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Well now, if this isn't awesome, I don't know what is. There's a streetlight outside the Panasonic Center in Tokyo that is function, beautiful, and entirely off the grid. The body of the lamp is composed of a vertical axis wind turbine and the top of the light is capped with solar panels.
During sunny / windy days, the turbine and the photovoltaics charge a battery that then keep the light blazing throughout the night. Unfortunately, solar and wind power have to be large-scale and placed very carefully to be profitable, and lamp posts are intrinsically small and must be placed where they're needed, not where the light is best, but that doesn't mean that this isn't awesome.
It does, however, mean that no one is getting a return on their investment. But sometimes things must be done purely because they are beautiful, simple, and convey a powerful message.
Source HyperExperience via GroovyGreen
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written by RhapsodyInGlue, January 31, 2008
Powerful messages can change the world... however, hard nosed critical analysis is also needed, especially when it comes to a dwindling energy supply. The embedded energy needed to construct something like this would be much higher than a simple grid connected street light and neither the solar nor the wind generator is likely to be optimally sited. It probably would be much better to consider more efficient light bulb technology for standard grid connected street lights, or even the very reasonable idea of modulating the amount of street lighting based on the available moon light and making sure the light is really necessary not just light pollution.
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written by weee, January 31, 2008
in the right direction.
It intrigues me that whenever a new greener idea/design is created it gets the why bother/ it could be greener/ it's not as good as it could be/ it took energy to build it series of responses.
Our world is likely to improve through a series of incremental improvements in both outlook and technology as opposed to a magic bullet.
Let's face it that we wouldn't have a Boeing 747 without a Wright Flyer.
Back to the streetlamp - anything which starts with the concept that you can't just attach it to the grid and forget it is a damn good start.
So what if it runs out of light at 5am!
It intrigues me that whenever a new greener idea/design is created it gets the why bother/ it could be greener/ it's not as good as it could be/ it took energy to build it series of responses.
Our world is likely to improve through a series of incremental improvements in both outlook and technology as opposed to a magic bullet.
Let's face it that we wouldn't have a Boeing 747 without a Wright Flyer.
Back to the streetlamp - anything which starts with the concept that you can't just attach it to the grid and forget it is a damn good start.
So what if it runs out of light at 5am!
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written by Angelie, January 31, 2008
Thanks for this article. I would also mentioned the supposedly world first public lightning using such technology. It is a street lamp (named Windela) installed in Issy-les-Moulineaux (Paris suburb) at the end of last year:
It is using a non-polluting and silent wind-generator which can start with a wind speed of 2.5 m/s and will stop at 20 m/s. Lighting is fully autonomous (no need of external control). The system uses 42 LEDs (3500 lumens at 5.5 m high)optimally orientated so as to cover the largest possible area.
To answer Rob's question (I suppose the japanese lamp is similar), the lamp is equiped with batteries which can offer the equivalent of 4 to 5 days of energy. Additional photovoltaic cells provides another night of energy. The mast can also resist high wind speed up to 200 km/h.
For those understanding French, more information are available on this website: http://www.enviro2b.com/enviro...ticle.html
It is using a non-polluting and silent wind-generator which can start with a wind speed of 2.5 m/s and will stop at 20 m/s. Lighting is fully autonomous (no need of external control). The system uses 42 LEDs (3500 lumens at 5.5 m high)optimally orientated so as to cover the largest possible area.
To answer Rob's question (I suppose the japanese lamp is similar), the lamp is equiped with batteries which can offer the equivalent of 4 to 5 days of energy. Additional photovoltaic cells provides another night of energy. The mast can also resist high wind speed up to 200 km/h.
For those understanding French, more information are available on this website: http://www.enviro2b.com/enviro...ticle.html
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written by Danno, January 31, 2008
Even if this thing can't produce enough electricity for itself all of the time, the cost of producing it will *eventually* be recouped by the savings in supplying it with electricity. I don't see how that's a bad thing. Just because something doesn't get you off the grid doesn't mean it can't contribute. And this kind of thing has to start somewhere. It's baby steps to renewable energy, not leaps and bounds.
