Residential Wind Power Blog

Small Wind Set To Explode?

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Small wind is poised to get a significant boost from President Barack Obama and his $787 billion economic stimulus package. Obama and others have been advocating that the energy crisis and economic crisis may have a common solution: start utilizing alternative energy sources with made in the USA technologies.

Included in the package is a 30 percent investment tax credit for consumers who purchase small wind turbines to power their homes and/or small businesses. This will encourage increased investment in the small wind technologies which are almost exclusively manufacturered in the US.

An atricle in CNN recently cited industry experts who are extremely optimistic about these latest developments.

From the article:

Even amid a recession, this tax credit "is going to blow the top off the market," said Ron Stimmel, a "small-wind" advocate with the American Wind Energy Association.

The association predicts the federal subsidy could help the small-turbine market grow by 40 to 50 percent annually, a boost that would parallel the growth of the U.S. solar photovoltaic industry after a similar 2005 initiative.

Background

Small wind is defined as any turbine that generates 100 kWh of electricity or less. The amount of electricity is generally tied to the wind speed and the size of the the turbine blades. An example in the article from CNN stated that a 10 kW turbine in a location with decent wind speeds could supply enough electricity to power an average American home.

Just to give a rough idea of the costs involved, a 10 kW turbine is currently available on Amazon.com for $23,902.00. There would be additional costs to get this up and running if you require the assistance of a professional installer, but let's assume you're going to install it yourself. The total savings would be $7,170.60 which is a subtantial improvement over the $4000 cap that was in place before the tax credit was expanded.

Key Points

30% tax credit on all small wind turbines (less than 100 kW)
credit now applies to installed cost rather than purchase cost as it was defined before
$2,400 cap per turbine has been removed
$4,000 total cap has also been removed
States have also implemented rebates for small wind systems which can be used in addition to the Federal credit.

Resources

SkyStream has a useful FAQ and great overall resources on their site if you need more information: http://www.windenergy.com/news/news_tax_2-09.html.

Here's the link to the full article from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/09/small.wind.turbines/.

Residential Wind Power Starting To Take Off

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:16:00 +0000

It appears the residential wind power market is heating up. An article posted to the Wind Power Handbook site yesterday titled Red Hot Wind called the market "tiny but red-hot". It also provided some other interesting tidbits.

Wind power advocate Trudy Forsyth is quoted in the article, noting that 26 of the 50 states have incentives or subsidies for home wind and the industry is thriving even though it doesn't have the federal support provided to home solar and big wind. The article cites zoning issues as the biggest reason why we still don't see many residential wind turbines and gives some good advice on how this hurdle can be overcome.

From the article:

If a small wind project is what you are after, you need to rally support early from your friends, neighbors, and local stakeholders. Make sure you do your homework. Understand your zoning laws and get legal help early. Do all you can to engage your utility company in a net metering relationship (make sure that net metering is an option before you even start !). And check out the newest in residential turbine designs.

Wind Power Handbook

The Wind Power Handbook site looks like a great resource for wind advocates who have the daunting task of trying to get community acceptance for large scale wind projects or even for their own home wind turbine.

From the Wind Power Handbook site About page:

This website, and the Wind Project Community Organizing handbook, workshops and consulting services are skill builders for influencing others. The step-by-step approach guides you to develop critical skills in interpersonal communication that will show you how to become more successful in your advocacy activities.

How To Get Started With Residential Wind Power

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Wed, 21 May 2008 19:40:00 +0000

I recently came across a pretty good article on http://www.riverwired.com/blog/residential-wind-power explaining some of the benefits of residential wind power and some steps to getting started.

From the article:

"... wind power will save you money—as much as 50-90 percent on your electric bill! Although wind turbines can cost from $6,000- $22,000, it’s an investment that usually pays for itself in around six to fifteen years. Once the cost of the turbine has been recouped, it's not uncommon to see electric bills of $8- $15 dollars for up to nine months of the year! In addition, wind power is good for the environment—it produces zero pollution, and every kilowatt hour that is powered by wind will offset pollution that would have been generated by your utility company."

The information may not be 100% accurate, but it's a good starting point none the less. There are definitely turbines cheaper than $6,000.00, but they may not be as cost effective as the more expensive ones. The most popular turbine, the Skystream 3.7 Residential Wind Turbine, is in the $12,000.00-$15,000.00 range once installation costs are factored in. Rebates and incentives reduce the purchase price significantly in some areas.

