Micro Wind Turbines Top Intel Headquarters

Intel has installed a rooftop array of micro wind turbines on the roof of its worldwide headquarters in Santa Clara, California. Intel's micro-turbines are a proof-of-concept project in which the company will collect data about on-site green power.

Intel has installed 58 micro-turbines on the roof, each measuring between 6 and 7 feet tall and weighing about 30 pounds. Due to their small size, the micro-turbines are versatile in their potential uses and applications.

Based on the average local wind speed (about 8-9 mph), the micro-turbines are expected to generate power about 65 percent of the time. The micro-turbines are placed on the edge of the roof to best capture the wind and optimize power generation. This placement leaves enough space for solar panels, which are installed on Intel’s roof next to the micro-turbines.

In addition to this project, Intel has:

• Piloted wind micro-turbines and ground-source heat pumps at its site in Guadalajara, Mexico;
• Installed 2 MW of fuel cells at its sites in California;
• Supported installation of 21 solar electric facilities across 12 Intel campuses around the world;
• Deployed over 100 electric vehicle charging stations across its US and international sites.

In early 2015, Intel was recognized for the seventh consecutive year as the largest voluntary purchaser of green power in the US, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership rankings.