Windbelt: Innovative Generator to Bring Cheap Wind Power to Third World

Within the next few months, we hope to start seeing more about an intriguing small-scale wind power technology that was first announced a few years ago. The Windbelt was devised as a wind power generator to meet the very modest power needs of families in third-world countries. The device is revolutionary for being non-revolving — most wind power is produced by something going around in a circle and turning on an axis to drive a generator. Windbelt, however, uses the oscillation of a thin strip of material held in tension with a spring to vibrate a magnet that generates electrical power.

In late 2007, Shawn Frayne’s Windbelt was cited as one of Popular Mechanics’ Breakthrough Awards winners. Frayne has gone on to found Humdinger Wind Energy LLC, a company to develop and license the windbelt technology.
Humdinger has been working on three scales of application for the Windbelt technology. At the smallest scale, the microWindbelt is only roughly 5 inches long and 1 inch tall and can provide power for sensors or small electronics. A larger Windbelt in a 1-meter long frame, called the Windcell, can provide 3 to 5 watts of power, enough for an LED light or other relatively low-power needs. Windcells can also be assembled into panels. A 1 meter square Windcell panel is anticipated to be able to produce up to 100 watts, and have a panel cost of around $1 per watt.
That might not go very far for the average American house, but it would provide a useful amount of power at a cost lower than solar panels. To be effective, windbelts need a moderate breeze around 6m/sec (13 mph), but generate some power even at lower wind speeds. The first planned demonstration of Windcell panels is expected to take place in a few months.
For urban installations, windbelts offer advantages that might make them particularly appealing. With no dangerously fast moving parts, windbelts offer a method for generating energy without endangering bats and birds. Windbelts may also be better suited to the varaible, gusty winds of an urban setting where rotating generators are less effective.

Going Off the Grid in 5 Steps

Step 1. Do an energy inventory of your house.

Check out those old, inefficient appliances that gobble up power. Many of today’s energy efficient appliances consumer markedly less energy and can save you almost 50% of what the older ones used. The reason this will be relevant is that new green technology has streamlined the power habits of today’s new appliances. This is a significant point and really should be taken relatively seriously since taken as a whole, appliances contribute to a significant part of the home energy costs.

Step 2. Investigate solar power.

This vital step will need your entire attention for a little while. Here’s how to do it correctly: do some research on solar panels. You can buy expensive commercial panels, of course, but solar panels are not that complicated and there are many places that will help you actually build quite useable solar panels yourself. The reason why this is very important is that the average home can generate perhaps 20 to 70% of its energy needs through solar panels. That’s a big saver.

Step 3. Look into the solar heating of your water.

The same principle applies here. There are very efficient ways to heat your water using the power of the sun. You do this so you can offset those costs racked up in energy consumption by hot water heaters. Additionally you will want to look into a new more efficient heater, as well.

Step 4. Use wind power.

Windmills and wind turbines are all the rage these days. You can generate a surprising amount of reserve power from a homemade wind turbine that can easily fit on your lot. Meaning, the backup power of a windmill that charges batteries can help keep the lights on and heat going when a storm disrupts commercial power.

Step 5. Better insulate your house.

The more insulated your house, the less heat escapes. This makes a huge difference in wintertime energy bills. In addition to that, a well-insulated house stays cooler in the summer months, meaning you save money on air conditioning.