Wind turbines being used in NYC as source of alternate energy

More and more buildings are installing solar panels to save on energy costs.

Now, another renewable source of energy is popping up around New York City: wind turbines, that harness the power created by the wind.

And in the city, there's plenty of wind to tap into.

New York's skyline is always changing, in big and small ways. Take the brand new residential building, 388 Bridge Street.

At 590 feet it's the tallest building in Brooklyn. And at the top, you'll see wind turbines.

"This wind turbine powers all of the lighting at the crown of the building and our goal is to make Brooklyn shine," said Roger Fortune of the Stahl Organization.

So at night, the top is lit up, and it doesn't take any fossil fuels to do so.

"This real estate was available, it's unobstructed in all directions, we're near the water, near the ocean, and you get a lot of wind," said Fortune.

At Pearson Court Square, a new 14 story rental building in Long Island City, the turbines have been installed and will soon be allowed to spin.

The energy generated here will power all the common areas.

Tax credits made the turbines appealing to the developer, but the location of the building is what makes them worthwhile.

"When you look at wind turbines, one of the key characteristics is to have an unobstructed open space, so we're here next to the Sunnyside yard, which guarantees that we'll have wide open space for the foreseeable future," said Josue Sanchez of L & M Development.

Darius Salgo is with Urban Green Energy, the maker of turbines which spin vertically like an egg beater and are viable in cities.

"There's a lot of urban based wind which is turbulent, and has the potential to power a significant part of our energy use," said Salgo.

And that could one day mean lower electric bills. So as water towers become relics, rooftops may see more of these turbines.

"We sort of dipped our toe in by doing this. I think in future projects we will find other ways to integrate green technologies," said Fortune.

There are only a handful of buildings with wind turbines in New York City. The first were installed in the Bronx in 2009.

But it seems more developers, both residential and commercial, are looking to this option. And the new Whole Foods in Gowanus has wind turbines.