More Wind Power

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And, now, my gentle snowflakes, if you need less urban and more rural appearance to your wind turbine, and if you still want really high efficiency, then try the RSI turbines. They look just like old-time, in your grand-dad's pasture, windmills.

Isn't that great?

You watch it turn, not hear it turn!
Power blade speeds mean much lower noise (one of the leading complaints of three-blade systems). Also, higher speed means higher friction (and therefore higher wear and maintenance concerns). The WindGen's lower rotation speed means a unit that is more dependable with much lower maintenance and one that is actually pleasing to live with!

Dependable and Reliable
The WindGen’s use of induction generators is well proven worldwide to be more dependable and reliable. In fact this technology is well-established and is commonly used in most of the larger wind farm turbines. Other small turbines use Permanent Magnets and small inverters.

“ON the Grid”, or “Off the Grid” WindGen is both!
The standard unit connects directly to the power grid, but the owner has many options. The WindGen inverter is oversized to handle large wind change events, which are common. Other small turbines that are grid-tie only, have a very small inverters. With WindGen the user can also add battery banks for going “off the grid” or just for more backup power (this option is built into the standard unit so you can add later). Also, the WindGen can be used with other forms of backup power, like Solar or any type of gen/set.

High Wind? No problem!
All other wind units have to shut down to protect their rotor glass blades and gear boxes from runaway(which in high winds can result in thrown blades or falling towers). The WindGen system has been thoroughly tested, and we stand behind our units. We know that rotor runaway is not an option. The WindGen uses proven “windmill design” but still keeps producing power, even in high wind when others have to shut down.

And another really, great thing about RSI? It is an an American company located in the "heartland"--south central Kansas.

It just doesn't get much more American than that.

Rooftop Wind Turbines

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Oh, boy, advances in rooftop wind turbines. I just had a steel roof installed with a vented ridge. This should be very easy to retro-fit when it becomes financially reasonable.

I wrote about using something like this back in February 2009. I can't tell you how encouraged I am to see that advances are continuing to be made!

>Posted at Inhabitat by Ariel Schwartz, 10/26/09

Rooftop solar panels are unlikely to elicit complaints from neighbors–they’re silent and relatively unobtrusive. But loud rooftop wind turbines? That’s where the virtually NIMBY-proof Ridgeblade turbine comes in. The turbine, designed by a former Rolls Royce turbine engineer at UK-based The Power Collective, boasts a sleek profile that is both powerful and visually pleasing.

Instead of creating a free-standing turbine that sticks out for all the neighbors to see, The Power Collective designed its long-bladed turbine to fit in along the ridge of a roof, where wind currents are strongest. The Ridgeblade packs a powerful punch, too — it has the wind-capturing potential of a medium sized turbine.

The turbine isn’t yet on the market. . . No word on how much the turbine will cost when it is finally released, but your neighbors’ peace of mind might just be worth the extra cost!

Via Cleantechnica

Hang in there, my gentle snowflakes, it will all yet come together.

Wind and Weather

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Maxine says, "This time of year, the weather changes more often than a man with a remote."

Within the past 3 weeks we (in nw Oklahoma) have endured 6" or so of snow, wind, sleet, rain, wind, thunder showers, wind, hail the size of grapes that piled up about 4" deep, wind, 20 degree days and 80 degree days, wind, oh, and did I mention wind?

Sure wish I had a wind turbine.

The electric company would owe me money!
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