July 24th, 2008
The little wind turbines that could
I have to admit, I’m more used to reading about U.S. tech firms expanding abroad rather than the reverse. But in the case of certain green tech innovations, I suppose it makes sense to flip this idea on its head.
Just heard about the example of Proven Energy, which is a Scottish developer of wind turbines in the 2.5-kilowatt, 6-kilowatt and 15-kilowatt range. After seven years of developing a presence in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world, the company is taking steps to develop a dealer and installer network in the United States.
(This photo, courtesy of Proven Energy, shows a 15-kilowatt turbine.)
Proven Energy is, indeed, proven: It has deployed more than 1,700 turbines in locations from Saudi Arabia to Antarctica. According to the American Wind Energy Association estimates that about 6,807 small wind turbines were sold in the United States in all of 2006; the association projects 14 percent to 25 percent in sales growth annually.
Here are stats on how much energy these Proven Energy turbines are capable of producing under wind conditions of about 12 miles per hour:
- 6-kilowatt turbine – 1,000 kilowatt hours per month
- 2.5-kilowatt turbine – 350 kilowatt hours per month
- 15-kilowatt turbine – 3,000 kilowatt hours per month
Heather Clancy is an award-winning business journalist in the New York area with more than 20 years experience covering the high-tech industry. See her full profile and disclosure of her industry affiliations. See her full profile and disclosure of her industry affiliations.
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