Wind Power (Residential) Update

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:07:00 +0000

A recent edition of the NY Times provides an update on wind power (residential). The article outlines the progress being made and the contributing factors. One key reason being cited is that the newer turbines can connect directly into the power grid. This eliminates the need for batteries as a backup power source, since homes can take power from the grid when wind speeds drop below optimal levels.

From the article:

"Back in the early days, off-grid electrical generation was pursued mostly by hippies and rednecks, usually in isolated, rural areas," said Joe Schwartz, editor of Home Power magazine. "Now, it’s a lot more mainstream."

"The big shift happened in the last three years," Mr. Schwartz said, because of technology that makes it possible to feed electricity back to the grid, the commercial power system fed by large utilities. "These new systems use the utility for back up power, removing the need for big, expensive battery backup systems."

Wind power in residential settings is definitely becoming more mainstream and exposure from large media outlets like the New York Times is sure to help the cause.

Video on Skystream 3.7 Residential Wind Turbine

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:25:00 +0000

Here's an instructional video I found on YouTube that explains how the Skystream 3.7 Residential Wind Turbine works. I believe Skystream 3.7 is the most popular of the small wind turbines available in the United States and the cost is in the $12,000-$15,000 USD range once installation is factored in. Rebates and incentives reduce the purchase price significantly in some areas.

Hawaii Startup Maui Energy Acquired

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:38:00 +0000

An alternative energy startup in Hawaii that specializes in residential wind energy has been purchased. Here's the story from the Honolulu Star Bulletin.

Maui Energy announced recently that it has agreed to be acquired by Colorado based Vista International Inc. Vista, which specializes in converting waste to energy, sees Maui Energy as a way to gain traction in the local renewable energy market. Maui Energy Company is the authorized Southwest Wind Power Distributor in Hawaii and seems to be positioned well in a state where residential wind energy has huge potential.

There are 3 reasons why residential wind should work in Hawaii: the cost of energy is high, the wind speeds are high and the local government is very supportive of green initiatives. Hawaii offers an income tax credit allowing individuals and corporations a credit of 20 percent of the cost of equipment and assembly of a residential or non-residential wind energy system to be applied in the year the system was purchased and placed in operation. Southwest claims that it's Skystream 3.7 residential wind turbine can pay for itself in less that 4 years in this environment.

The only stumbling block for small wind in Hawaii may be in the permits required, but this is something that Caires has been working on. He expects that the permits will go through and the installations of the residential wind turbines will begin on Maui sometime in the next few months. Expansion to neighbor islands will follow.

"The small-scale wind turbine systems going to accelerate in the market here in Hawaii," he said. "The market has not been penetrated."

Related links:
Hawaii Wind Maps
Small Wind in Hawaii

Residential Wind Power Getting Some Positive Buzz

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:01:00 +0000

It seems residential wind power is finally getting some positive buzz after receiving mostly negative press in recent months. This week, both The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal have published articles casting small wind in a very positive light.

In the article: Homespun Electricity, From the Wind, published yesterday (December 13, 2007) in The New York Times, writer Kristina Shevory profiles a number of success stories. One explains how Rena Wilson Jones and her husband took advantage of the high winds blowing through their property near Urbana, Illinois by erecting a 56-foot wind turbine.

It was spinning by early September, and their electricity bills dropped sharply, from $90 to $10 for November, one of the windier months.

The article also goes into some detail about the growth of the industry in recent years and the reasons for it before touching on some of the hurdles that have yet to be overcome.

In The Wall Street Journal, a day earlier (December 12, 2007)), there was a front page story titled A Young Tinkerer Builds a Windmill, Electrifying a Nation.

This is the story of William Kamkwamba and it is truly inspirational. William is becoming a bit of an international celebrity for the ingenuity and determination he has shown while building three windmills to generate electricity for his home and village in Malawi. To see the impact wind power can and is having in some poorer parts of the world, check out William's blog and his interview that started his rise from obscurity. This is an amazing young man.

UPDATE: On April 15, 2008, another Wind Power (Residential) Update appeared in The New York Times.

Residential Wind Turbines Not Ready Claims Another Industry Expert

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 01:49:00 +0000

Residential wind turbines seem to be getting a lot of negative press lately. Last week, wind industry expert Paul Gipe was quoted as saying that "small wind doesn't make economic sense" and this week another industry expert is expressing similar reservations.

