Jay Leno's Green Garage Gets Wind Power

As part of an ongoing project with Popular Mechanics to make his garage more sustainable, the Tonight Show host is getting set to install a state-of-the-art turbine on top of the shop.

Jay Leno is making plans with the team from PacWind (left) to install the state-of-the-art Delta II turbine (right) on the roof of his Green Garage.

By Ben Stewart
Published on: May 17, 2007

Wind power usually brings to mind those giant, prop-style turbines in Denmark or their much smaller cousins, like the 900-watt Whisper 100 that our PM’s off-the-grid Energy Family uses in Vermont. As those innovative solutions have proved, wind can be a great compliment to solar power—and the rest of this country is just starting to catch up. So as we move forward with Jay Leno on transforming his Green Garage, you’ll probably see a rooftop solar panel array augmented by wind power to help the shop generate its own energy and become self-sufficient.

Recently, Jay had a chance to meet up with the folks from PacWind, a company that makes vertical-axis wind turbines like the 500-watt Seahawk they brought by the garage. Drag-type vertical turbines such as these move a lot like those three-cup anemometers commonly used for measuring wind speed. But the PacWind design is unique in that its foils utilize the forces of lift, too, making them more efficient.

The Seahawk was just one example of Pacwind’s turbines—and Jay was impressed. But for the 17,000-sq-ft. garage, which uses, um, quite a bit of energy each month, the PacWind team recommended their brand-new, top-of-the-line Delta II turbine. It can produce 10 kw at around 28 mph and has a cut-in wind speed of 6 mph. These turbines don’t need a braking mechanism and can self-start at very low wind speeds—something similar designs in the past could never do. Generating usable wind power can be quite tricky, since wind is fickle and performance can vary from place to place. But according to Pacwind, Jay’s garage looks like a very suitable spot.

A few more neat things about these vertical turbines: They take up very little space, they’re virtually silent, and multiple units can be placed within feet of one another. Delta II units can also be stacked vertically up to 50 kW. We wouldn’t be surprised to see quite a few of these 9-ft., 500-lb. turbines lining the upstairs of the Green Garage very soon. For a full breakdown on wind energy technology in America, click here.

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NEWS RELEASE FROM GREEN ENERGY NEWS

February 17, 2007 Vol.11 No.47

REDUCING THE COST OF SMALL SCALE WIND: A LOOK AT A NEW VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINE.
I have to admit it, I'm a sucker for horizontal-axis, propeller-type wind turbines, large or small. They seem pretty, somehow, like birds perhaps, or like graceful old prop-driven airplanes. Nice works of industrial art. Yet while horizontal axis turbines are the most popular for large scale applications - for now - are they the best idea for small scale turbines like those used for remote or home power applications? Staring at picture of a new small Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) offered by PacWind - the company's Delta I - got me thinking: Is this a better idea than small propeller-type wind turbines? First let's take a look at the major problem with most small wind turbines: Cost. True, compared with solar power, small wind is less expensive all around. But in terms of initial cost outlay compared with other forms of off-grid, standalone distributed power generation, such as conventional combustion engined generators, small wind can't compete. A guess is that the price point for small wind energy - the point at which large numbers flock to the technology - is the $3000 - 5000 range, about the same as a high-quality conventional generator. PacWind's Delta I currently falls in the middle of that range. For a similar output - a maximum of a couple of kilowatts in windy conditions - propeller type turbines don't come anywhere near that.

Besides, from a consumer's point of view small wind turbines don't look as though they should cost very much. They're just simple machines, aren't they? That's one problem with the most sophisticated propeller type small wind turbines; they're not that simple. Sure, small turbines are made by small companies, aren't mass-produced by the thousands to keep costs down like other power generating products . But also, state-of-the-art horizontal axis propeller turbines have to be fairly high tech. Molded carbon fiber blades, slick electronics for blade speed control and startup, and small, light and efficient electric generators wrapped in an aerodynamic, weatherproof housing are the norm. (The generator, or dynamo, has to be light and small since the turbine has to swivel and point into in the wind. A heavy generator would hamper that.) All of these things add to the cost well before installation. This is where PacWind and the new Delta I (and upcoming Delta II) come into play. From day one, while still on the drawing board, the company considered its manufacturing cost and cost to end users. The Delta's rotor cage with 3 blades rotate around the electric generator which remains stationary. The generator doesn't have to be small or light. It just sits on top of a pole, the blades spinning around it catching wind from any direction. The generator can be a little lower-tech. meaning lower cost. Further the blades, or foils - a unique PacWind design which allows for self starting in low wind speeds - though made of composites can be pultruded. Pultrusion is a manufacturing process where complex shapes made of plastic and fiber composites are pulled through a die on a continuous basis then cut to length. It's very economical. Nothing else about Delta I, or its larger, more powerful Delta II, appear to be expensive to manufacture, which the company confirms. The company says it performs well, and perhaps better than the graphs show on the company website. Power begins to build at wind speeds as low as 9 -11 miles per hour (4-5 meters per second). Further, unlike most propeller small wind turbines, the Delta I can operate in high winds and, according to the company, withstand 100 mile per hour breezes. Birds ignore the Delta. Spinning, it appears to be a solid object which birds won't fly in to, according to PacWind. Delta's can be stacked, certainly deployed in arrays or mounted on roof tops. The company also makes a smaller Savonius-type wind turbine. The more I look at the Delta, it's kind of pretty too. Visit PacWind at http://www.pacwind.net/

