Software giant Adobe recently installed 20 wind turbines at its San Jose headquarters- but not the usual windmill type often seen standing in fields.
Due to conditions in the area, the maker of hugely popular software applications such as Flash and Adobe Acrobat found traditional horizontal axis wind turbines to be unsuitable for the location, so implemented a product called Windspire – a vertical wind power generator.
The company estimates that approximate 2,500 kWh can be generated annually per year from each turbine. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a typical U.S. home consumes 11,000 kWh per year.
The 10 metre high Windspire wind turbine is designed to operate in areas with average wind speeds of at least 10 mph (4.5 m/s). Harvesting wind energy in metropolitan areas can be particularly challenging given the buffeting effect caused by surrounding structures. The 20 turbines were installed on Adobe’s 6th rooftop garden above the parking garage, taking advantage of the well known "wind tunnel" that exists between Adobe’s three downtown San Jose towers that generates a consistent vigorous air flow.
The wind turbines aren’t Adobe’s only greening effort. Adobe’s headquarters incorporate over ninety-two thousand square metres of office space housing over 2,100 employees. Over the past few years, Adobe has implemented over 70 energy and conservation projects to lessen the site’s environmental impact. The company says it has reduced indoor water use by 22%, landscaping water use by 76%, electricity by 35% and natural gas consumption by 41%.
Adobe’s recycling and composting programs divert up to 95 percent of the site’s solid waste from landfill. Paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, cans, printer toner, and batteries are recycled and food waste is composted.
