Sidle Up to Your Own Personal Wind Turbine

The typical turbine used on wind farms is 200 to 300 feet tall, with blades up to 131 feet wide. So you can forgive those who look at the sustainable product company Janulus’ new 24-inch wind turbine and scoff.

But the prototype, called the Trinity 50 and currently way outpacing its Kickstarter goal, seriously packs a punch. Janulus reports the tiny turbine can save up enough energy in three to four hours to charge an iPhone 6 three to four times. It can also fold into an easily portable 1.5 pound cylinder, making it ideal for lengthy camping trips.

The portable wind turbines come in four sizes

The Minnesota-based company has four sizes of these smaller, personal wind turbines—the first in the world. The three largest models include wall plugs that can be used to charge household applicances or electric cars. The two largest come with grid ties, so that the wind power can be fed directly in a home or RV.

These things are not exactly cheap—right now, they range from $399 to $5,599. But as the company’s founders point out, that’s before factoring in the federal and local energy efficiency tax credits, which can cover up to 30 percent of the turbine’s cost.

But can one truly put a price on hearing the gentle “whir” of one’s own sustainable energy source?

(Via Fast Company)