FOXe Report: Building Turbines

One Austin man is trying to use Austin rooftops to produce electricity.

John Graham started the company Building Turbines.

"I'm in the real estate business so I thought, producing electricity on a building instead of in West Texas makes a lot of sense,” Graham said.

The company makes turbines that act as wind mills to produce electricity.

One of the keys to their design is the ability to capture wind as it comes off the edge of a building. They have features which funnel wind into the turbines to produce more energy. It is called a wind vortex. It is a silver plate on the ledge that amplifies the effect.

The turbines can generate electricity that can save 15-20% off energy bills for the building depending on the location and building height.

Graham already has clients in Texas and hopes apartment owners around the world will be interested.

One of the turbines costs $25,000. Local and federal rebates will cover 40-80% of the price. Graham said they will pay for themselves within four years.