Japan - Prefectural government installs wind-powered generators on two of its buildings

The Hyogo prefectural government has installed wind-powered generators on two of its buildings in Chuo Ward, Kobe, to help increase awareness of global warming among local people. The government has equipped its No. 1 building with a seven-meter-tall generator that employs an aluminum alloy drum and three fans to catch the wind and generate electricity. It operates at a wind velocity of 7.2 kph. The government expects it will generate an average of 1,000 kilowatt-hours annually, which is equivalent to the electricity consumed in an ordinary household for about three months.

The other generator installed on its No. 2 building is five meters tall and shaped like an airplane. Its propeller rotates to generate electricity, which the government will use to operate an air purification system in the rooftop garden. According to the prefecture's Environmental Policy Division, the government hopes the wind generators will create interest in wind power generation and environmental issues. The prefectural government's previous efforts to use green energy include the addition of solar battery panels on the walls of its No. 1 to 3 buildings in 2004, which generate an average of 160,000 kilowatt-hours a year.