A new form of wind generator is being developed by Spinetic Energy (SEL) to be a cheap and simple supplier of energy to microgrids.

The ultra low-cost ‘wind panel’ system is intended for harvesting wind energy at a community scale (kW to small MW). Potentially the community scale renewable energy market is large with worldwide, sub-1MW installations worth over USD70 billion in 2015and could expand with the arrival of microgrid technology (local electricity grids incorporating an energy mix of renewable and non-renewable).

Despite wind energy being readily and constantly available at many locations across the globe, it often remains unused due to the high cost of wind turbines. The new system potentially makes wind a cheaper alternative and linked together the multiple turbine blade-generator units create ‘wind fences’ to match power requirements.

In combination with one another, wind being more efficient in winter and solar in summer, a community wind system makes economic sense as long as it provides electricity more cheaply than the diesel generator in a hybrid system – and is, of course, greener.

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