Southwest Windpower shipping new UL-approved residential generator

Southwest Windpower has received Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certification for a key component of its 1.8kW-rated Skystream 3.7 residential-scale wind generator. UL certified the Skystream's inverter, the element that converts wind energy into household power.

The company says this is the first UL certification for an inverter built into a small-scale residential wind generator (10 kW or less). The company is now shipping product to customers and dealers.

"UL certification of Skystream is an important step for the residential wind power industry," said Andy Kruse, Southwest Windpower's co-founder and VP of business development.

A wind generator with a built-in inverter decreases the cost of wind systems and simplifies the installation process, the company says. Small wind turbines have been traditionally designed for either off-grid, battery- charging applications or to be plugged into a separate inverter for grid connection. The integration of the inverter reduces both the cost of the system and the time it takes to install a wind generator.

"The Skystream wind turbine can play a crucial role in the emerging home power market," said Jim Green of the National Wind Technology Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo. "This design is a great combination of cost, performance, and noise reduction in a small wind turbine." NREL, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Technology Program, has been a partner with Southwest Windpower on the development of the Skystream wind turbine since 2000.

Skystream is a wind generator "appliance" designed specifically for the grid-connected residential market. No battery or external electronics are required to connect directly to the home. When the wind is not blowing, the home is powered by the electric utility. When the wind is blowing, the Skystream delivers power to the house and sends any unused power into the electric grid. This causes the electric meter to spin backwards and allows homeowners to receive a credit on their electric bill, if the utility allows "net metering."

Southwest Windpower is based in Flagstaff, Arizona and is a large producer of small wind generators (400 to 3000 watts).

For more information:

www.skystreamenergy.com