Small-wind turbines pick up steam (photos)

Small Wind Turbines Pick Up  Speed
May 12, 2010 8:22 AM PDT


Windtronics, based in Muskegon, Mich., later this year plans to release a wind turbine specifically designed for low wind speeds. The products will be sold as the Honeywell Wind Turbine and made available through hardware stores, although in most cases it will need a professional installer. One important feature with this turbine is that it doesn't have gears in the rotor of the fan, instead relying on power generation through permanent magnets on the tips of the blades.

There are dozens of different types of wind turbines aimed at homeowners or commercial customers interested in on-site electricity generation. As the industry matures, experts say that there need to be better tools for assessing the available wind resource at homes, which will produce an economically viable project.

See related story: "Good data needed for small-wind turbines to spin"