Wind Turbines:

At the Museum of Science, I learned that there were 5 types of wind turbines. They are the Windspire, Southwest Skystream 3.7, Proven 6, Architectural Wind: AVX1000, and the Swift Rooftop Wind Energy System.

The Windspire is produced by Mariah Power. Its rotor diameter is 4 ft, tower height (with no tower) of 30 ft tall, weight of 600 lbs, cut-in wind speed of 9 mph, maximum rated power of 1.2 kW, and an annual maximum power of 10,512 kWh. The turbine could generate power of twelve 15-watt energy efficient light bulbs at the Museum for one year.

The Southwest Skystream 3.7 is produced by Southwest Windpower, Inc. It has a rotar diameter of 12 ft, the tower height is 33 ft, its weight is 170 lbs, cut-in wind speed is 8 mph, maximum rated power of 1.9 kW, and an annual maximum power of 16,644 kWh. It could generate power for nineteen 15-watt energy efficient light bulbs at the Museum for one year.

The Proven 6 is produced by Proven Energy. It has a rotor diameter of 18 ft, tower height of 30 ft, weight of 2,769 lbs, cut-in wind speed of 5.5 mph, maximum rated power of 6 kW, and an annual maximum power of 52,560 kWh. It could generate power for sixty 15-watt energy efficient light bulbs for one year at the Museum.

The Architectural Wind: AVX1000 is produced by AeroVironment, Inc. It has a rotor diameter of 6 ft, tower height (with no tower) of 6 ft tall, a weight of 130 lbs, cut in wind speed of 5 mph, maximum rated power of 1 kW, and an annual maximum power of 8,760 kWh. It can generate power for ten 15-watt energy effiicient light bulbs for one year.

The Swift Rooftop Wind Energy System is produced by Renewable Devices. Its rotor diameter is 7 ft, has a tower height of 9 ft, weight of 209 lbs, cut-in speed of 7.5 mph, maximum rated power of 1.5 kW, and an annual maximum power of 13,140 kWh. It can generate power for fifteen 15-watt energy efficient light bulbs for one year at the Museum.

Where does wind come from?

Wind is actually a form of solar energy. When sunlight hits the Earth, it heats the air unevenly. As the warm air rises, cooler air moves in to take its place.