As reported by the Alternative Energy Retailer Online:

The small wind industry received a cold slap in the face from the Minneapolis Star Tribune's home improvement Fixit column, which discouraged homeowners from installing turbines.

The question posed to the Fixit column was: Does it make sense to add a wind turbine to my home? The author, Karen Youso, contacted state energy specialist Phil Smith for his expert opinion. I wouldn't call it "a cold slap in the face", but Smith got his point across that some problems have to be overcome before residential wind turbines will be worth "the trouble and expense". His advice is to do all you can to reduce your energy consumption before considering any alternative energy source.

Here's a link to the original column: http://www.startribune.com/397/story/1500798.html.

Industry Expert Says Residential Wind Power "Doesn't Make Economic Sense"

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:38:00 +0000

Paul Gipe has written make books on the subject of wind power and his expert opinion is that "small wind doesn't make economic sense" for residential use. Home wind power is largely limited to homes in remote areas that cannot connect to the power grid and he thinks thats the way it should be. Gipe feels that a community approach to wind power is the answer. In the case of wind turbines, he feels that bigger is better as larger wind turbines are more efficient and can pay for themselves in a much shorter time. It's hard to argue with his credentials, but I'll choose to be an optimist on this one. Residential wind power is not a practical option for most consumers at this point, but new innovations are happening every day.

Read the full article at LiveScience.com.

Urban Wind Turbine San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 00:57:00 +0000

As reported in Earth2Tech, there has been a rare sighting of what has been labelled an urban wind turbine in San Francisco, California and the sighting has been captured on film. Check out this YouTube video of a Skystream 3.7 in action.

Update: 2008-06-11

Today, I came across a much better video of this amazing home with the home's owner, Robin Wilson, providing a tour to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and CNET News.com's Kara Tsuboi. The clip says that the home gets 40 percent of its power from the wind, the other 60 percent from other renewable energy sources and was named one of the 12 greenest houses in the world by the Discovery Channel.

First Residential Wind Turbine Goes Up in Atlanta’s Grant Park Neighborhood

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 01:35:00 +0000

Here's a reminder of how new the concept of residential wind power really is. The first residential wind turbine in the state of Georgia was just recently installed. Here are the details in a press release from the dealer who installed it.

MARIETTA, GEORGIA, August 30, 2007 – A small-scale residential wind generator installed last week in the side yard of Christine and Curt Mann of Atlanta, Georgia, will give them the ability to generate a portion of their home’s electricity. The Skystream 3.7 from Southern Energy Solutions of Marietta, Georgia, is a fully-integrated wind generator designed specifically for the grid-connected residential market.

In response to being asked about the sleek energy-generating tower recently installed at his home, Mr. Mann said, "I would just encourage people to reach out and look at different alternatives. This is one of many things out there." The Mann's indeed are including other sustainable energy alternatives in their 1920's-era home that is undergoing major renovations. Included is a Brac Greywater Recycling
System, also from Southern Energy Solutions. It takes in household greywater (bath/shower water, laundry water), filters and treats it, and then re-uses it for toilet flushing, potentially saving the Mann family 30% or more on their potable water consumption.

The Mann home is in the Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta, near Zoo Atlanta and Turner Field. When asked about installation of the Skystream wind turbine in this urban setting with relatively low wind speeds, Roger Cone, founder of Southern Energy Solutions, said, "We all went into this project knowing that this was not an ideal placement of the Skystream. But it should generate somewhere between 200 to 400 kWh a month on average and in doing so will eliminate as much CO2 from the atmosphere as an acre of mature, healthy trees." Mr. Cone went on to say, "Our target markets for the Skystream wind turbine are those areas of Georgia with greater average wind speeds, such as the mountains of north Georgia and the coastal areas of southeast Georgia."

Marietta, Georgia, based Southern Energy Solutions is a dealer of sustainable building products including "green" HVAC systems, greywater recycling systems, LED lighting, solar heating, solar PV, solar thermal and wind turbines. Southern Energy Solutions serves all of Georgia.