For immediate release
For more information, please contact:
PacWind, Incorporated
310-375-9952
info@pacwind.net


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PacWind, Incorporated (PacWind) has announced the release of three new proprietary applications in wind energy coming throughout the month of February.
Torrance, CA February 13, 2007 PacWind announced today, the release of their proprietary Delta I vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT), to be followed in the coming weeks by the larger Delta II VAWT and also the innovative PowerTower self sustaining lighting, and/or security, systems. The release of these products will allow widespread use of wind power in all areas of the residential and commercial sectors·and beyond·which up until now, has been impossible in the wind power industry. With its sleek eye-catching look, the newly released fixed 3-blade VAWT from PacWind, the Delta I, is completely silent, completely stable in all wind speeds, omni-directional (not hindered by cross winds), aesthetically well designed, bird friendly, modular (can be stacked or mounted in arrays), an efficient and economical source of clean energy, and built to last a lifetime. Historically, the fixed 3-blade VAWT design has had two major drawbacks that were inherent to its design. The first of which being, that it cannot self start in low wind speeds, and second, that it cannot self regulate rotational speeds in mid to high wind speeds; thus, spinning to self destruction. These two drawbacks have made it impossible to bring an efficient and safe fixed 3-blade design to the worldwide energy marketplace·until now. PacWind has discovered the seemingly impossible answers to these problems with its revolutionary Delta I design. The proprietary self starting and self regulating foils of the Delta I are truly revolutionary in design and function. The unique shape of the foils captures very low winds allowing the Delta I to start itself, and at the same time acts as a governor in high wind speeds, so that the turbine maintains peak power output without over spinning. The revolutionary foil design of the Delta I also allows the turbine to transfer from a predominately drag mode, into a nearly pure lift mode, resulting in a nearly instantaneous surge in power output of four fold in winds of 4-5 m/s. The Delta I design incorporates the patented PacWind 3.4 kW Permanent Magnet Generator, built with the most powerful rare earth magnets in the industry. The compact design of the Delta I (48h/79w) allows installation nearly anywhere, and it's built to withstand the most extreme weather conditions (-40 to 120F; 100+ mph winds). Phil Watkins, product inventor and CEO of PacWind, proudly exalts With R&D, and testing, behind us, PacWind is now offering this sleek design (Delta I) to the public in large scale production, with several other greatly needed designs soon to follow. With our current environmental and energy crisis', such that they are, there is a critical need for new technologies in wind power that are affordable, dependable, efficient, silent, and safe.

The power-packed Delta I (http://www.pacwind.net/Delta-I.pdf) is ideal for an endless number of applications anywhere that power is needed, including residential, commercial, industrial, maritime, telecommunications, remote power, hybrid emergency power, and temporary power applications.The traditional small and large wind turbine industries have historically run into the ever imposing hurdle known as NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) syndrome, which has greatly limited widespread wind energy utilization, especially in urban areas. The PacWind Delta Series, along with their previous Alpha Series, are allowing the members of the PacWind family to proudly say that they've found the cure for the seemingly incurable NIMBY syndrome.For further information regarding the PacWind line of proprietary innovations in clean energy, simply visit http://www.pacwind.net, or call 310-375-9952.

Investment and business opportunity information can be obtained at info@pacwind.net.

