Wind Spirals

Could this new urban windmill and developing wind power technologies take a new place among the water towers and smokestacks that dominated downtown skylines in the earliest part of the twentieth century? President Michael Schwartz would like to see a green and white SmartEnergy Spire placed on Cleveland State's downtown campus.

PD's Chris Sheridan writes about this fiberglass corksrew-shaped wind machine designed by CSU professor Majid Rashidi and its well-timed introduction amidst increased federal funding for solar and wind power and the creation of a County task force examining alternative energy strategies.

If this design concept is successful (and pays off financially), expect to see variations of the corkscrew wrapping telecom towers, incorporated into highrise spires or perched atop existing office buildings. As this technology develops, could entire buildings incorporate turbine components to capture wind bursts?

EDIT (10/04/06) A collegue directed me towards Turby, another such urban wind turbine product that can be placed atop buildings and afixed with LED lighting to create messages/logos as the blades spin.