Make the most of ‘quality winds’ for alternative energy

The Philippines should take advantage of its "good quality of winds" in producing alternative energy and help the government fight global warming by lessening greenhouse gas emissions, according to a Japanese technology expert.

Speaking at a recent forum, engineer Nobuhiro Murakami, Mekaro Akita Co. Ltd. president and chief executive officer, said wind turbines are suitable for countries like the Philippines which has "good quality of winds."

"The Philippines, which is one of the countries frequently visited by typhoons, would benefit from this development as the wind turbine could withstand strong winds," he said.

Murakami said a new type of Magnus wind turbine with spiral structures, which he had introduced to Filipino engineers, is capable of producing more energy than the conventional wind turbines.

Compared to ordinary wind turbines, his invention is more effective as it can provide more power energy because of the attached spiral structures, he added.

Murakami said his wind turbine can produce 22 megawatts (MW) at six meters per second wind velocity, while generating lesser noise compared to other wind turbines.

The wind turbine became effective in Japan because of the country’s changing wind velocity, which is the same as in the Philippines, he added.

Murakami said the wind turbine is ideal to be set up in isolated islands in the country.

"Wind power generation will become important energy with the advancement in technology," he said. "I want to achieve this technology in the future in the Philippines."

Murakami said the use of wind energy would also address the issue of global warming.

The wind turbine costs $18,000 or about P900,000, he added. – Helen Flores