Cascade Launches Oh-So-Quiet Rooftop Wind Turbine
Plastic parts maker Cascade Engineering is bringing a small rooftop wind turbine called the SWIFT to North America. The company says the SWIFT is significantly quieter than traditional small wind turbines — less than 35 decibels, compared with 40 to 50 decibels for competing products. The tiny turbine is already available in the UK, Belgium, New Zealand and the Netherlands through its Scottish designer, Renewable Devices. Cascade has licensed the technology to bring it to the U.S.
Several cities, including San Francisco and New York, have called for more small wind systems to be installed on city buildings, so perhaps the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Cascade could be a hit with urban planners concerned about noise pollution from wind turbines. Renewable Devices says the SWIFT is “the quietest wind system currently available,” due to a ring that connects the outer edges of the blades, which causes air to move silently off the rotor.
In North America, Cascade is targeting both commercial and residential building owners, and the company will first offer the product in the Northeast and Great Lakes states. While the company is targeting home owners, it isn’t a DIY product — it requires a professional installer and costs $10,000 to $12,000. For that price, customers get a wind turbine that produces 1.5 kW, or up to 2000 kWh per year, and has a blade diameter of 7 feet.
In the U.S., the market for small-scale wind is still tiny, and most of the wind turbines that get installed are for large wind farms that will sell the power to utilities. But there are still a variety of startups looking to develop products, as the trend of small-scale distributed renewable energy has started to gain momentum. Some of the startups we’ve covered include Quiet Revolution, Mariah Power, Marquiss Wind Power, Helix Wind, and Southwest Wind Power (round up here).
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Interesting. I didn’t realize noise was such a big issue for wind power.
we produce and sell wind turbine : http://www.worldwindturbine.com
[...] via: earth2tech.com [...]
I have been waiting to hear that swift wind turbines will be coming to NY. It sounds like a perfect fit for me.
[...] in. Japan-based Nikko last week said it plans to make a small-wind turbine, and Michigan-based Cascade Engineering in October said it was bringing its wheel-shaped turbines to North [...]
I think there is a better designed system than this. The rooftop wind turbines at WindEnergy7 are more reflective of the proven designs of Utility Scale Wind Power. You see, there is decades of design, testing, and engineering behind the three bladed wind turbine designs that are used in large scale wind farms. This thing is different looking and may be a nice piece of visual I guess, but most people investing in home wind systems want performance not a sculpture.
The rooftop wind system at WindEnergy7 follows proven technical knowledge of wind power. Besides, their turbines stainless steel parts will last far longer than this plastic design pictured here. Have a look at a real durable turbine here.. rooftop turbine
The average home uses about 10,500 kWh (kilowatt hours) each year. According to this article, the wind turbine systems designed for the home can cost nearly $12,000 (installed) and produce up to 2,000 kWh per year. I live in a 2000 sq. ft. home in Virginia. My average electric bill is $225 per month or $2700 per year. If my home is considered “average” and I reduce my bill by 2000 kWh annually (19%), I’d save about $513 each year. Using my rough numbers, it would take over 23 years to break even. Am I missing something? Perhaps I need to add an array of solar panels as well – for another $30,000. Now I see why France went Nuclear . . .
cost is prohibitive. if these companies want to really exsist then they have to bring it to the realm that makes financial sense. It seems that they are just using federal dollor grants for nothing
This is inspiring. First, MI needs all the jobs it can get, so I’m glad Cascade is in Grand Rapids. Second, small scale wind is still a developing industry. Remember when CD players cost $400? DVD players $900? Wait till communist China starts cranking these out for about $100 a piece, you’ll see Cascade and other companies adjusting accordingly. Also, look at it this way, we NEED electricity, we don’t need DVD players, yet we buy them anyway. We also NEED Furnaces, hot water heaters, and clothes washers, -though once upon a time we didn’t have those either, but are now standard in every household. At some point, it WILL be ‘code’ to have some sort of renewable energy (wind/solar) included in every new build. Older homes will have to upgrade. This is a ready product to help make that happen.
Windpower is not economical. Wind turbines require the energy produced to be stored in environmentaly unfriendly batteries.The return on investment for wind turbines is terrible compared to nuclear power, a technology which actually has less of an environmental impact than the windmill/battery combination. Wind would be a better technology if it could produce a continuous stream of reliable electricity at a competitive cost (but unfortunate it cannot). Windmills are toys being built because they are subsidzed by the government much like corn based ethanol plants.
folks, come on, what we need is affordable 1.5 to 2 kw power that can be installed by the homeowner. in this economy and considering the coming taxes (carbon, cap-n-trade, etc) there will be more demand for the family unit than commercial. AND there will be less money to buy with.
Don’t be intimidated by the price. $10 to 12,000 is cost-prohibitive on the surface, but there is a $4000 federal tax credit, plus there are oterh credits and low-cost loans available for individuals and businesses located in rural counties. It might end up costing more like $5-6000 after all is said and done. And $5000 opens up the market to an entirely new group of people.
Stand alone alternate energy systems will never make cheap electricity for you. Cost of the batteries is prohibitive and this fact will not change anytime soon.
Batteries age and need replacement, usually sooner than later.
Grid inter-tied system has better chance, but then, you are still tied to utility power.
You cannot compare the alternate energy technology to DVD players and other electronic gadgets. Alternate energy systems are more material intensive, hence the cost will always reflect the ever increasing material cost, even if the production labor is driven by slave drivers.
The word cheap energy is the dream of the days gone. We lost that chance in anti nuclear sentiment of the past.
You will never see cheap electricity from wind or solar madness. It appears to be cheap because of the heavy subsidies pumped into it right now, but sooner or later we will bear the consequences for what we do today. One thing is certain in our future! The utility bills will be high and standard of living low.
There is only one alternate energy that has the potential to save us from financial oblivion. It is nuclear energy from Thorium. However, how many people ever heard of this safe technology? A very few! Wind and solar is the new religion of the fanatics. Financially, it is unworkable solution propagated by those who are ignorant of the facts.
This is NOT a stand alone windmill. Although it could be set up that way. You don’t need to store the electricity in batteries.
What it is is a ‘Grid tied’ system. The electricity generated is fed into an inverter which feeds the local electricity grid. Your needs a met first, and any additional power is fed into the local grid for distribution to everyone else. You use less of the grids power.(So you don’t pay for that electricity.) The electricity you don’t use from the grid is therefore available to other folks.
You still get power from your wind generated electricity. Any electricity you send to the local electricity grid earns you money! It will pay off in time without batterys!
Sorry, I meant to say “Your needs ARE met first” and any additional power is fed into the local grid…
Smart article.. Will come back again=)