A new clean tech company called Totempower Energy Systems Ltd. has come up with an easy way to put wind power within the grasp of everyday homeowners. The company is developing new micro-wind turbines that are designed for close quarters and non-disruptive installation, but the real key to getting more micro-wind turbines into consumers’ hands is the company’s “ease of ownership” plan which provides a soup-to-nuts service including site selection and connecting the turbine to the home electrical system.
Taking the Work out of Wind Power
Totempower’s approach is similar to that of CleanTechnica’s former host, One Block Off the Grid (1bog.org), which arranges group discounts for solar energy installations, performed by pre-vetted solar companies. It relieves homeowners a considerable amount of time that would otherwise be spent in educating oneself about wind power, figuring out if one’s property includes an appropriate location (which includes any local regulations or permitting processes), shopping for a suitable system, and finding a reputable company to install it. Totempower’s system is designed for easy no-excavation installation, and easy maintenance.
Totempower’s New Micro-Wind Turbine
The new wind turbine was developed under a partnership with the City University London, based on a patented, low cost technology developed by the University called the Passive Air-jet Vortex Generator. The high-efficiency aerodynamics enable the turbine to operate at lower speeds, which presumably would help mute the any noise. More to the point, Totempower’s goal is to make wind turbine ownership as simple as owning any other standard home energy device such as a furnace or hot water heater. Testing at the University is under way and the company hopes to secure financing to bring two models into production by 2012 – a smaller model for individual homes and a larger one for commercial facilities or community power generation.
Image: Kites in the wind by ronnie44052 on flickr.com.
