subject: Small Wind Turbine Manufacturers: 3 Things They Could Improve [print this page] The small wind turbine manufacturers of today are providing a product that is perfect for today's market but there are several things that they need to focus on if we are going to roll out wind energy to homes in a really big way and not just as a conversation starter at a cocktail party.
These are the 3 things that small wind manufacturers should focus on going forward..
Lower cut-in speeds - The speed which small wind turbine manufacturers have chosen to make the devices start making energy is relatively high even now. It is a complicated engineering feat to make the speed at which power begins to be created low enough that the wind turbine will operate in most environments, while at the same time gearing it so it will not destroy itself in high wind conditions. The aerodynamics that lead to a quick start also lead to high speeds, which can destroy a home wind turbine in gusting winds.
Plug and play - Home wind turbines require a lot of effort to get up and running now. Even wind turbine kits that are much easier to get installed than a build from scratch set require a good bit of effort and work on the weekends to get them to the point where you can install them and have them produce power. As soon as small wind manufacturers make these devices more plug-and-play ready-that is, simply require us to snap a few parts together and then plug them into your own home's electric grid-they will be on their way to toward really changing the energy landscape in this country.
Simplify their sales literature - The information that manufacturers put out now can be rather confusing. There is just tons and tons of information in tables and charts that are not really relevant to making a decision over which home wind turbine to pick. This information needs to be synthesized down to exactly which factors will help a person who is totally unfamiliar with wind turbines for their homes decide on what exactly they should get. The simpler manufacturers can make it the more likely people will buy en mass.
In summary, small wind turbine manufacturers need to improve in these two areas and when they do, the market will come to them in a much stronger way. Without a doubt, these device producers want to sell their products to as many people as possible. But, many of the small wind turbine manufacturers are still start in the hobbyist phase and they need to get their sales and marketing acts together to appeal to a broader group of consumers.
