As I paid my last respects today in winds that were gusting to 48 MPH, I thought "gee, if I had even a small windmill I'd be doing great! " Here's a really cool new design from Helix Wind in the picture and the sure looks like less of a bird hazard than the usual salad-shooter technology with propellers. An HEB distribution warehouse somewhere in the Valley was also looking at a big one. The residential ones are more like 2 kW but hey, that's plenty for me.
I have no idea if our local zoning codes outlaw them or not - anyone have a clue? The only thing I'd worry about is taking it down in a hurricane. It sure would be nice to sit here working and blogging away, knowing I had some happy little green electrons jumping around.
Maybe Amazing Walter can help me make an artistic one of a similar design. I remember when I was a kid there was a sculptor who made ones that pumped pond water when the wind blew, and when the wind blew really hard this sculpture-man thing could pee 50 feet into the air! Come on I was just a kid then. The sculptor built quite a few in the Westbrook and Old Saybrook areas of Connecticut in case you want to check up on my sanity. I want some clean electrons folks, no need for alarm just yet.
4 comments:
Better jump immediately into mass production on these puppies 'cause I want one too!
Hi Sam, All the environmentalists I have ever heard talk about windmills ALWAYS WITHOUT FAIL bring up the "problem" of those deadly blades chewing up birds into little pieces and spreading them all over hells half acre. Well I'm here to tell all that that is just so much bull s*hit! Maybe if that bird is flying with his eyes closed or his head up his butt they might have a problem ,they don't even come close! I say this because of having owned a rather large mill for way past 20 years. In all that time there has NEVER been a bird strike! If there was it didn't hurt them too bad 'cause there has never been a dead one anywhere within a 300 foot radius that I have ever seen! The only dead ones are starlings who try every year for the length of the nesting season to build nests in the tailboom! In a 40knot wind they will COME AROUND TO THE TAIL and try to gain entrance. They are pretty damned persistent too an they NEVER fly through the blade arc wile trying to get in. Even the babies know how to do this instinctively! Instinctively, all the naysayers need to remove their heads from that place the sun don't shine and get a friggin' life! Even the Herring gulls will come up from behind or from the side and just hover around looking the thing over and then they leave, all in one piece! Bam!! Humbug! TIFN
OBTW, check out Bergy Windmills of Norman of OK if you are really interested in one. They have them from 1kw up to 25kw. You can put them up on a tilt down tower for either maintenance or hurricanes. Mine is designed to withstand 120mph winds, and has been through a few storms where the wind got up to over 92mph!
Hey Everett what I said about the "Salad Shooter Effect" was supposed to be funny. I don't know about the big ones that spin slow but are so long the outer edge of the blades go over 150 MPH. These little residential things are great!
The only problem I have with birds is that YOUR Block Island Red-Wing Blackbirds have been smacking my windows. None died even though the dog got after one, and I have the feathers to prove it.
For those of you who don't know, Everett and I always have some smack going about his crazy birds and me being a semi-retired hippie.
Just so you know, Ev, I've joined the Island Jackass Democrat Party. mostly on account I got the jackass part down pretty good. Fortunately they don't bother me too much with real politics! /sammie
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