its on a winch, so it can be pulled in during big storms.

the 1kW residential version is also only $2,000.

In reply to this comment by GeeSussFreeK:
Wow, smart. The only downfall would be storm systems ripping it from the sky like some 10 million dollar kite. Still, pretty reasonable little thing.

If this version is more "bird-friendly" then that is nice, but it is worth noting that mirrored buildings kill far more birds than wind turbines (though usually different species).

Mr. Beer Belly noted that these turbines do not rotate as quickly at maximum speed (2.5 times the speed of wind was his quote), and thus are still visible to birds/bats when its dark and windy, indicating that the problem is the propeller turbines actually spin so fast that birds don't see to avoid the blades.

>> ^dannym3141:
But anyway.. how is that new style friendlier to birds? It probably has more area in which to hit a bird, and if the bird goes through one side of the turbine it then has to go through the other side.

ahoy! i replied to your comment

In reply to this comment by dannym3141:
You of course understand the presence of the word "wind" in "wind farm"? As in, when there's wind, they "farm" it.

But anyway.. how is that new style friendlier to birds? It probably has more area in which to hit a bird, and if the bird goes through one side of the turbine it then has to go through the other side.

>> ^RedSky:


You really have to stand next to a regular wind turbine to realize the scale of the object. To compare, they are generally twice or even three times the height of the statue of Liberty (the one in New York, not the miniature version in Paris!)

This smaller design is like comparing a flashlight with a lighthouse : not the same impact.

E.T. call home!

Seems like a good idea but seriously, if a bunch of billionaires are complaining that wind turbines are an eyesore for their ocean-front resort, imagine how much love these will get when they're visible from people's backyards.

In other *Canada *actionpack news, the lawsuit's underway.
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gZJCX4GstDDiyPm1Ujro4TPyfybQ

OMG, this kind of article reminds me why hack towns like Barrie get hack writers like the author of this piece: http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1152232

What the hell? What kind of freak has a problem with wind turbines? HONESTLY???

I'm also annoyed with people who say "ooooh, how could they POSSSSIBLLLLAAAY allow a plant to be built next to houses????"

How about asking, why did they build a residential neighbourhood next to land still zoned industrial?

Perhaps decide to live in an area that's NOT next to land zoned industrial.

I see that people who don't play Simcity = malinformed.

Though I guess they didn't see a big yellow box with an "I" on it, maybe that's why.

A good little FAQ here: http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_25643.aspx

If this tech is so simple to install and maintain perhaps it could see use in developing nations as a means of providing power for remote areas which are not attached to any sort of power grid?

Anyway, great sift. It doesn't appear to be particularly related to solar power though, as far as I can see anything could power the conversion process.

Thing is, I know somebody who has a wind turbine and it goes from producing too much power to too little or none at all. When he has a surplus it gets pumped onto the national grid and he gets compensated by the power company. So, its not like the excess is being wasted, and the money from the power company pays for the electricity he uses when the wind drops, so he has no real need to store the energy he produces. Ofc, in an ideal world everybody would have a wind turbine, and then you would need an energy store for when the wind drops, but while renewables are in the minority...

Anyway, gogo energy independance.

For those of you wanting to know more about how it works, here is a short description from Science Daily:

"The key component in Nocera and Kanan's new process is a new catalyst that produces oxygen gas from water; another catalyst produces valuable hydrogen gas. The new catalyst consists of cobalt metal, phosphate and an electrode, placed in water. When electricity — whether from a photovoltaic cell, a wind turbine or any other source — runs through the electrode, the cobalt and phosphate form a thin film on the electrode, and oxygen gas is produced.

"Combined with another catalyst, such as platinum, that can produce hydrogen gas from water, the system can duplicate the water splitting reaction that occurs during photosynthesis.

The new catalyst works at room temperature, in neutral pH water, and it's easy to set up, Nocera said. "That's why I know this is going to work. It's so easy to implement," he said.""

Fuckin' A.

People want to bitch about having to look at drilling platforms - WHICH YOU WON'T EVEN BE ABLE TO SEE - and at the same time, they want alternative energy. But when people try to put in wind turbines, they bitch about it marring the natural beauty of an area.

STFU already and drill ANWR.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'The Go Team, Doing It Right, dont even think about it schmawy' to 'The Go Team, Doing It Right, dont even think about it schmawy, Wind Turbines' - edited by schmawy

^Well, assembled, anyway. I can't believe the size or the blades when they're on the truck!

http://www.videosift.com/video/Time-Lapse-Wind-Turbine-Construction
http://www.videosift.com/video/Time-lapse-of-how-a-wind-turbine-is-raised

>> ^ashes2flames:
Video Sift is truly becoming the world leader in wind turbine video.


And people who whine about wind turbine videos.

Video Sift is truly becoming the world leader in wind turbine video.

There's another one here: http://www.videosift.com/video/Time-lapse-of-how-a-wind-turbine-is-raised