The Hilton hotel group announced earlier this year that six wind turbines would be installed on the roof of the Fort Lauderdale Hilton. Of course, this wouldn’t be too exciting, except for the fact that they will be vertical axis wind turbines!

The wind turbines will be provided by Urban Green Energy. Each UGE-4K wind turbine will provide 4kW of energy. The height of the Hilton Fort Lauderdale lends itself to wind turbines, since standard commercial wind power is not typically economical in the flat landscape of Florida. The ascetically pleasing design of the UGE vertical axis wind turbines will mesh well with the high end luxury of the Hilton hotel chain.

The six vertical axis wind turbines will be combined with a solar panel installation to create a hybrid generating station. The energy generated will be the equivalent of powering over 2500 lights in the hotel. Additionally, the hotel plans to build a small restaurant and lounge, nestled on the roof between the solar panels and wind turbines, creating an ecological oasis 200 ft above the beach.

Since opening in 2007, the Fort Lauderdale Hilton has made saving energy a priority. The hotel’s Green Team has overseen many energy reduction initiatives including recycling programs, automatic flush toilets and high efficieny lighting and batteries. The new wind turbines are the next big initiative for the hotel.

For a video of an Urban Green Energy 4kW vertical axis wind turbine in action, click here.