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Tech Valley News
AeroCity Debuts Urban Wind Power Turbine
AeroCity LLC today unveiled its urban rooftop "Aerotecture" wind turbine in Poughkeepsie – the first of its kind on the East coast – to more than 100 Tech Valley business, community and government leaders. The company – which also received a $1 million grant from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority – plans to manufacture its demonstration units beginning early next year.
AeroCity plans to make 25 units at Fala Technologies in Lake Katrine next year. A larger production run is expected later in 2009.
“The Poughkeepsie installation and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority award are significant steps leading to the manufacturing of wind power generators suitable for placement on multi-story buildings and bridges,” said AeroCity President Bill Jacoby. “It has been assumed that wind power had no future in cities. This design really changes that paradigm.”
In contrast to most wind-farm propeller-driven generators, the Aerotecture turbine, with its unusual DNA-like helical blade, will deliver energy directly to the building on which it is mounted, rather than to utilities via transmission lines.
This means that the turbine need only compete with the retail price of power (currently over 20 cents per kilowatt hour in New York City) rather than with the wholesale price (closer to five cents); and it can offer the building owner assurance against price increases for the life of the turbine. Multiple turbines will contribute to meeting a building's total power needs.
The NYSERDA Grant will fund product improvements as AeroCity has already begun taking orders for its first-generation turbines.
“The grant will fund an aggressive program that will establish AeroCity as the clear leader in the field of metropolitan area wind power,” Jacoby said. “Many building owners have contacted us over the past year, expressing their interest in purchasing Aerotecture turbines. We are preparing for our first manufacturing run of demonstration models to meet orders received by December 15.”
The basic turbine will have a rated capacity of 1.5 kilowatts. Multiple units can be combined to provide supplemental power. The units are also highly compatible with solar panels.
Installations normally will require an elevation of at least five stories above the ground. Units can be placed in horizontal rows or stacked vertically, and can also work when suspended – as on a bridge.
The helical rotor enables the turbine to work well in the turbulent and variable wind conditions in cities, and to produce power at low wind speeds.
The turbine was developed and patented by William S. Becker of Aerotecture International, Inc. AeroCity holds the license to manufacture and sell the Aerotecture technology.
The demonstration turbines made during the first manufacturing run will produce not only power but also data to be used to document and optimize the product's performance and reduce future manufacturing costs.
“AeroCity is part of a growing network of technology collaborators in New York, many from Tech Valley,” Jacoby said. “Their presence helps us, and we help them, by generating employment and contracts in the emerging renewable energy business.”
Many of the organizations that are collaborating with AeroCity were brought together through the Cleantech Acceleration Program of the Hudson Valley Center for Innovation, as well as the Hudson Valley Technology Development Center.
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