About the Skystream 3.7 Backyard Wind Turbine

The Skystream, developed by Arizona-based Southwest Windpower in collaboration with the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab, has unique curved blades for quiet operation. It is the first backyard-sized wind turbine that includes a built-in inverter and requires no external components. Mounted on a 35-100 ft. tower, Skystream costs approximately $12,000 to $15,000 installed. Depending on the wind resource, Skystream generates between 30-80% of the power required by a typical home. The Skystream 3.7 was awarded a 2006 Best of What's New award from the editors of Popular Science and included in TIME magazine's 2006 Best Inventions.

Residential Wind Power Iowa

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 01:26:00 +0000

Here's a success story for residential wind power in Iowa from the Forest City Summit and Britt News. The residence being profiled here is owned by Skip Miller and his family who actually live in a rural farm setting. There are three residential wind turbines making up a small wind farm that powers two homes, a small business and a farm. The article is very detailed touching on the history of the wind farm, the history of windmills and the wind power industry in the State of Iowa.

From the article:

Iowa is the 10th windiest state in the nation, but due to increases in the number of wind farms and turbines in the state in the last 10 years - most recently, in the completion of 257 turbines in Buena Vista and Cherokee counties and 56 in Cerro Gordo County, and in the pending approval of another 100 kilowatt farm in Hancock County - Iowa is now the third largest producer of electricity from wind in the country, behind California and Minnesota, says the DOE.

According to the Legislative Services Agency, Iowa currently has more than 400 wind turbines with a total capacity of 423 megawatts. Iowa also has the potential to produce four to eight times its own annual electrical consumption using wind power.

The article may prove to be inspiring for those of you in Iowa considering wind power for your home or farm.

Residential Wind Power California

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:57:00 +0000

The State of California is the hotbed of residential wind power and here's a great summary from the Alternative Home Heating. As the article states, California "leads the way in renewable energy initiatives and offers generous rebates of 50% for select wind power systems". With the 50% rebate, $40,000 turbines can pay for themselves in 6 or 7 years!

The article provides a lot of great information including a link to California wind maps and a list of residential wind turbines that are eligible for the 50% rebate from the Consumer Energy Center.

Step 3: Research Residential Wind Turbines Available In Your Area

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 02:05:00 +0000

Today we're going to follow-up on Monday's post 5 Steps To Determine If Residential Wind Power Is Right For You with more details about how to tackle step three.

There is a great resource available from the Canadian Wind Energy Association to help you research residential wind turbines available in your area and determine manufacturer estimates of how much energy you can expect each turbine to produce. They maintain a list of Small Wind Turbine Equipment Providers that are available to the Canadian market. This list contains links to manufacturers from all over the world, so it will be useful to you even if you don't live in Canada. The nice thing about this resource is that the manufacturers are separated by the turbine size the company offers: mini wind turbines (300 W to 1 kW), small wind turbines (above 1 kW to 30 kW) and medium wind turbines (above 30 kW to 300 kW).

If you live in the United States, you may want to consult with the list of Small Wind Turbine Equipment Providers in the U.S. This list has been compiled by the American Wind Energy Association and may contain some American companies that have not yet been added to the previous list that was mentioned.

Step 2: Get An Idea Of The Average Wind Speed In Your Area

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 05:11:00 +0000

Today we're going to follow-up on Monday's post 5 Steps To Determine If Residential Wind Power Is Right For You with more details about how to tackle step two.

There are a few different ways to get an idea of the average wind speed in your area.

If you're in the United States, the quickest way to determine the average wind speed in your area is to consult the online wind maps from Wind Power America. You will have to choose your state and then click on the thumbnail graphic to view the full-sized wind map for your state. You will want to record the number in your region measured in meters per second (m/s).

If you're not in the United States and your country doesn't have a wind map that is easily accessible to you, local airports often measure and record average wind speeds. Even if you are in the U.S., it might be worthwhile to consult the wind speeds recorded by a nearby airport and compare it to the numbers provided by the wind map.

The third approach to recording the average wind speed in your area is to take wind measurements yourself or pay a wind consultant to do it. For most residential wind power systems, the cost of taking wind measurements is probably not justified. The wind maps U.S. Department of Energy is sufficient for an experienced evaluator to predict wind turbine performance. In very hilly or mountainous areas, however, it may be best to collect wind data before purchasing a system to ensure that your site is not in a sheltered area.

Step 1: What Is The Energy Consumption Of My Household?

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:59:00 +0000

Today we're going to follow-up on yesterday's post 5 Steps To Determine If Residential Wind Power Is Right For You with more details about how to tackle step one.

