At Burning Man this year Dick Hardt will be generating electricity with a 400W wind turbine. A couple of days ago I saw what appears to be that same thing in a Canadian Tire store on Prince Edward Island, at the end of an aisle that included the usual sorts of automotive accessories you’d expect to find there. It reminded me of the first time I saw an Ethernet switch, formerly a esoteric item, on the shelf at Staples. Evidently wind power is going mainstream. Here’s the 400W generator on sale for $800:
And here’s the delightful illustration on the side of the box, with the immortal caption “How Wind Works”:
It starts with a puff…
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August 28, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Sure, the generator is only $400, but then you have to hire some poofy cloud to keep blowing at it!
August 30, 2007 at 2:32 pm
wow… I wonder how long until we see these things in pharmacies like CVS?
September 7, 2007 at 8:35 am
I like how, according to the illustration, you can use use it to drive a fan, thus providing wind in the home.
February 18, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Going green is the way to go!
April 29, 2008 at 11:55 am
Thats pretty cool but before buying people i guess need to check with there city laws…there was a story in cnn where a man hed to spend an extra $900 to get a permit…
January 15, 2010 at 1:56 pm
I’ve always been fascinated by wind power in particularly, though alternate energy in general is a great topic. I’ve wondered for a long time how to get started with it at a small scale. Where can I get good batteries at a reasonable expense?