Horizontal Wind Turbines

http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/23/the-new-nimby-defeating-wind-turbine/

These turbines mount along the upper edge of a roof rather than requiring a separate structure. Ingenious!

ExRo generators

Alternative energies research company ExRo Technologies Inc. has a new spin on a standard electrical generator. Standard generators, it seems, are most efficient at a single, predetermined speed and torque, according to ExRo. Their generator is built in such a way that when wind speed (or water current or whatever else) changes, the generator's innards change so that it harnesses the energy at the most efficient rate for the speed at the moment.

While it sounds good, time will tell how much of it is hype and how much of it is real.

Solarwind Turbine

An idea I've had floating around in my head for awhile has been to add solar panels to wind turbines. I hadn't done a lot of research into the idea, so I didn't know if there was some obvious flaw with it or not.

Apparently Bluenergy didn't think so. They have created an aesthetically pleasing wind turbine that includes solar panels on the fins. According to their figures, their invention generates electricity that costs, on average, $.13/kWhr, compared to an average $.23/kWhr for solar energy and $.19/kWhr for wind energy.