Answers blowin’ in the wind?

I have wind power on my mind for several reasons. First, I want wind turbines and/or to be off the grid SO bad. I’ve finally convinced the wife that our next house will be small, green, energy-efficient, and powered by some combination of wind, solar, and/or geothermal.

The guys at FloDesign Wind are making the local free paper every so often–most recently in an article showcasing their efforts to raise capitol for a working prototype of their second-gen wind turbine. EcoGeek website has Flodesign Wind’s company promo video and an interview with CEO Stanley Kowalski here.

Looks like very promising technology and they claim they will be able to bring it the market in under 2 years! Superior design (their wind turbine is based on a jet engine) allows for greater energy production at lower wind speeds, ability to function at higher wind speeds, lower manufacturing and shipping costs, reduced maintenance costs, and the ability to place more turbines on a smaller footprint of land.

This design isn’t a pipe dream. In May of 2008 FloDesign Wind won the MIT Clean Energy Entrepreneur competition. From Steve Boneberger (via Energy Daily):

The FloDesign Wind Turbine has been named the winner of the MIT Clean Energy Entrepreneurship competition. The breakthrough wind turbine design is geared to perform efficiently in a wide range of wind conditions – particularly in areas with lower wind speeds – which current wind turbines are not effectively designed for.

The novel design incorporates a mature aerospace propulsion technology that outperforms existing turbines by a factor of two to three. It has also been found to be less noisy and safer for wildlife than existing turbine systems.

Big D and I drive by the FloDesign shop just about every Monday afternoon after we get out of play group. Every time we do I dream about what I think these guys will be able to accomplish–and how rich I hope they get for their efforts. I plan on being one of their first customers.

On a related note, in my work as a Postal employee I see newspapers from all of the world (but mostly the U.S.) as they move through the “mail stream”. I’m always pleased at the number of headlines touting wind power projects and innovations around the country. Just last night I saw a revolutionary new wind power design called the Wind Wing. While it doesn’t seem to be as far along design-wise as the FloDesign Wind project, the Wind Wing looks promising to me.

Gene Kelley, above, shows off his WindWing, which he and fellow W2 Energy partners believe can replace current propeller-driven wind turbines. According to Kelley, the WindWing can produce much more energy at a fraction of the cost. Photo by Karen Quincy Loberg

From a VenturaCountyStar (8/5/07) article by Allison Bruce:

While most wind turbines these days are built as propellers, Gene Kelley is convinced that wings are a better answer for capturing wind energy. Though the physics and work that has gone into his invention can get complex, the underlying concept of his “WindWing” is basic enough for a child to understand.

Anyone who has stuck a hand out of a car window has felt how the WindWing works. As the hand is tilted upward, the wind pushes the hand up. As it tilts downward, the wind pushes it down.

The resulting up-and-down motion, or oscillation, is what gives the WindWing its power.

I’m more skeptical on the Wind Wing than the FloDesign, but that just might be me routing harder for the hometown team.

Get more info on the Wind Wing at W2 Energy Development Corp. (here) and FloDesign Wind (here –Note: as of 6/9/08 at 1:36 AM EST the FloDesign Wind site is temporarily down)

P.S. Also, due to this post title, I think it’s only fair to mention that Mr. Bob Dylan more-or-less endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama as his choice for president of the USA. Go Bob!