) a wind turbine up on the mountain a few years ago, and though I praised the energy it produced, well… again, it’s not the prettiest front to a beautifully scenic mountain-scape.
Making Wind Turbines Awesome
This is the construction of the Grouse Mountain wind turbine in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Excellent technology, yes, but not the nicest thing to see as you gaze off yonder.
So is that it? Are we really being forced to make a choice between an invaluable source of clean energy and aesthetics? I certainly thought so until I saw these concept designs dubbed Giants of the Wind from a design house called Choi + Shine. Any time a company has a plus sign in its name, you know they’re awesome. But in any case, they’ve designed them for use in Norway, and I just so happen to think they look rather incredible.
Perhaps you’ll disagree, but I think if they moved the actual wind turbine axle down justtt a little bit, say… between the wind giants legs, then efficiency would be doubled. No, I revised that statement… probably even tripled. It’s a known scientific fact that “things” are more efficient down there.
These are like jetpacks, wind packs even, don’t you think? The majestic giants reached to the sky to fly away from this frozen hellscape. Can you blame them? I live in Canada, which is pretty damn cold; imagine living in Norway!
Look at this, fuckin’ teamwork in action right here. They’re so excited about the clean energy, that they’re actually giving each other the high five. Good job, boys… good job. You’re like captain planet, but much bigger and more effective.
The Future of Wind Energy
I have no doubt in my mind that we’re going to see tremendous improvements to the efficiency of wind turbines, but will we see equally impressive improvements to their aesthetics? If Choi + Shine have their way, we most certainly will. Yes, the function is undoubtedly important, but the look of a thing is also important. People are often shallow and will reject something outright if it’s ugly. One of the main arguments against wind and solar technology is that they look like crap. If we can work towards changing that, we’ll have an abundant energy source and something pretty too. Not a bad deal if you ask me.
