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Wind Energy (Personal/Household Turbines)

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New Bladeless Wind Turbine Claimed to be Twice as Efficient as Conventional Designs. © Saphon When it comes to the future of wind power, one company thinks it looks a lot different than you would expect, and cheaper and more efficient to boot.

New Bladeless Wind Turbine Claimed to be Twice as Efficient as Conventional Designs

Saphon, out of Tunisia, is interested in finding partners to mass-produce and market their unique wind energy device, based on their own Zero Blade technology. "The Zero-Blade Technology is largely inspired from the sailboat and is likely to increase the efficiency of the current wind power conversion devices. The blades are replaced by a sail shaped body while both hub and gearbox are removed. " SLIDESHOW Wind Energy Today: A Look at Wind Energy Projects Around The World According to the company, their zero-blade technology devices are capable of overcoming the Betz' limit, which states that no turbine can capture more than 59.3 percent of the kinetic energy of the wind.

PHOTO: Impressive Beast! The Saphon Zero Blade technology is different in other ways as well, most significantly being storage of energy. Saphon Energy. Saphon Energy (SaphonEnergy) How To: Build Your Own 1000 Watt Wind Turbine. DIY 1000 watt wind turbine. Kleine windmolens in opmars. Portable, collapsible wind turbine weighs less than 4 pounds. It used to be that every week there was a new type of portable solar charging device to help you charge your gadgets on the go, but lately we've seen quite a few portable wind turbines, even DIY ones.

Portable, collapsible wind turbine weighs less than 4 pounds

This new wide range of devices to help you stay off grid whether you're using them in your backyard or on a long-distance hike is great because the more options that are out there, the better the chance is that people will use them and have an easy way of bringing renewable energy into their lives. The latest personal wind turbine offering is called WindPax and its inventors have taken to Kickstarter to raise money for its production.

This one is neat because it has features I haven't seen in similar devices, especially its adaptability to different scenarios. There are two different sizes -- the Wisp and the Breeze. The Wisp collapses small enough to fit into a backpack, but can be assembled to reach 6 fit in height and has a 1 ft diameter. . © WindPax Kickstarter/Video screen capture. Wind Power. Kleine windmolens in opmars. Build this open source DIY wind turbine for $30. Getting started with home wind energy projects can set you back a pretty penny if you buy a finished product, but if you're a little bit handy and don't mind scrounging for materials and getting creative in the garage or backyard, you can try your hand at building one of these DIY wind turbines for about $30 in materials.

Build this open source DIY wind turbine for $30

After all, it is #iheartrenewables week! We've previously covered Daniel Connell's open source concentrated solar collector plans, but now he's back with another great DIY renewable energy project, a vertical axis wind turbine based on the Lenz2 lift+drag design. Connell's design calls for using aluminum lithographic offset printing plates to catch the wind, which he says can be obtained cheaply (or possibly even free) from an offset printing company, and a variety of hardware and a bicycle wheel. "The turbine uses the ~40% mechanically efficient Lenz2 lift+drag design. Generating Off-Grid Power: The Four Best Ways. So, you've thought about whether or not living off the grid is right for you; you know that it means no more utility bills and generating all of your own power, but what's involved in that?

Generating Off-Grid Power: The Four Best Ways

It isn't as easy as slapping a few solar panels on the roof and calling it good; when it comes to generating off grid power, there are a handful of methods that can combine to generate all the energy you'll need to live comfortably off the grid.Plug in to off grid power with solar electricitySolar power is probably the one that jumps to mind for most of us when it comes to off-grid energy. The sun-powered option, which includes photovoltaic solar panels, an inverter and batteries, can provide lots of electric power (especially if you get a lot of solar exposure where you live) for a long time, without any moving parts and a little maintenance. 30-Blade Eco Whisper Wind Turbine is "Virtually Silent" YouTube/Video screen capture Want wind power, but think that those tri-bladed behemoths are just too loud?

30-Blade Eco Whisper Wind Turbine is "Virtually Silent"

Well then, Australia Renewable Energy Solutions has just the thing for you: The Eco Whisper wind turbine. This sharp-looking little contraption may only have a 20 kW generating capacity, but the company claims that the turbine is "virtually silent". It's also, allegedly, more efficient. Here's an intro to how it works: The blades are 20 ft in diameter, and the entire thing stands 70 ft tall. A Personal Wind Turbine For $500: The Air-X. DIY 1000 watt wind turbine.