Katie Cordrey
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 Green Power is Blowin’ in the Wind 42 Windspire wind turbines will silently produce power as part of a garden construction project at Quinnipiac University’s York Hill campus in Connecticut. The sculptural towers stand about 30 feet tall and have a 2-foot radius. Each tower produces nearly 2,000 watts of power per year. A typical home would need three to meet its power usage. They go for about $5,000 each, which would put the cost recovery at close to 50 years. A number of states have tax incentives and cash reimbursement plans that offset some of the costs. There are incentives at the federal level as well. Depending upon the state in which the turbines are installed, a large portion of the cost may be refunded making this type of installation a more attractive option for home owners and small institutions. To be completely off-the-grid however, a system with battery back-up is a good idea. It should rely on a combination of wind and solar in order to account from sunny days when the wind doesn’t blow and windy days when the sun doesn’t shine. The video above tells more about the Mariah Power company’s vertical wind turbines.  The Windspire costs $4,995, which includes the inverter, pole, and other equipment.
Typically, small-wind turbines such as Southwest Windpower's 1.9-kilowatt Skystream, are best suited for homes with a substantial amount of land.
Mariah Power said the Windspire is aimed at residential customers in urban, suburban, and rural areas. It has already been installed in a handful of U.S. locations.
"(Its) efficiency is on par with most propeller-based wind turbines, but it is priced much lower.
(news.cnet)References: news.cnet, Comment: on Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine |
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