Here at Ecogeek, we are big fans of wind power. So, Tapping Maple Ridge was right up our alley. This touching movie about maple syrup, wind and community tells the story of Lewis County, New York the site of the Maple Ridge Wind Farm – one of the largest wind farms in North Eastern United States.

Construction on the wind farm began in May 2005. The first turbine began producing electricity in December 2005, and the project was fully on-line in January 2006. Currently, there are 140 active turbines.  

Coincidentally, Lewis County also produces more maple syrup - an estimated 255,000 gallons in 2004 - than any other county in New York. Abundant in natural, renewable resources but with a harsh climate, wind power has brought a new breath of life to this rural community. A meditation on the similarities between harvesting maple syrup from the trees and harvesting power from the wind, Tapping Maple Ridge demonstrates the desirability of wind energy.

Watch the trailer below or click here to watch the entire 40 min movie.

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Wind turbines are coming to a rooftop close to you. At only 60 lbs the 6.5-foot-tall Architectural Wind is designed for use in urban and suburban areas and ideal for flat roofed buildings.  Similar to the quiterevolution, Architectural Wind runs quietly and produces very little vibration. The design harnesses the building's own aerodynamic properties to generate power. Mounted on the building parapets rather than on the roof the turbine catches the wind as it travels up the side of a building, which in some cases results in a 30% increase in energy production.

Requiring only a 7 mph (3.1 m/s) breeze to start up, the modular turbines produce roughly 55kWh per month per unit. Scalable and modular you can add more as your energy needs increase. Designed to withstand gusts above 100 mph (45 m/s) you won't have to worry about your turbines falling off the roof. For those who worry about our winged friends, the company offers optional canopy and avian protection option.

Architectural Wind makes its debut at NextFest and hasn't even made it on the Aero Vironoment website yet! The mini wind turbines displayed here confirm the trend that the Future of Green is about Urban Sustainability and not hiding out in the forest.

On the other end of the spectrum is GEs 1.5 megawatt wind turbines. With more than 2,800 units in operation worldwide, these monoliths are the world's most widely used wind turbines. Tall as a 30-story building, with blade rotors that sweep areas as large as a football field, these turbines are designed for off-shore placement, where they take advantage of the stronger and more abundant sea winds. They can often be seen in large scale wind farms that provide power for entire coastal towns and cities.