Aug. 25, 2006 — a small, affordable wind turbine available for the first time this September promises to help homeowners fight the rising cost of energy.
The Skystream 3.7, a wind generator from Southwest Windpower inFlagstaff, Ariz., stands 35 to 100 feet tall — depending on thelocation — and costs about half that of conventional turbines currentlyavailable.
Southwest Windpower is planning to mass produce the Skystream and sellit for between $10,000 to $12,000 installed, about half the cost ofsimilar size turbines, which are typically assembled by hand on a muchsmaller scale.
According to the developers, the system could save the averagehomeowner $500 to $800 per year on electricity.
“I think Skystream has a chance to break the 10 cent per kilowatt hourat the best sites,” said Jim Green, senior project manager at theNational Renewable Energy Laboratory’s National Wind Technology Centerin Golden, Colo.
The center partnered with Southwest Windpower to help engineer andtest the turbines.
Comparable technologies that generate electricity from the wind oreven the sun cost between 15 to 35 cents per kilowatt hour, saidGreen.
That high pricetag has kept renewable energy sources from beingcompetitive with fossil fuels. and for those willing to install windturbines, whether out of choice or necessity, there have been otherhurdles aside from cost.
Wind turbines typically require stabilizing wires running from thetower to the ground to keep the structure steady. Installation isfurther complicated by the need for up to three electrical boxes thatwork to convert the energy harvested by the turbine into useablehousehold power.
But Skystream needs no stabilizing wires. It needs to stand just 20feet higher than the tallest object within a 500-foot radius, so itstower can be as short as 35 feet. and all of the necessaryelectrical conversion is built into the machine.
After a Skystream turbine is installed, the house uses energy from the wind when it exists. If there is no wind, the house automatically takes energyfrom the local utility.
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