Funding from the current crowdfunding offering on StartEngine will finance the installation of two Wind Harvester 4.0 turbines next to the existing Wind Harvester 3.1 at the UL Advanced Wind Turbine Testing Facility near Canyon, Texas. These turbines will undergo third-party, international certification for small wind turbines. REInnovations has been contracted to conduct the third-party testing. The U.S. Small Wind Turbine Certification Council will issue the certificate.

Included in certification is power performance (how much energy a pair of turbines will produce in a given wind speed on an annual basis), acoustics (how quiet the turbines are at various distances), safety and function (to ensure people will not be harmed by the turbines’ operation), computer modeling (the predictions on loads and harmonic resonance are third-party validated), and lightning protection.

Third-party certification gives customers assurance on the efficiency and durability of the product. It is also essential for banks to use the turbines as collateral for project loans.

Wind Harvester 4.0 and 4.S turbines are sold in 100-150 kilowatt pairs that are placed close together in long arrays and rows. This optimized arrangement produces large amounts of energy with minimum impact.

When placed a few feet apart from one another, a pair of H-type wind turbines creates a synergistic effect that increases wind speeds through their own and their neighbors’ rotors. This physical phenomenon, discovered, proved, and patented by Wind Harvest co-founder Bob Thomas, is called the Coupled Vortex Effect. By enhancing aerodynamic efficiency, the Coupled Vortex Effect creates a 10-20% increase in energy output.

The graph below compares the power performance curve of the Wind Harvester 3.1, the Wind Harvester 4.0 alone, and pairs of Wind Harvesters 4.0. The annual energy production table shows the energy which pairs of Wind Harvesters 4.0 will produce in different average annual wind speeds by harnessing the Coupled Vortex Effect.

Wind Harvesters can endure harsh conditions for 70+ years with regular maintenance and periodic replacement of critical parts.

Because Wind Harvesters don’t have yaw mechanisms, blade pitch devices or gearboxes, the number of components needing maintenance is few. Drive shaft and generator bearings have cartridges of lubricants which which can be easily replaced each year. Brake pads also need replacing every few years. Air filters are the last component requiring regular maintenance. The amount of dust they filter will determine how often they are replaced, which is a simple and easy process. Because they are much closer to the ground than HAWTs, maintenance is quicker.

Wind Harvest’s aeroelastic code uses forces and loads on the turbines and the strength of materials to predict its fatigue life. The aircraft-aluminum blades have the shortest fatigue life, at 74 years. Some of the blades could last up to 100 years, as could much of the rest of the turbines’ steel and concrete structure. Every 15-20 years, various components will need replacement and refurbishing. For example, the power converters are expected to be replaced every 15-20 years. The generator, with its permanent magnets, will need rewinding at 20 years. Every 20 years, the turbines’ bearings will need to be replaced, as will the pins connecting the blades to the arms. Various other small components, like sensors and fiberglass transition fairings, will also be replaced periodically. Refurbishing is expected to cost less than 15% of the original installation price.