After enjoying success at 250 sites across Scotland, wind energy firm Cascade Engineering is ready to bring their Swift turbine to Canada and the United States.
The feature most championed on these turbines is their relative quiet. Like others, the Swift features blades for catching the wind. To reduce noise, however, those five blades are encompassed by a ring. This element brings the noise level down to 35 decibels and reduces vibration, according to the company.
Additionally, the turbine can be attached to a home — rather than require the use of a pole or tower. From CNET,
The turbine, with a 7-foot diameter, also has two fins to direct the turbine to face the wind. It can turn 360 degrees and shut down if the wind is too high. It can generate 1.5 kilowatts with 14 mile-per-hour wind and about 2,000 kilowatt-hours over a year, the company said. U.S. households typically consume between 6,500 and 10,000 kilowatt-hours in a year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Current cost before tax rebates and other state and federal incentives is $10K. Cascade estimates the payback on the upfront cost can be as low as three years, but that it varies widely. Check out their official website for more info.
via CNET
