Make some room solar panels, it’s time for wind power to shine on America’s rooftops. That is the hope behind the new Honeywell Wind Turbine, a 2-kilowatt rooftop turbine to hit the shelves in ACE Hardware stores this fall. It is small — six feet in diameter and 95 pounds light — and can produce power from winds ranging from just 2 mph to 45 mph.

The Honeywell turbine is the first to achieve power generation at such slow wind speeds, made possible by its direct-drive design which eliminates the need for a heavy gear box — also a strategy amongst today’s new mid-size turbines.

EarthTronics, makers of the Honeywell Wind Turbine, claim that it can produce 2000 kWh of electricity per year: about 18 percent of the average household’s annual consumption. They call it “the highest output, lowest cost per kWh installed turbine ever made.”

The turbine costs $4,500 — up to $6,000 installed. Although federal tax incentives will reduce that cost by 30 percent, with considerable additional help coming from many states.

Via EcoGeek

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Posted on July 6th in Solar Products by Dan.