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PacWind, Inc.Participates in Demonstration of Emergency Communications
Huntington Beach, Calif. June 24, 2006 -- PacWind, Inc. ( http:// www.pacwind.net) participated in the Amateur Radio yearly event, called "Field Day" which was held on the beach bluff at Pacific Coast Highway and Goldenwest in Huntington Beach, CA. This event is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL http://www.arrl.org) and is designed to provide a platform for testing the preparedness of Amateur Radio (Ham) operators to provide emergency communications in the event of a disaster. All Amateur Radio operators are encouraged to participate in this event, especially the members of the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES). This particular event was held by the Huntington Beach, CA RACES organization who coordinates with the local Sheriff, Police, Fire and Municipal agencies to demonstrate their communications preparedness. The Huntington Beach RACES group used 100% renewable energy, which included battery, wind and solar power. PacWind's Dave Glawson, whose Amateur Radio call sign is WA6CGR, provided their SeaHawk model, 1KW Vertical Axis Wind Turbine for use during the event. They demonstrated Amateur Television (ATV) from the Huntington Beach Sheriff's helicopter and also received ATV from the Costa Mesa Sheriff station in addition to FM (Frequency Modulation), SSB (Single Sideband) and CW (Continuous Wave or Morse Code) communications.

Additional information and photos of the event can be found at http://www.hbraces.org/fd2006/index.html.

Pictures are courtesy of Steven Graboff, W6GOS, Wayne Yoshida, KH6WZ, Timothy Sawyer, WD6AWP, and William Pratts, K6ACJ.

Please click image for a larger picture.

For more information, contact us at:
Phone +1.310.375.9952
E-mail info@pacwind.net

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PacWind, Inc. Scaleable Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Efficiently and Quietly Generates Electricity for Remote Locations
Torrance, Calif. May 23, 2006 -- PacWind, Inc. (PacWind) announces today the availability of its patented, scaleable Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT's). The VAWT is made in the U.S.A., and solves several of the inherent problems of traditional propeller based wind turbines. First, the units run completely silent and vibration free! No noise is emitted from the turbines regardless of wind speed. Second, the VAWT eliminates the need to slow down the turbine under high wind conditions.Third, the VAWT is not affected by cross-winds, as the direction of wind is irrelevant. The turbine features only one moving part minimizing maintenance. This unique design also generates usable power at low wind speeds of 10 Miles per Hour.

The VAWT is Bird and Wildlife Friendly
Finally, the PacWind VAWT is friendly to birds! Birds view the VAWT as a solid object. Propeller based turbines, which are invisible to the birds, cause possible injury and death. The VAWT is wildlife friendly. Animals are not frightened by the VAWT due to its silent and vibration free operation.
The SeaHawk, the first turbine in a series has a maximum power output of 3.4 Kilowatts. The SeaHawk measures 55 inches High by 30 inches in diameter. The PacWind VAWT is scaleable to Megawatt class turbines. The compact SeaHawk design enables freedom of choice and flexibility for installations, and allows one or more units to mount on a single pole. The unit is also roof-top mountable, and can be set as high or low as the winds demand. Custom mounts are also available. The SeaHawk incorporates PacWind's patented, permanent magnet, three-phase A.C. generator, containing the most powerful rare-earth magnets in the industry. This allows the VAWT to produce more power at lower wind speeds compared to propeller driven generators, according to the inventor and manufacturer, Phil Watkins, President of PacWind Technology. Each wind turbine includes a three-function electronic charge controller for 12V/24V/48V systems, and a three-phase Rectifier is included to complete the system. We anticipate strong demand for the SeaHawk turbine, especially in remote areas. The VAWT is a perfect complement to solar installations said Dave Glawson, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Technology for PacWind.

More information on the SeaHawk and other PacWind products is available at: http://pacwind.net/products.html#sea


Availability and Pricing
The PacWind, Inc. model SeaHawk is available now. Distributor, Dealer and quantity order inquiries are invited. Pricing is available from our authorized dealers and distributors. Prices are subject to change. Contact PacWind, Inc. via e-mail at info@pacwind.net, fax to 310-375-2331 or telephone: 310-375-9952.

About PacWind, Inc.
PacWind Technology is located in Torrance, CA. The enterprise was founded based on the need for creating practical low wind-speed, quiet and reliable wind generation systems. See www.pacwind.net for data sheets, application notes and to see PacWind's latest developments.

A high-resolution image are available in our gallery section at: http://pacwind.net/gallery.html

The PacWind, Inc. SeaHawk vertical axis wind turbine can generate useful energy with very little wind, and runs quietly and smoothly.

info@pacwind.net
+1.310.375.9952