WindSpire: An Attractive Wind Turbine For The Home

by Justin on April 23, 2007

in Renewable Power


windspire_wind_turbine_residential_vawt.jpg

A Nevadan company, Mariah Power, has launched a unique wind turbine for the home, called the WindSpire. The turbine is rated at 1 kilowatt, and it has a thin design — it’s only two feet wide, but 20 feet tall (see a photo here). The color is also customizable — suggested colors are: Milky White, Forest Green, Sky Blue, Stop Sign Red, or Crystal Clear. You can see a video of the turbine in full-tilt action here. It’s designed to be easy to install, and it’s rated to survive in winds up to 100 mph. The minimum wind speed necessary for the unit to begin generating power is only 8 mph. It also said to be very quiet. The price is $3995 and the product is scheduled for delivery in the fall.


EcoWorld spoke with Mariah Power recently:

When I met Mariah Power’s VP of Marketing, Tracy Twist, last week in Sacramento…Standing on a 10 foot tower, with the inverter and generator attached immediately to the bottom of the rotor, this windmill appears simpler to manufacture and maintain compared to traditional horizontal axis windmills.

The problem has been getting sufficient efficiency from the rotor. Because vertical wind rotors have a lower RPM compared to conventional wind rotors, the challenge has been to find a generator that can still generate adequate power at these lower speeds. Mariah Power has patents pending on their generator which they believe have solved this problem. They have three prototype generators already constructed which they have submitted to 3rd party testing centers to verify their claims.

To find out more about the Windspire, visit their website Mariah Power. Check out this horizontal rooftop wind turbine about to be released. Other makers of more conventional wind turbines for the home are: Southwest Windpower or Bergey Windpower.

Via: EcoWorld

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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }

Mike Krisman September 12, 2007 at 1:47 am

Hi,
Nice looking machine and credentials.
I am an inventor over the hill in Jackson, Ca. with a VAWT design following nature’s designs. I have calculated 1.4Kw with a 20MPH wind. 100 ft2 into the wind with feathered anti wind vanes, 2 stage reflex feature. A real turbine!

Since you are close, would you want to talk?

Mike Krisman
209-763-5628
4165 Quail Hill Ct.
Ione, Ca. 95640
usa@tbomail.com

Thank you

Reply

vincent verdi December 28, 2008 at 11:09 pm

Interested in your products can you please email me a price list and a list of product.

I can be contacted direct on: +61 402 805 262

Reply

Al Loucks January 20, 2009 at 4:56 pm

I am interested please send me information. And Cost

Reply

Pete April 6, 2009 at 3:23 pm

FYI an upgraded version of this product is going into mass production and will be made in the USA (Michigan)! You can check out the company’s news page for more information:
http://www.mariahpower.com/the_news.html or their YouTube video

Reply

Robert Thompson May 1, 2009 at 10:09 am

We are extremely interested in affordable alternative energy products. I like what I ssee. Please send info as we are interested in becoming a dealer.
Thank you,
Robert Thompson
Affordable Metal Roofing
4336 Sea Mountain Hwy Ste 6
Little River, SC 29566

Reply

Devin, ROI Electric May 1, 2009 at 12:19 pm

Are there Authorized Dealerships available for the windspire ?

Reply

Tim R. May 13, 2009 at 11:31 am

Interested. Please provide additional details for the windspire. Thanks Tim

Reply

Howard White July 5, 2009 at 5:32 pm

I am interested in one of these systems. I am also interested in a Distributership in Michigan. I would like to sell and install these systems. Please send my any and all information on the cost and the process to get a business started. Thank You. Howard Whtie

Reply

Gail & Harley Lyons July 14, 2009 at 4:46 pm

What is the nearest distributor of Windspire? We live in northern Colorado (Longmont).

Please send any brochures, operating manuals, etc. to us at 6860 Nelson Road, Longmont, Colorado 80503.

Thanks!

Gail & Harley Lyons, Yatahai Eco-Farm

Reply

Lawton Deane June 8, 2010 at 9:28 am

Interested in being a distributor of your product to the Caribbean .

Reply

Brother Donald Paul July 17, 2010 at 5:58 am

We paid $14,000.00 for two of these contraptions in May of 2009. Sixteen months later, the largest amount of electricity we generated was .80 cents a month. You read that correctly, EIGHTY CENTS a month. As early as three months after the install, the company acknowledged that the turbines and inverters were “defective” (their words, not mine) and offered replacements “when available”. A year and dozens of empty promises later, our Windspires are still not replaced. The corporation talks a good game but is unable and/or unwilling to deliver. This has truned into a sad and disappointing, not to mention very expensive experience. We would advise anyone considering small scale windpower to look elsewhere. Caveat emptor!

Reply

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