Treehugger had a great post today on a new take on wind turbines compliments of engineers at the University of Hong Kong. One of the issues surrounding wind power has always been its aesthetic profile against the horizon; and the need for a steady brisk wind to keep things moving. This need limits their practical use except for certain areas around the world. However, thanks to a new design, those issues may now allow wind to exist anywhere — and come to an office building near you.

The design is simple and efficient: plastic gearwheels, each 25 centimeters in diameter, are linked to one another and turn, moved by the wind. Depending on how much energy is required, the number of wheels can be arranged in any number of shapes and sizes; from two to two thousand square meters. The turbines will spin even if wind levels are as low as two meters per second! Imagine the roof of an office building outlined with these "gears" — or a clothesline of spinning wheels hung out between two urban building. From the article,

"The turbines have an initial capital investment of about $100 US per kilowatt, compared with $600 for coal plants and $1,500 for traditional wind turbines. Traditional wind turbines make power for about $.10 per kilowatt hour; he projects his turbines will do it for one tenth of that."

Whether this new design for harnessing the wind takes off or not, it's still encouraging to see inventors looking for ways to increase mass consumption and avoid some of the pitfalls associated with current wind projects. A set of 20 gear wheels right now costs about $25. The inventor, Lucien Gambarota, hopes that once mass produced, that price will fall substantially. "Maybe that's why I bring something new and different, because my first priority is production, and that means costs," he said. "The only way I know to control costs is mass production."

The first tests of the technology will take place shortly on one of the university's skyscrapers overlooking Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor. Could these things survive the typhoons that often whip through the area? Time will tell whether you'll picking up a set at Home Depot to power your television. Hit the jump for more information!