New Wind Technology Tested in Connecticut

As reported in an October HartfordBusiness.com article, Connecticut renewable energy start-up Optiwind finished installing its first 150-kilowatt turbine designed to maximize the power harnessed from the wind at its Torrington location on Krug Farm. The turbine has six fans placed on either side of a steel cylinder — similar to a silo — mounted on a steel tower 200 feet tall in lieu of the usual design of blades on a mast. The company calls it a compact wind acceleration turbine, offering a more powerful alternative to other on-site turbines. The company will install a more powerful 300-kilowatt turbine of a similar design on the University of Connecticut Torrington campus, which it hopes will provide enough power to cover all the campus’ electricity needs. The Optiwind turbine is more expensive than a traditional onsite turbine, but it produces more power. The 300-kilowatt Optiwind turbine costs $750,000 to buy and install, compared to the $500,000 cost of the 100-kilowatt turbine at the Phoenix Press near I-95 in New Haven. Because the Optiwind turbine costs $2.50 per kilowatt compared to $5 per kilowatt for a traditional turbine, the company estimates that the point where a customer earns all the upfront costs back through energy savings will come at nine years, rather than 18.