Please, PLEASE sell them with the AC-DC converter built in, putting out comparable volts to solar panels, and with MC4 cables sticking out. Then they'll be as "plug and play" as people with basic solar setups want. Panels into one MPPT, these into the other.
It's an interesting idea. It seems like substantially more mass; so it takes that much more force to turn the turbine. Even considering the funneling in urban settings, I'd like to see a side by side comparison to some of the other products that you've covered who are tackling those environments. And from a maintenance standpoint, with all that extra mass, I would expect bearings wearing out more quickly. It would be interesting to see a followup in a couple years.
Sounds like o-wind need to create an omni directional wind speed testing device (mini version of the turbine design adapter to wind speed test devices) so people can be sure they would benefit from the turbine
Matt remembered what I said haha! I don't need just a home wind turbine, I need SILENT home wind turbine lol. If these are truly working close to silent, even with vibration dampening or whatever, that's a MASSIVE upgrade over existing tech.
The problem is not even airborne noise, which seems to be all the inventor mentioned. Wind turbines all have cyclical vibration once per revolution and gust loads from wind changing direction and speed. Roof trusses are not stiff enough for bearing these added loads silently.
What we could really do with is a "set and forget" wind turbine, as easy as solar! (except also it'll need oil now and again). If you have, say, an Ecoflow or Bluetti with two MPPT inputs, it should be as simple as solar plugged into one, wind plugged into the other, then start enjoying your free pwer. But I can see these coming with 3-phase AC cables poking out and a "you figure it out". If these even "come" at all. This is the UK we're talking about, mere mortals probably won't be allowed to "just buy" one, you'll have to get a full professional grid-tied install done.
Quite interesting stuff. I was thinking that it might be interesting to install a swarm of smaller versions, since there is not the Wake effect of the normal windmills. That probably would also make the whole less noisy relative to the Energy output.
I recall from childhood how we'd craft kites and fly them high, about 20-30 meters up, when at the beach. Reaching a certain altitude seemed almost magical. Could this height range be suitable for deploying turbines of this kind? Lifting the turbine on a tethered balloon, and the teather is the electric cable.
Underwater versions could be extremely useful for extracting energy from tides, ocean currents and waves. Thanks for that thought. How efficient are these devices, compared to both horizontal and other vertical axis turbines?
Be great if these can harvest canyon effects from buildings and landforms that concentrate wind energy. Tree shelter belts also cause this effect and I've often ruminated on planting trees to concentrate wind in conjunction with landforms. How a bunch of these devices behave together would also be interesting.
It would be good if they create something to help test and environment to check if it's suitable. That would definitely help people to find out and trust if it's for them.
Love the concept and would like to see test results. On a house rooftop, especially were there are dormers and junctions between roof peaks, you would funnel air up to that peak, which would realize more relative airspeed, even in light airs, than any simple flat surface. Wondering how well a 1-meter unit would work on a residential rooftop?
I run a SolarEdge 10kwh battery with 24 JA panels - great for about 8 months of the year. I would LOVE to have on the side of my modest house a wind powered generator like this - but perhaps around 1m in diameter that just outputs 1Kw (max) while the wind blows. No more - that's all the top-up that's needed. And at that size it wouldn't upset the neighbours. I would spend good money on a generator as efficient and quiet as that.
This is why we need publicly funded research. As this interview describes, research in one area often leads to gains in another. Whereas capital is risk averse and corporations only fund research they think will be fruitful- which narrows the scope of research and produces fewer gains. Especially when the gains realized would be in another industry altogether. Education and research is like kids playing in a sandbox. We should expand the scope of play and creativity and be less concerned with the end result. Expanding people’s minds and creativity produces the most gains, investing in people for the sake of investing in people, not funding research for extractive reasons like squeezing the most profit and the least risk out of research.
Matt do you know if anyone is looking at building large structures to funnel wind toward turbines? Putting these atop prexisiting buildings makes sense, but I would bet you could engineer a building to optimally channel the wind that hits it. How cool would it be to live in an apartment building designed specifically to harness the wind!
The one thing I’d like to know is what the start up wind speed for the device is. Most of the UK only rates at about 4m/s windspeed, even factoring in the complex structures he mentions will speed it up a little is that enough to get the thing spinning
So when Matt asked about cost and the response was, "... around the cost of a solar install in the UK" I assume Mr Orellana meant a full on install with all the trimmings? Not running out and buying a $500 single solar panel. I understand hard figures cannot be disclosed or assumed. But there is a big difference between 500 and close to 100k. I don't care either way I was just asking for clarity. 🖖 And also to figure out if cities are going to want to "foot the bill" or if there will be massive pushback. Especially here in the US.
Wait, GBP 1 per watt? I can't believe that includes permitting, installation and commissioning. Panels and inverters are cheap as chips, electric contractors not so.
Imagine being allowed to just "run out and buy" a panel in the UK. Then the government can't control what you are building! People might even have off-grid systems and not even tell (present Chancellor of the Exchequer here) how much electricity they're using, unmetered and untaxed!
I wonder the use of these in urban environments but not the streets with huge buildings on both sides of the road. Rather the broken up buildings scene where taller and lower buildings are situated. How will be the revenue if you place smaller ones on 6/8 apartment buildings and what would be the force need to be taken on by the roof structure and what is expected energy harvest? I love these balls from the idea but the size and harvest are going to be the thing. If I can place 2/3 on my roof in addition to PV it may have a greater impact because of the amount that may be installed
Energy output is important but he did not really answer the power output question. What is the largest amount of power that is reported to be outputted by this device
The marketing should target domestic electrical base-load, not try to be 'the' home generator. Base-load is 200-300W and is always there to be chipped away at and represents 20% of the annual energy bills. With small, local storage (1-2 KWh ~$200) &/or direct water heating to level intermittency it would make a compelling consumer product.
@@MrKenrhodesinteresting how people with limited attention and who revel in their own ignorance talk about ‘endless babble’. Their inability to process information and general ignorance leads them to denigrate detailed discussion and facts as endless babble. Sad really. They fail to realise their own failings. The inventor does not speak English as his first language but I’ll bet it’s ten times better than this poster’s English. Try this discussion after the guys won the Dyson Innovation award in 2018 - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-m8O6CugLTww.htmlsi=luofKHRyEVQ4KmdY
That something looks like a scam dosn't mean it is. They don't even have a final product on the market so you don't know the cost or if they are making false claims in thier marketing. I doubt that they could win the James Dyson award if it didn't work.
@tombh74 The James Dyson award is a design award. I don't think they analysed the efficiency. It is still a Savonius turbine. The turbine is made a lot of material compared to the very small cross section. I think that the average cost of electricity from this turbine is at least 10 times higher than a PV system.
