A new medium-sized wind turbine, designed with schools, farms and small businesses in mind, could soon co-exist with better known, giant, three-blade turbines.
US company Optiwind says it aims to find the “middle ground for wind turbines” somewhere between the towering offshore and inland wind mills and turbines, that can be geared towards homes and small businesses.
Quieter and more compact
According to the company’s website: “The Optiwind 150 is ideal for customers looking to generate at least 250 megawatt (MW) hours of electricity per year. Quieter, more compact, simpler and less expensive to own and operate, this compact wind acceleration turbine (CWAT) can operate efficiently in wind speeds as low as class 2 (approximately 12mph/19kph).With a modular design that can easily deliver power to multiple meters, it is a very versatile resource that can take the risk out of grid electricity pricing by locking in your cost of power for at least 25 years.”
Optiwind’s CWAT is designed to boost power production by accelerating the wind with cylinders at the top of a 200-foot tower that speed up the wind before it goes through fans, which are connected to a direct-drive generator. It is geared towards places that have limited wind resources, and should the product be released in Ireland, it could be well suited to isolated farms or businesses.
