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Wind Turbine Installed at Solar Center

A new vertical wind turbine that’s only 30 feet tall has been installed at the Solar House. Instead of propeller blades, the Windspire has aluminum air foils that spin around a central pole, giving it the appearance of a giant eggbeater.

Brian Miles, extension wind specialist with the Solar Center, coordinated the installation in time for demonstrations at a recent renewable energy conference at the McKimmon Center.

Because of its size and quiet operation, the Windspire could be used in residential and urban areas, said Addie Randall with Blue Sun Renewable Energy, a partner with the Solar Center on the project. The turbines can be placed in groups for power production without tall towers, and a Connecticut university plans to install 42 Windspires at the center of its new green campus.

Windspires are now being built at a former auto-parts factory in Michigan. Viewers of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition can see an installation on the show’s season finale May 17.