Quiet wind-turbine comes to U.S. homes

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.

At a cost of $10,000 installed, it's a bit lower than the typical per-watt cost of solar electric panels. But state rebates, the cost of electricity, and the wind or solar resource make a big difference on the actual up-front cost. Cascade estimates the payback on the upfront cost can be as low as three years, but that it varies widely.

Small wind recently benefited from the extension of renewable energy tax credits, which gives consumers a $1,000 tax credit for residential systems and $4,000 for commercial buildings.

Cascade, which is based in Grand Rapids, Mich., has installed 9 Swift turbines in the U.S. and has a backlog of 25 orders, according to Jessica Lehti, the company's senior product marketing manager.

The mix of customers is spit in half between residential and commercial customers. Even with the economic downturn, the company expects that it can sell to customers who purchase renewable energy products for both economic and environmental reasons.

Cascade, which specializes in plastics, has partnered with the Scotland-based Renewable Devices, which originally designed the Swift. Cascade is selling the product in the U.S.

The company says the turbine is best suited for places with average winds and needs to be placed two feet above the roofline.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10075828-54.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0 Date: 27-10-08