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Leeds wind turbines success
Dan Sharkey, of Greenhouse developers Citu, has a cup of tea on the roof.
THIS latest green design is more than a breath of fresh air.
For the weekend gales were powering kettles in a pioneering development leading Leeds’s eco commitment.
The powerful gusts enabled two wind turbines at Greenhouse, the residential and office complex on Beeston Road, to generate 172 kilowatts per hour - enough to make 6,250 cups of tea!
Fraser Stride, director at Citu, the developers behind Greenhouse, said: “While many people are understandably fed up with the string winds, it was great news for our residents and office workers as their electricity bills will be reduced by the power generated.
“This is their first experience of really heavy winds since the development opened last October and we were delighted that our occupants benefitted.”
The power output was a stagghering increase on the energy generated throughout the whole month of December.
On Saturday alone, the turbines produced enough power to light 1,000 energy-saving light bulbs for 24 hours; or to power 430 A-rated washing machines set at 30C.
Consumption
Normally the winds are strong enough to power the lifts at Greenhouse, a complex of 172 apartments and 16,000 sq ft of office space.
Each home has its own energy-tracking system, accessible via the TV, so residents can view their energy consumption on a regular basis.
Greenhouse and Citu have won 12 awards for the development’s commitment to sustainability.
Fraser said there were tentative plans to provide a third wind turbine off-site which would power both Greenhouse and other properties.
“It would be much higher than the existing turbines,” he said, “and the blades would be larger; and so it would be exposed to more wind and be able to generate much more eelectricity.”
Greenhouse employs the latest technologies throughout – the water supply is heated by the sun, for instance.
howard.williamson@ypn.co.uk
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
