Photo courtesy of Gual Industrie
In FreeEnergyNews.com’s January to March archive, there was a link about the Belgium based Gual Industrie StatoEolien Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine. I found this article interesting because all the wind turbines you see are hortizontal. What made this turbine different?
Also, there has always been controversy about the effectiveness of wind power. Questions as to whether or not it can produce the energy that the companies are touting, birds and bats being shredded in the wind mill’s blades and the aesthetics of the wind turbine have plagued the industry.
Gual Industrie installed the first commercial prototype in 2004. The Company claims that their vertical wind mill is thirty percent more efficient than the horizontal wind turbines that you see today. Their wind turbine is able to create energy utilizing the wind streams differently than the horizontal wind turbines. In addition, it fits on top of your house.
Gual has two models with dimensions in meters. (A meter is a little bigger than a yard.) The G4 unit is 4 meters in diameter and 1.5 meters in height. The bigger G8 model is 8 meters in diameter and 3 meters in height.
I have been interested in wind turbines for some time since my own house sits on top of a hill. In the winter, there is so much wind that I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz when I go outside. However, my town has a height restriction for structures. Given my situation, harnessing this wind would seem to be the natural thing to do.
In order to install a 10K system, Bergey, a leading manufacturer of residential wind turbines recommends given perfect conditions to install their wind turbine, the tower should be at least 80 feet high and you should have at least one acre of land so there is no dispute with your neighbors as to its noise. Given height restrictions in towns today, you would have to obtain a variance and the town may deny it.
Gual’s vertical solution may be the answer for many residential landowners. They claim that it is not noisy. Judging by the dimensions provided by the Company for the G4, the turbine will only add about 5 feet to the height of your structure. Go to Gual’s website to see what the turbines look like on top of a house. They are not the most beautiful structures but they seem to be very effective. Perhaps making the sides look like a chimney would help.
See the following for more information on this turbine: http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Gual_Industrie_StatoEolien_Vertical-Axis_Wind_Turbine#Official_Website or
Gual’s english site: http://www.gual-industrie.com/english/cdromang.html. You can download the video from that link.
I emailed the company about this product inquiring about how it fares with birds, who distributes it, and its cost. I will keep you posted.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s wonderful to see what unique designs people are coming up with especially since T. Boone Pickens has thrown his weight behind the wind energy movement.
Residential solar power generators are becoming more and more popular. As individuals struggle to pay their energy bills, the need for alternative energy and fuels are real. Some people are taking it upon themselves to lower their monthly electricity bills and are using alternative means to do so. These devices use the sun to create electricity for one’s home. This typically takes the form of solar panels or some other types of power systems. But they all use the sun which is a natural and free resource. The energy that is created is used to fuel all sorts of things such as one’s appliances and other equipment, essentially anything that runs on traditional fuels.
Horizontal wind turbines are larger and hence, more useful in rural areas with open spaces. If you are living in an urban or suburban area, you will want to opt for the vertical wind turbine. In fact, vertical wind turbines were specifically designed to address the unique issues associated with electricity production in urban or suburban settings where horizontal winds become vertical when encountering the face of a building. The helical shaped blades of the vertical wind turbine can make use of horizontal or vertical wind bursts blowing in from any direction.
Nice article you posted . Congratulation to decide going green and clean. We also preserve nature and save money by using free cost wind energy and that was by the help provided in: http://www.windpowercost.org Thanks for your post.
A small windmill can generate enough electricity to supply a single home or small business. The amount of power generated depends on wind activity and the length of the blades, but at the very least a windmill can help to reduce power costs.
Did you just decide to go green and begin to generate your own power? Or at least try to? You are like many other people, today people want to help out the environment and save as much of its precious resources as possible.
* Have doubts that you will be able to complete a power wind system? Well find Out the Facts about Wind Power.
* Yes! Wind Turbines and the whole going Green can seem overwhelming… It’s easier than you think . . . if you know what to do.
* Myth #1 Wind turbines are very noisy. This is not true at all. In fact wind turbines are very quiet. Refrigerator may make more noise !
* Myth #2 Your Wind Turbine will affect your television.. This is not true as well. You will be an expert in no time, not to mention watching your favorite TV. show.
* Myth #3 Wind Turbines don’t really produce enough power. In fact Wind Turbines can produce upwards of 85% power 24/7. Not even your power company produces 100% of power 24 hours a day. All that you can learn it in : http://windpowercost.org
Sandra Coyott´s last blog ..Home Wind Power- Know the Facts!
Sandra, what is your feeling about them being on your house (horizontal ones) What are your thoughts about vertical wind mills especially regarding efficiency? Anna