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Max-V Wind Turbine
The blades of a present-day wind turbine are similar to those of an airplane propeller. So think about wind hitting an airplane. In aviation, drag must be minimized to increase performance. The faster an aircraft goes, the more drag is created and the more fuel is used. An aircraft has to fly through air efficiently. This is why long thin wings are used by sailplanes. They are designed to maximize efficient penetration without an engine.
For wind turbines drag is a good thing! Yet the current wind turbine industry doesn't even factor drag into the efficiency equation.
The common placement of turbines on mountain ridges is ironically a good example of converting drag to energy. Wind is forced to go over the ridge, thereby compressing and accelerating the air.
Imagine a wind turbine that produces 10 times more power with far less wind than conventional wind turbines. Indeed the Max-V proof-of-concept technology was found to operate in wind speeds below 1 mile per hour (1.6 kph) even when under load. This is unheard of with conventional wind turbines as they typically only cut-in at around 8 mph. The implications of this factor alone warrants further research and development.