Looking more like a water wheel than a wind turbine, Broadstar’s AeroCam micro-wind turbine generates a lot of power.  The trick with any type of renewable energy is to make it cost effective.  Cleaning up the environment is good, but if you can’t afford it, you can’t afford it.

AeroCam’s design allows this wind turbine to work in relatively low wind conditions.  The aerodynamic blades are able to adjust their pitches easily in wind conditions ranging from 4 – 80 mph.  This allows the microturbine to utilize all wind flow most efficiently. 

The AeroCam microturbine has been optimized to work in areas where a typical wind turbine would not be a good fit.  For instance, the AeroCam can be used as a fill-in turbine in existing wind farms or to create micro-wind turbine farms consisting only of the AeroCam.  Because of its size and design, it utilizes winds at lower heights and speeds than typical turbines allowing it to generate electricity when large turbines are idle or less efficient.

The configuration of the AeroCam also means that it is quiet which makes it perfect for urban and residential areas.  Since this wind wheel comes in configurations that can be mounted in a variety of ways from ground installations to roofs, it is also more versatile than many of the other small turbines on the market that require either a roof or a ground installation.

Currently, the AeroCam is perfect for small community and commercial installations.  Because of the design, Broadstar is able to manufacture, transport, install and maintain these wind turbines much more affordably than other wind turbines on the market.

There are four different types of AeroCam’s in development at Broadstar.  AeroCam Type I (pictured at the top of the page), the smallest, will generate 10 KW at 30 miles per hour.  Type II will generate 100KW, Type III 250 KW, and Type IV (the largest) 500 KW per hour at 30 miles per hour.  As you can see, Broadstar has developed an AeroCam type for many different environments.

To illustrate the cost efficiency of this system, a 250 KW system is expected to retail for $250,000 which makes it the first turbine to break the $1/watt cost barrier.  This price will make these turbines much more attractive for commercial ventures since return on investment will happen quickly.

If each AeroCam Type has the same pricing structure, getting the Type I at $10,000 will be more affordable than many solar installations.  Combined with solar, these micro wind turbines could easily meet the electrical needs of a small business.

The AeroCam is still in the prototype phase and it is unclear when these wind turbines will hit the market.  For areas that are more windy than sunny, these would be great for providing clean cost-effective energy.

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Entry was posted on Thursday, June 19th, 2008 at 8:59 pm under Green Technology, Science and technology.

Read more entries by Susan Wilson.
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