Renewable energies will have to be the future as relying on fossil fuels has already proven to be disastrous for the planet, but the battle between which type of renewable energy we should be focusing on is still very much ongoing and results are quite mixed. However, there might be a new contender that will sway the fight, the Honeywell Windgate wind turbine, which “aims to bring affordable and practical wind power to homes, particularly to those homes in low-wind regions”.
It is no surprise that solar panels won the battle for a few years when it came to homeowner installation. They can be put on top of almost any roof and most places get a decent amount of light and sun even in the winter, which makes them fairly versatile to use. But this does not mean that they are the perfect solution for every home in every area or that there might not be a better solution.
Wind turbines have been discarded for a while because most of them require significant footprint, wind availability is even more sporadic than sun and installation is complex and expensive, which has not made them a good contender for most home setups, but this new circular shaped wind turbine could be the answer to most of these problems.
The reason why the Honeywell Windgate wind turbine could change home energy collection
One of the main problems with installing wind turbines in homes is its dependence on consistently strong winds. Most standard turbines require a steady breeze of at least 7 to 8 miles per hour just to begin operating, which has made wind power an impractical option for many homeowners. Additionally, traditional turbines are typically large and need to be placed far from where the electricity is actually used, complicating the adoption of residential wind energy.
Honeywell’s Windgate turbine offers a potential solution to these long-standing issues as unlike conventional models, it is capable of generating electricity at much lower wind speeds, as little as 2 mph, through an innovative approach developed by EarthTronics, which replaces the typical central hub mechanism with a rim-based system. Magnets positioned at the blade tips reduce friction and allow the turbine to function across a much broader range of wind conditions, from light breezes up to 45 mph. This design not only expands the areas where wind energy is viable but also brings it closer to practical use at the individual or local level.
These turbines are also rather compact and quiet, making them perfect for residential areas. They are only 6 feet wide and weigh 95 pounds, which truly is compact when compared to traditional turbines. This means that they can be installed on rooftops, walls, or even on a self-standing pole, making them a lot more comparable to current solar setups. However, what really sets them apart from other designs is their lack of sound, which is a concern in residential areas that have noise ordinances that would be violated just by the vibrations of other traditional turbines.
Since the most important part is performance, especially in comparison to other sources of energy, Windgate has calculated that their turbines can produce up to 2,000 kilowatt-hours annually, which is enough to offset about 15% of the electricity used by an average household. This means that it would not replace the grid or solar panels, but could be a complementary source of power in areas with less sunny climates or when it is overcast for a while.
The one thing that makes this possible is its affordability, as Windgate comes in at roughly $4,500 less than larger turbine models, but it is still an investment that would have to make sense for your area and household, as not even the offset in cost per kilowatt-hour will be enough if you do not live in an area where installation is feasible or where the sun shines.