Good news for homeowners interested in supplementing their electricity with something other than solar power. Southwest Windpower is a company that will soon start offering small-wind generators for homes.Sounds like they’ll be available around August 2006. These mini-turbines will be a great option for people who live in areas that receive less sun. Or areas that get a lot of wind and a lot of sun! After spending this spring getting blown away in the desert southwest, this looks like a great option to me. You can read the full report in the Red Herring on-line newsletter:
“Skystream will change the way many Americans power their homes and take control of their energy costs,” said Andrew Kruse, co-founder and vice president of business development. “Wind energy for the individual is finally mainstream.”
But what’s the deal with cost, installation, etc? Here’s more from the Red Herring Website:
Skystream includes all the inverters, controllers, and other parts integrated in the generator, meaning that electricians only need to wire it to the house and plug it in, said Mr. Kruse.
That lowers the total installed cost to between $8,000 and $10,000—including $5,150 for the generator and between $1,000 and $3,000 for the tower, depending on height and design.
At that cost, and with a life span of 20 years, the system would deliver power for between $0.08 and $0.09 per kilowatt hour, Mr. Kruse said. That compares with a price of $0.15 to $0.20 per kilowatt hour for other small-wind technologies and for solar power, at least in the U.S., he said.
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