Wind Power Ninja

Whisper 500 Wind Turbine

Sarah — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:31:29 +0000

The robust Whisper 500 delivers serious energy for your remote power needs. The Whisper 500 performs well in harsh, high wind environments with it’s two-bladed, fiberglass-reinforced design. Patented side furling overspeed protection optimizes output at any wind speed. Assuming a 12 mph (5.4 m/s) wind, a Whisper 500 will produce as much as 500 kWh per month. That is enough energy to power the about half the needs of average California home.

Exclusive to the Whisper, the side-furling angle-governor protects the turbine in high winds by turning the alternator and blades out of the wind, reducing turbine exposure. This angle-governor lets the Whisper 500 continue to safely spin and deliver energy even in high winds.

Wind Power Grew By 39% in 2009

Sarah — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:32:08 +0000

The United States is now even closer to the point where 2% of its electricity will come from wind turbines. That may seem like a small number, but considering that growth came during the recession, hopefully it is a sign of better things to come.

The American Wind Energy Association, in its annual report, said the amount of capacity added last year, 9,900 megawatts, was the largest on record, and was 18% above the capacity added in 2008, also a huge growth year.

The A.W.E.A. said the growth of wind power was helped by the federal stimulus package that passed a year ago, which extended a tax credit and provided other investment incentives for the industry.

How to Make a Cheap Vertical Home Wind Turbine

Ninja Robot — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:09:48 +0000

Do it yourself how-to video about making your own vertical home wind turbine. Perfect for the green-minded homeowner!

20% Wind Power Possible for Eastern U.S. by 2024

Sarah — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:08:35 +0000

An increase to 20% or more of the Eastern Interconnection’s electrical load to wind energy is possible by 2024, which is great news. However, costs for new transmission lines could be as high as $93 billion, according to a new study released by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

The Eastern Interconnection grid covers the eastern half of America, extending from (approximately) the western borders of the Plains states through to the Atlantic coast, and excluding most of Texas.

Supplying 20% of the electrical requirements of the Eastern Interconnection would call for approximately 225,000 megawatts of wind generation capacity, which is ten times more than today’s levels.

The Best Home Wind Turbines For Your Money

Sarah — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:11:53 +0000

According to an article by the brilliant folks at Clean Technica, there are a few really great, well-made home wind turbines that would be best for your homestead. The article names five wind turbines, and extols each of their virtues in detail. We’ll sum up some of what they suggest, but be sure to hit up their site and read the entire article for all the info.

Southwest Windpower Skystream 3.7 - The Skystream 3.7 is the first fully-integrated, grid-tied wind energy system designed for residential use. This “plug and play” turbine is an all-inclusive wind generator (with controls and inverter built in) designed to provide quiet, clean electricity in very low winds.
Cost*: $5399 (not including tower and installation materials)

Southwest Windpower Air X - The Air X is ideally designed for powering small appliances in off-grid installations, remote communications facilities, marine applications, and communities in the developing world.
Cost: $600

AeroVironment Architectural Wind - Architectural Wind is a small, modular wind turbine system designed for installation on buildings in urban and suburban areas.

Southwest Windpower Whisper 500 - The Whisper 500 can produce enough energy to power a small to moderately sized home. Formerly the Whisper 175, the Whisper 500 was completely redesigned in 2004 to work in harsh, high wind environments.
Cost: $7,095

Bergey Excel - The Bergey Excel is designed for high reliability, low maintenance, and automatic operation in adverse weather conditions. It is available in two configurations: battery charging and grid-tied.
Cost: $21,900-$27,900

Tamiya Wind Power Generator Set

Sarah — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:52:26 +0000

A great way for kids to learn about wind power, this is a Loopwing Wind Power Generator Set from Tamiya. This educational assembly kit lets you explore the mechanisms involved in harnessing the alternative energy of wind power. Witness the conversion of wind power into working electricity! The motorized car sits on the top of the generator receiving power produced from the Loopwing Wind Power Generator. The car will run in circles on accumulated electricity! 2 types of gears can be selected to allow generation of higher amounts of power depending on wind speed.

Sunforce 44444 Wind Generator

Sarah — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:53:20 +0000

The Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator is a smart addition to your existing renewable power systems. It provides up to 400 Watts or 27 Amps of power at maximum efficiency. The fully integrated regulator automatically shuts the unit down when the batteries are charged to minimize wear.

The Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator features a durable aluminum body and lightweight carbon fiber blades that are optimized for maximum efficiency and low noise. It is completely weatherproof, and the patented high-wind over-speed technology keeps the unit safe in high wind and stormy conditions. Assembly is required, but this generator installs easily and mounts to any sturdy pole, building, or the Sunforce 44455 Wind Generator 30-Foot Tower Kit.

Southwest WindPower Skystream 3.7 Home Turbine

Sarah — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 02:06:21 +0000

Skystream 3.7 is designed to make wind power accessible to more people than ever before. The first small wind generator designed specifically for grid-connected residential use, Skystream 3.7 from Southwest Windpower lets Americans harness wind energy and take control of their energy bills like never before.

Skystream 3.7 offers a simple, all-in-one solution to harnessing wind energy on a residential scale. Different from all other technologies, Skystream 3.7 is the first all-inclusive wind generator with the controls and inverter built in.

Designed for very low winds, Skystream 3.7™ begins producing power in an 8 mph breeze with full output achieved at 20 mph

Report: Wind Turbine Noise NOT Harmful To Health

Sarah — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:03:18 +0000

The American Wind Energy Association has released a report that says that the noises produced by wind turbines are not health threatening. The report disputes that the frequencies of the produced turbine noise are lesser compared to the level normally heard in cities and metropolitan environments.

The study was conducted by a panel of acoustical experts, audiologists and medical doctors from Canada, the US, the UK and Denmark brought together by the Canadian Wind Energy Association. The group has concluded that the huge majority of the people living near and around the 50,000 European wind turbines and over 30,000 North American turbines have had no odd experiences.

Robert McCunney, a research scientist and physician at MIT, said that there is no substantial evidence to link that the sound produced from neither the turbines nor its vibrations have any direct psychosomatic effect on humans.

GE Wins Oregon Wind Farm Contract

Sarah — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:52:14 +0000

General Electric has won a contract to build the biggest wind farm in the United States in Oregon. The wind farm will be located in Shepherds Flat, Oregon and when completed will be the biggest wind farm in operation in the world.

The wind farm will cover 30 square miles and will produce 845 megawatts of power, enough to power 235,000 homes. Shepherd Flats is located in Morrow County, in the Northeast portion of Oregon. It is primarily agricultural land, covering an area of 2,047 square miles, but borders the Columbia River, a national scenic area.