I am a big proponent of vertical axis wind turbines. I believe they have more real world uses than, their ‘bigger is better’ horizontal cousins. Across the windy plains of the Dakotas, or Texas, the large turbines will work fine. When you have acres and acres of land that can be dedicated to generating electricity, or where farmers can lease their land, these behemoths make sense. But what about the rest of us ? What about the more than 70% of us that live in and around towns, and cities? We have neighbors, we have limited space and we have costs to consider. I think vertical will be the only way to go.
This company has made substantial progress in the market place for both wind farms, commercial and residential installations. Helix Wind, www.helixwind.com . Unlike my previous posts on early entrants into the vertical wind market, see http://mygreensuit.com/2007/09/10/vertical-wind-turbine/ . Helix has built products that are quiet, efficient, and look good. I could see this is a back yard, knowing that it was producing energy and helping our environment.
See their video
Look for costs to continue to come down, as lower cost materials are used and mass production starts. Believe it or not the height required for most of these units in a residential setting, is 30 feet above the tallest trees in your surrounding area. Clearly, many people could get away with a simple, lower cost installation and start going green.
I love this idea. The problem with many wind turbine installations has been the NIMBY it fosters in local communities. The large turbines, destroy the view, make too much noise and cost too much. Those are the usual complaints. We have a major wind project held up along the cape cod coast for exactly these reasons.
Well what if commercial buildings incorporated the vertical designed turbine described below ? What if cites incorporated these units into there power systems (think electrical distribution poles), or into there signage throughout the city? What if billboard owners put these units on there billboards (especially the display units with leds)?
These seem much less obtrusive than other wind turbines, they can capture the wind from any direction, they are quieter than traditional. Yes, they produce less energy than many of the bigger units, but this is a volume game here. Hopefully with mass production would come lower per unit costs. Some Specs on the big selling unit;
Physical dimensions
5m high x 3.1m in diameter
Illustrative Payback Period:
Average Wind Speed
5.9m/s
Annual energy generated (kWh)
10,000
Price for energy offset
9p
Price for ROCs
4.7p
Inflation in energy prices
5%
Annual value generated
£2,108
QR price
£25,000
Installation cost
£8000
Total cost
£33,000
Payback period
18 years
Assumptions:
5.9m/s – On medium rise building tops or exposed sites
10,000 – (XC02 calculations)
9p – Average green energy price
4.7p – Today’s value from Platts ROC Marker
5% – Predicted energy price increases
Source: DTI and UBS
£2,108 – Energy offset & ROCs incl. forecast inflation
£25,000 – Single 6kW turbine, 5m high x3.1m diameter
£8,000 – Estimate only, not including mounting/foundations.
quietrevolution will also save around .42kg of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour of energy generated.
In the example above this would equate to 4,200kg per year or 105,000kg over the design life of the turbine.
Generator
Direct drive, mechanically integrated,weather sealed 6kW permanent magnet generator
Power control
Peak power tracking constantly optimises turbine output for all sites and windspeeds
Operation mode
Max wind speed: 16m/s; Min wind speed: 4m/s
Design life
25 years (annual inspections recommended)
Rotor construction
Carbon fibre and epoxy resin blades and connection arms
Brake and shutdown
Overspeed braking above 14m/s wind speed, auto shutdown in high wind speeds (above 16m/s)
Roof mounting
Minimum recommended height above buildings: 3m
Tower mounting
Minimum mast height: 9m to bottom of blades. Demountable models are also available for temporary installations
Remote monitoring
Event log can be accessed via PC. Remote monitoring stores operation and kW hours of electricity generated
Warranty
Two years on components
Cost of turbine
£25,000
Installation cost
Around £5,000 – £10,000 depending on the site. Not including mounting/foundations
l be the only way to go.