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written by M. King, January 31, 2008
Gadgets like this are being sold and distributed in the Southeast US by a company that just started up this year. I don't know all the details, really, but supposedly they're selling them for a small fraction of the price that bigger companies sell them for. They also do air conditioners and water heaters that are all off the grid.
Anyway, just wanted to point out to anyone near by that they're not just in Asia and Europe.
Anyway, just wanted to point out to anyone near by that they're not just in Asia and Europe.
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written by chuck, February 01, 2008
We are so far behind everyone else. Even if we design something. It takes an act of congress to put it into production.
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written by KD, February 01, 2008
Hey Hank
We saw something very similar in Hawaii at Hanauma Bay: solar and wind turbine lights were used in the parking lots there.
Can M. King or anyone else tell us where we can buy them? My town's environmental commission would be interested
We saw something very similar in Hawaii at Hanauma Bay: solar and wind turbine lights were used in the parking lots there.
Can M. King or anyone else tell us where we can buy them? My town's environmental commission would be interested
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written by khalid, May 09, 2008
i want to have an idea of the cost price and if its cn be used in countery like sudan in africa
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written by khalid, May 09, 2008
i want to have an idea of the cost price and if its cn be used in countery like sudan in africa
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written by soloo, May 12, 2008
well i read about windela first at my local
news paper although i dont have avast idea about
the advantage and dis advant of it but i would
like to have more information on it ......
who is the sponser if i want to make adealership
news paper although i dont have avast idea about
the advantage and dis advant of it but i would
like to have more information on it ......
who is the sponser if i want to make adealership
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written by LightMan, May 12, 2008
We sold and installed the lighting at Hanauma Bay in early 2002. They work great with their 10W PV and 12W savonious rotor wind generation and their relatively small batteries (12Ah) only required replacement this year. While we spec'd them for 2 hours operation every 14 days, they have been running dusk-to-dawn since their installation. Unfortunately, the company is no longer selling these due to low demand (then). To make a comment on an earlier post, we were operating wind and solar powered street lighting in the UK as early as 2000. Customers include the US Coast Guard, USAF in Iraq, Okinawa, several other military installation and of course, Hanauma Bay.
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written by Tuan, July 09, 2008
It is interesting to me that in the video, the lamp is surrounded by trees. While it is likely that it would get shaded most of the times by the trees but also it would get blocked from getting quality wind. The leaves are still in the video indicating no wind, yet the turbine spins! Amazing! Maybe it's just for demonstration. This design looks very expensive. I'm skeptical also that the production (including materials processing) of this piece has less environmental impacts than using the same light using electricity from the grid.
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written by Chris, August 14, 2008
Hey LightMan,
That is cool. What was the company that sells (used to) these? Also what is the name of your company. I'm curious to learn more about these types of projects.
Thanks!
-Chris
That is cool. What was the company that sells (used to) these? Also what is the name of your company. I'm curious to learn more about these types of projects.
Thanks!
-Chris
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written by Chris, August 14, 2008
Forgot my email: mauichris [.at.] gmail.com
I'm very interested in this type of technology. Are you based out of Oahu?
I'm very interested in this type of technology. Are you based out of Oahu?
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written by Norman, October 20, 2008
Hey LightMan, what's the company that sold these wind turbines at Hanauma Bay? I'm on Oahu an would be interested in getting similar mini turbines... please send any info if you have to writenorman at gmail com. Thanks a bunch!
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written by Aaron Spotts, May 30, 2009
I have had very good Success dealing with UrbanGreenEnergy. They are a new company that is based out of New Your and China. They have many of these simlar products. If you want more information let me know.
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While the turbine might give a reasonable output if it's windy, the photovoltaics aren't going to contribute much, especially in dull weather.