So the optimal wind turbine is (a) extremely large and (b) at sea or near the coast. You get things like this with 100m blades: https://www.ge.com/renewableenergy/wind-energy/offshore-wind...
There is also a little bit of a safety issue. The possibility of losing a 100m blade or part thereof is low, but you wouldn't want that in a city.
(I appreciate the "I don't want that near me" view, but that means that person wants it near someone else? Or some other solution that nobody wants to be near either?)
edit: This was just an observation in response to ""I don't want that near me" view, but that means that person wants it near someone else?"
There's a huge imbalance between the major consumer (cities) and people in the countryside (where the turbines end up).
- Land in cities is far more expensive than the land where wind farms are currently built, so the electricity costs would be higher.
- Cities are already densely built up so it would be much more difficult to get the long turbine blades delivered for installation, raising costs again.
- Cities have worse wind resources because the built up environment impedes smooth, fast air flow. Turbines built in the middle of cities would generate less electricity over the course of a year, raising cost per kilowatt hour for a third time.
You can't build efficient (megawatt scale) turbines on top of buildings, and little turbines are basically gimmicks that don't supply significant energy. Rooftop solar power generates more energy at lower cost than little rooftop turbines.
There may be a misunderstanding there, if my reference to people minimizing the idea of the impact of noise because they live in the screams already, is taken as a suggestion that wind turbines should be placed on every roof. The messages were, (1), that noise is a problem even if you think it does not bother you, and, (2), if you had unpolluted places and you ruin them, you destroy your alternatives left. Noise pollution should be fought, period.
The expression «It may be a minor inconvenience for those who live in some metropolitan areas» was rhetoric, as in "Some people used to noisy environment may tend to minimize the issue [but that kind of infrastructure is often placed there where living things go look for quiet]".
There are several other prototype wind power generation designs that would also probably be suitable for building-top use. Here's a 17 minute video looking at several of them [2].
there are also video compilations of wind turbine failures, tons of raining debris in a metropolis is not a good idea so construction and quality control standards would have to improve which would make it even more expensive.
I wonder why no one ever seems to suggest that?