Tour of Harmony Turbines
Dear Readers,
I would like to introduce you to a residential wind turbine manufacturer located right in Lebanon, Pennsylvania: Harmony Turbines. Christopher Moore and his wife, Cheryl, are in the research and development phase of bringing these pieces of art (and means of energy generation…) right to everyday homeowners.
Alumnium and Plastic Wind Turbine Prototypes
Alumnium Wind Turbine Prototype
The revolutionary aspect of these turbines is that they have the potential to generate electricity in both low and high wind speeds.
In the videos above, you are watching the aluminum prototype spin in only 4-6 mph winds (with occasional gusts of 13). If you look closely in the image and videos (of both the aluminum and plastic prototypes), you will notice that neither of these turbines are currently hooked up to a generator. That’s because Moore could not find a generator on today’s market which enables Harmony turbines to spin this fast in only 4 to 6 mph winds. All the generators Moore has tried, only slow the turbines down. So, he is now developing his own generator complimentary to the turbines.
Not only are these turbines being perfected to generate electricity at low wind speeds, they are also designed to continue generating energy in high wind speeds.
Graph roughly depicts how Harmony Turbines (red) compares to other turbines (black) in terms of continual energy generation in high wind speeds.
Most residential wind turbines automatically shut down when they encounter wind speeds of 30mph or above. This protects the wind turbines from…well, exploding. Harmony turbines are designed to furl inwards during high-speed winds, and then… keep spinning. And, with the spins, comes the continual generation of energy!
Plastic wind turbine prototype shows example of furling closed.
This smaller turbine you see in the video above is what Moore sees ideally hitting the market first. He states that it has the capacity to generate 400 watts of energy, and estimates that at 25+ mph winds it has the potential to generate double or even triple that amount! More testing will be required to find the true limits of the system. He also sees the first models being made of HDPE (high density polyethylene) or, of ocean and landfill reclaimed plastics and benefiting costal and boating areas first. Imagine hurricanes helping residents of storm-ravaged areas generate electricity, rather than sever their connections with the havoc they wreak on infrastructure.
The large turbine is made of aluminum and steel parts. It is of course a prototype as well, but I personally think it is beautiful. I love the look of the metal, and how it turns in the wind. It’s like a sculpture…that also generates electricity!
When William and I departed from our tour that day, we left feeling inspired and humbled. We are consistently amazed and thankful to be connecting with local people who hold environmental stewardship at heart, and who embrace the challenges we face as humankind with open and fearless ingenuity.
William and I are excited to watch Harmony Turbines continue their adventure, and see these turbines finally come to the market. Please feel free to check them out on facebook or on YouTube and follow along with their endeavors yourself!! Below happens to be the latest video from their YouTube channel, which explains the furling effect of Harmony Turbines. There are over 120 videos on their YouTube site, each providing ample opportunities to learn more about their product and more thoroughly understand their processes.
You can also sign up for their newsletter on the right side of their main page: HarmonyTurbines.com
As always, thanks for reading!
Shelby
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© 2020 Sustaining Tree
© 2020 Sustaining Tree
These make more sense than solar panels since we so seldom see the sun these days
Hello, Granann! Thanks for reading! 🙂
William and I intend to rely on both solar panels and wind turbines to provide energy for our home. That way, on rainy, stormy days like today when we have little sun, we can still generate energy with our wind turbines. And on sunny calm days, we can give our wind turbines a break and rely on our solar panels! 🙂
Great job guys, the blog looks great! My wife and I had a fun day spending it with the two of you. Best of luck on your ambitious project. We’ll keep doing our best for our one small part of the greater whole. 🙂
what server do you use? what blog builder did you use? what do you use to update/ post new blos?
sorry for all the what
Grrr-nan