New Wind Turbine Produces Low-Cost Energy

Ken on July 13th, 2008

Renewable energy from the wind, which previously could only be generated in restricted geographic locations to achieve reasonable result– typically off-shore or in remote rural areas – can now be made available almost anywhere, including urban environments.

The AeroCam, developed by BroadStar Wind Systems, was designed and patented for commercial applications. With its parallel rotor blades, not only does it look radically different from conventional propeller designs, but also can be manufactured, transported, installed and maintained at lower cost.

The major innovation in the design is the ability to automatically and interactively adjust the pitch or angle of attack of the aerodynamic blades as the turbine rotates, thereby optimizing its performance for much the same reasons a bird changes the shape of its wing in flight.

“Our efficient aerodynamic design lends itself to smaller wind turbines, which can operate closer to the ground or on a rooftop.” says Stephen Else, president of Dallas-based BroadStar Wind Systems, “They can handle a wide range of wind velocities, anywhere between 4 and 80 mph. They generate their power at lower rotational speed, so there is less noise and vibration hence less wear and tear. But most importantly the AeroCam can be manufactured at a lower cost than conventional turbines. This makes the overall economic argument very compelling.”

BroadStar’s technical achievement delivers a 250kW machine for $250,000 and is the first to break through the $1/watt cost barrier, which is unprecedented in the industry. Previously, the best that could be achieved in the U.S. was $1.38 and in Europe $2 of capital investment for every watt of power capacity installed. [BroadStar]