In order to get a handle on your electricity consumption, you will have to go through several of your household utility bills to determine how much energy you use each month. It would be best if you could go back at least one year and get the monthly average for an entire calendar year. The number you come up with should be expressed in kilowatt-hours (kWh) and will be used to determine how much electricity you will expect a residential wind turbine to produce. At this point you may also want to record your average monthly utility costs as well, since you will need that number for your final calculations in step five.

5 Steps To Determine If Residential Wind Power Is Right For You

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 14:33:00 +0000

People trying to learn about residential wind power are often looking for a place to start. Today, I'm going to outline the 5 steps you can take to determine if wind energy would be a practical way to help power your home. I'll follow-up this post with details about how to carry out each step. You can probably expect one step per day wrapping up on Saturday.

Step 1

Get a handle on your electricity consumption. It will be important to know your electricity needs before trying to find a solution that will fit your needs. There are a number of residential wind turbines available that produce varying levels of electricity.

Step 2

Get an idea of the average wind speed in your area. Wind turbines need a minimum amount of wind to produce electricity. The minimum wind speed required is different for each product, but if the average wind speed in your area is below the minimum requirements for all products, wind power may not be your best option.

Step 3

Research residential wind turbines available in your area and determine manufacturer estimates of how much energy you can expect each turbine to produce. It will be important to find the products that meet your electricity requirements. Identify all products within a range at this point to be narrowed down in the next step.

Step 4

Now that you've narrowed your choices down, review the production estimates from the manufacturer of each product to determine which products can produce the electricity you require at the average wind speed for your area. Manufacturers will usually provide graphs to illustrate their production estimates at different wind speeds. Wind power may not be your best option for alternative energy if you can't find a product to met your desired electricity production at the average wind speed for your area.

Step 5

If you've been able to find one or more products that seem to meet your needs, the next step is to determine the cost and how long it will take to recoup your initial investment. You may have to do a bit more research to determine all of the costs that will be incurred to purchase the product and get it installed. Comparing the cost of implementation to the projected monthly savings of having the new system in place, you should be able to estimate how long it will take to recoup your initial investment for each product. Don't forget to factor in any government incentives in your area that may reduce your cost!

Decision

Knowing all of the costs involved, it is time to decide whether wind energy is something you're willing to invest in. If it is, go for it! If not, keep an eye on this blog for new products and innovations that may be worth investing in.

Level of Quality In Wind Power Industry Questioned

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 03:08:00 +0000

An article provided to Business Week from Spiegel Online is quite damning on the wind power industry.

The main focus of The Dangers of Wind Power is the dangers currently associated with wind turbines as numerous incidents in Germany have caused concern and forced some turbines to be shut down. Evaluations have discovered that in some cases "manufacturing defects and irregularities" are to blame.

The fact that wind turbines are proving to lack durability and are somewhat unreliable is concern enough, but the story touches on a more disturbing point. In the current climate, this situation may not be easily resolved. Like yesterday's post, which explained that innovations in the wind power industry may take some time, it may also take some time for quality concerns in the industry to be worked out. The products are not living up to the claims of the manufacturers and it may actually be due to the apparent "success" of the industry. The article explains it this way.

But it is precisely the industry's prodigious success that is leading to its technological shortcomings. "Many companies have sold an endless number of units," complains engineer Manfred Perkun, until recently a claims adjuster for R+V Insurance. "It hardly leaves any time for testing prototypes."

Wind power expert Martin Stöckl knows the problems all too well. The Bavarian travels some 80,000 kilometers (49,710 miles) across Germany every year, but he is only rarely able to help the wind farmers. It is not just the rotors that, due to enormous worldwide demand, take forever to deliver, but simple replacement parts are likewise nowhere to be found. "You often have to wait 18 months for a new rotor mount, which means the turbine stands still for that long," says Stöckl.

"Sales Top, Service Flop" is the headline on a recent cover story which appeared in the industry journal Erneuerbare Energien.

If innovation and quality aren't expected to happen anytime soon, is this an industry that will survive in the long run?

Innovation In Wind Power Takes Time

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 21:25:00 +0000

The story A whale of a tale in the Toronto Star is dated by a couple of months, but it makes a good point that innovation in the wind power industry takes time.

