Windspire Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Wins PopSci Award, Maker Opens New Factory
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY 
on 11.17.08
photo: Mariah Power
Mariah Power's Windspire vertical axis wind turbine has caught our eye a number of times: Not only is it a break from traditional wind turbine design, but at $5000 you may be able to actual afford to put one in your backyard. But don’t just take it from TreeHugger that the Windspire is cool. Popular Science just rated the Windspire as one of the magazine’s “Best of What’s New ’08”. This comes on the heels of two other bits of good news for the Reno, Nevada-based company:
First Multi-Unit Commercial Installation + New Factory
Mariah Power’s first high-volume manufacturing facility in Manistee, Michigan is expected to be opening in early 2009. Over the next three years the factory will create about 141 new jobs. No word on what exactly "high-volume" means in terms of how many Windspires are expected to be rolling off the assembly line.
In the past month the company also announced that it had completed its first multi-unit commercial installation of six Windspires at Devon Bank, in Wheeling, Illinois. Together with the bank’s existing solar panels, this particular branch of Devon Bank will be generating 40% of its own electricity.
More at: Mariah Power - Windspire Overview
Home Wind Turbines
Check Out the Windspire: Backyard Vertical Wind Turbine Video Clip
The Energy Ball: Another Innovative Option in Home Wind Turbines
Mag-Wind Vertical Axis Wind Turbine For Your Home
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
Overpriced and overrated. There is a reason utilities use horizontal axis.
IF you live in area with wind speeds of 12 mph (common, especially this low to the ground), you will get 1150 kWh per year out of this machine based on deration for wind speed and specs given on the company website. You will spend $5000 plus the cost of installation, electrical hookups, and interconnection to the grid, so the number is probably closer to $8000.
Based on these numbers, electricity will cost $0.67 per kWh over a ten year period assuming no breakdowns, maintenance, or interest. That's a lot more than most people will ever pay for electricity and it makes solar look like a bargain.
Say you are currently spending $0.10 per kWh. It would take 40 years for the system to break even on cost using the performance rating given on the website with no interest or breakdown expense.
Thank you Captain Buzzkill
No, seriously...THANK YOU Jeff.
Without the analytic perspectives and math skills of Jeff and other keener minds, we would be flooded with outrageous frauds and failures that would severely undermine the alt energy movement.
We need more transparency and objective assessment of the efficiency, energy return and and economic return on our investments.
Sadly, such academic rigor is often missing in the green culture.
Jeff, I agree it probably is overpriced, but $.10/kwh seems awfully low, especially over the next 40 years. You also missed the 30% federal tax credit for small wind, in addition to any state or local incentives that may exist.
Jeff has a point and math is solid... But now lets say, that you live in an area, where connecting to the grid is even more expencive or even impossible? Now You have to decde, what is your long term strategy... And if You choose wind, then this unit is one of the most aesthetically pleasing and also reliable/easily maintained designs available.
So ramp up the production, reduce the cost and You have a winner.