Not much has changed since our last update on the Honeywell Wind Turbine, except WindTronics released this video showing the gearless blade tip system at work. It’s spinning nicely, and the company claims it can start generating energy at winds speeds as low as 2 mph (and up to 42 mph). The $5,995, soon-to-be-launched small wind turbine can produce up to 2000 kWh/yr in class 3 winds and up to 2752 kWh/yr in class 4 winds.
A couple years ago, I watched with caution as Philippe Starck announced plans to design residential scale vertical axis wind turbines. Everyone loves the idea of small wind — especially VAWT designs — but practical issues can sometimes preclude actual energy generation with these things. Nonetheless, after two years of research, it seems the French designer has some actual products to speak about. Speaking to a crowd in Milan, Starck unveiled two Revolution Air turbine models to be made by Pramac.
At IBS 2010 last week, CertainTeed announced their new EnerGen Photovoltaic Solar Power Roofing System, which is offered through a partnership with Energy Conversion Devices, manufacturer of UNI-SOLAR thin-film solar laminates. The EnerGen system combines lightweight UNI-SOLAR panels with traditional asphalt roofing shingles. The photos in this article show a 3.2 kW EnerGen system installed on the official governor's residence of Michigan.
