Small wind turbines

Other than the big companies in this industry, which target large commercial applications, e.g. in wind parks, smaller companies are focusing their product range with small to mid size systems, to provide energy for applications in:

• shopping malls
  
• car dealerships / showrooms
  
• farms
  
• industrial buildings
  
• remote houses and cabins
• office buildings
• single family houses
• off-shore / recreational sailboats
  
• highway signaling
  
• etc.

In addition to this find applications in the "repowering" (renovation) of existing windparks as well as the creation of new windparks. Those companies find applications both as sole source of electrical energy in places, where today only diesel power generators can be used, or as secondary power source in addition to regular mains supply, where excess power is sold back into the mains network.

Generated energy can be used in several ways such as:

• mains synchronous three-phase or single phase current
• battery charging / buffering system
• water pumping
• water heating (boiler system)

Main reasons for the ability to target this market, that has been neglected by the major players in this industry are the substantially higher power output, hence resulting in much smaller installations and towers with significantly reduced heights as well as the fact, that in the turbine design the diffuser tube contains and covers the propeller, thus allowing the placement of these systems very close to or on top of buildings even in urban areas, an advantage conventional free-running propellers do not have due to hazards of objects (ice, birds, branches of trees, propeller parts, etc.) being propelled from the rotor, noise and stroboscopic effects.

Smaller systems (at equivalent power output) are also much more acceptable under environmentalist considerations.

An additional consideration in favor of small and mid-size systems is the fact, that, for instance in Germany, sites for large wind parks with several gargantuan free-running propellers are becoming scarce – one of the reasons for wind park operators to go off-shore. Smaller systems, however, can be placed, where the energy is actually needed and will complement the big installations, instead of competing with them.

Finally it is important to point out, that it is significantly easier to get planning permission – if required at all - for the physically smaller wind power generators.

The small wind-turbine for autonomous or auxiliary power generation in applications like:

• warm waters
  
• holiday homes
  
• waterpumps
  
• highway signaling
  
• mobile phone repeaters
  
• sailyachts
  
• remote weatherstation
  
• observation stations (e.g. natural resavations)

Pre-assembled unit in box fascilitates easy erection and operation.