The innovation in this case is a new type of wind turbine blade that is patterned after the flipper of a humpback whale. The designer of this product, Toronto-based Stephen Dewar of startup WhalePower Corp, claims this design will allow the turbine to create wind energy at much lower speeds.

From the article:

It means turbines manufactured with WhalePower blades would be capable of capturing energy where the wind is less strong, as conventional turbines tend to stall when wind speeds fall too low. Not only would this improve the business case for individual wind farms, it broadens the natural geography suitable for large-scale wind generation.

Although Dewar's invention seems to have potential, like many other innovations in this area, it may never see the light of day. There is so much demand for current products, there may not be anyone willing to take a chance on a new approach.

A source in the article used this analogy:

"It's like trying to break into the semiconductor business," says Kerry Adler, chief executive of Toronto-based wind developer SkyPower Corp.

"You're going to be hard-pressed to convince Dell Computer to put a new processing chip on their motherboards, particularly if it's not proven. In the wind industry, you'll have to have a thousand turbines in the ground before anybody gives (a technology) a second look."

And how do a thousand turbines get on ground when nobody gives a technology a second look?

More Innovation That Could Impact The Residential Wind Power Industry

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 22:12:00 +0000

In a follow-up to yesterday's post New approach to residential wind power, I've discovered more innovation in the industry.

The Venture Country Star ran a story a couple of weeks ago called: Developers trying to harness Earth's energy in new way. The article explains that an inventor from Santa Barbara in the U.S. has developed a unique approach to capturing various forms of renewable energy such as wind energy and wave energy.

The inventor's name is Gene Kelly and his newly-formed company has dubbed it's initial wind product the 'WindWing'. Here's an excerpt explaining the premise.

While most wind turbines these days are built as propellers, Gene Kelley is convinced that wings are a better answer for capturing wind energy. Though the physics and work that has gone into his invention can get complex, the underlying concept of his "WindWing" is basic enough for a child to understand.

Anyone who has stuck a hand out of a car window has felt how the WindWing works. As the hand is tilted upward, the wind pushes the hand up. As it tilts downward, the wind pushes it down.

The resulting up-and-down motion, or oscillation, is what gives the WindWing its power.

Kelly has applied for a patent that is pending approval and a prototype of the product has been developed. He claims the WindWing will be more efficient in generating power at one-tenth the cost of traditional propeller-based wind turbines. If his new company can bring such a product to market, the residential wind power industry would see quite a shake-up as small-scale wind energy would be much more attractive to the average consumer.

New Approach To Residential Wind Power

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:22:00 +0000

According to a post on the Yukon Technology Innovation Centre's Tech @Work blog, a new approach to residential wind power may be on the way: An answer blowing in the wind.

Inventor Bruce Brill has patented a new approach to the traditional windmill. The post states that:

"Brill's windmill is a horizontal structure, and the blades do not spin so much as tumble like the wheel of a watermill."

In addition to being horizontal, the invention also has a different type of blade and is mounted on top of a ramp.

The product would stand about five meters high, so it could be safely attached to a roof to generate household elecricity. The apparent advantages of this innovation include improved safety (specifically for birds) greater durability. This idea is still under development, but if the manufacturing and distribution hurdles can be overcome, it could soon be seen at an eco-friendly home near you.

Is Residential Wind Power Ready For Prime Time?

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 02:57:00 +0000

According to the Telegraph in Britain, residential wind power isn't ready for prime time: It's no breeze making switch to wind power.

After waiting over a year for a site evaluation and consultation with the vendor, this British journalist decided against the planned purchase of a wind turbine. Concerns that led to the decision included noise, vibrations and lack of power during an electricity outage. In addressing these concerns, the vender was very up front. He said there are some wrinkles to be ironed out, but all three areas are being addressed. With the various products and approaches being used, it's only a matter of time before a more attractive solution is made available.

What Is Residential Wind Power?

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:05:00 +0000

Residential wind power is a growing market in the United States and around the world.

Wikipedia defines wind power as the conversion of wind energy into more useful forms of energy using wind turbines. Residential wind power could then be defined as using wind turbines to generate household (residential) electricity.

Traditionally, residential wind power has been limited to remote areas of the world where connection to the power grid is not an option, but more and more consumers are choosing to purchase what are called "grid-connected" turbines to power their homes. The eco-friendly nature and the abundance of this energy resource makes residential wind power an industry for everyone to keep an eye on.