New mini-wind turbine... really mini.

[skids]

So These folks think they can get a VAWT on the market next year at the $1.50/Wp price point. Which is not as low as you can possibly get these days if you dealhunt for Pacwind stuff.

But here's the zinger: it's a 40 peak watt unit. That's right a $60 wind turbine.



I hope they make it. At that price, I'd definitely buy a couple, even just as toys. I'm sure even if home owners need a bigger system than even a few of these would provide, they will still be in high demand for stuff like powering remote wireless APs, night lighting, and wireless security cameras/webcams.

Some videos at this blog:

http://www.metaefficient.com/archives/renewable-power/new-rooftop-wind-turbine-tested-the-helyx.html

[Trillo]

1. That's much nicer looking than some other low-wattage

designs I've seen. I wonder how quiet it is over the years as its bearings wear.

[hunter]

2. I'd buy some.

But maybe not that green color unless I was making a rainbow of them...

[skids]

6. Yeah the color is odd and may actually have something to do with...

...making them UV resistant so the blades weather better. Though that's a wild guess. If that's a good guess, though, that means they will be available in these colors:



:rofl:

[phantom power]

3. They quote their efficiency from computational models. Have they built any yet?

[skids]

5. Yeah they are testing 4 at a university...

...details in various articles if you google. Once those tests are done they'll be able to make solid real-world efficiency claims. "Hand made" they come out at $200 a piece, and they are looking for a half mil in venture to buy line equipment to bring that down to $60.

[EVDebs]

7. Tesla mentions wind power all over the US in book about him

Man Out Of Time

http://margaretcheney.com/work2.htm

[XemaSab]

4. The real question is how quickly would that totally scotch

the wiring in the house? :shrug:

[TheWraith]

8. 40 watts? Not very useful.

I'm sure it's clever and all, but 40 watts isn't a lot of power--barely enough to power a laptop computer. You'd need probably around 100 of these things to power an average home with any kind of reliability. Really limited use, I would think.

[hunter]

9. They are very useful in some places.

They make things like cell phones and small lighting systems possible in places that have no electric grid.

A couple of LED lamps, a radio, and a cell phone can bring a family well into the twenty first century, and it's not resource intensive.

[TheWraith]

12. But the efficiency is much greater if you go with a larger generator.

Okay, a single family in a poor country might not be able to afford, say, a 500 or 1000 watt generator. But if you split it up between ten families, the cost wouldn't be much different--possibly lower--and there would be a lot more available power. Plus, you'd start creating the basics of electrical infrastructure for small villages, which would help them grow when they start to need 2000 watts, 5000 watts, etcetera.

[skids]

13. Which other companies already do...

...I think this product will find ample niche markets. $60 is still short change to a good portion of the developed world, and the ability to bring electricity, even 40W of it, where you need it without the expense and hassle of running wires will be ample enough reason for it to get used. There are tons of applications like this for which small sub-100-watt solar panels are used. This will allow wind to be added or substituted for cheap.

[hunter]

18. In poorer nations cell phones are shared.

One cell phone is used by many people. It might be shared within a large extended family, and phones are often rented out by the call or message within a community.

A single family in a poor country really can't afford anything. "Ten families" might be hard pressed to come up with the cash for a single cell phone.

[DarkTirade]

10. Nifty.

Too bad I can't set one up at my apartment complex... :P

[Canuckistanian]

11. Ideal for outdoor LED lighting

With some kind of storage battery.

[diane in sf]

14. This does not look like it blenderizes birds.

[NNadir]

15. Mini is pretty consistent with the renewable conceit.

It's one of the mini-iest enterprises in energy history.

One hears all of these mini things from minihype companies of various types, from Zeca to the hydrogen hypercar SUV to brazillions and brazillions and brazillions of companies that are going to make affordable solar cells.

One one doesn't hear of is exajoules.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/prelim_trends/table1.xls

I predict that these things will consume more money in promotion and trucking to Walmarts and credulous customers than they will ever produce as energy.

[skids]

16. Hey, two rescues in one week at dkos...

...not bad, dude!

[hunter]

19. Hah. If you had enough of these things you could run steel mill!

Just wait 'til I put solar panels on the top of my electric car... I'll be able to drive around for free!

:P

[One_Life_To_Give]

17. Make a good battery maintainer.

Combined with a small automatic charger maintainer. This could be real popular with boaters on moorings.