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MARIAH POWER’S WINDSPIRE SELECTED FOR NREL TESTING
Innovative Wind Power Appliance to Undergo One Year of Rigorous Performance Testing in Colorado
RENO, Nevada, February 4, 2008 – Mariah Power, a new wind turbine manufacturer, announced today that its Windspire™ wind power appliance for residential, commercial and government use has been selected by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to participate in independent testing on small wind turbine systems at the NREL National Wind Technology Center in Golden, Colorado. A primary testing objective is to reduce barriers to the expansion of wind energy, an important goal for the Department of Energy’s Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program. The initiative is targeting commercially available turbine systems that have a high probability of success in the U.S. market over the next several years. NREL will evaluate the turbine systems based on testing protocols defined by IEC standards and, where applicable, by the latest version of the draft American Wind Energy Association standard for small wind turbines. The testing will evaluate duration, power performance, acoustic noise emissions, safety and function and power quality. Results will be posted on the NREL web site upon project completion in 2009.
“We are extremely pleased that Windspire has been selected to participate in this rigorous government testing program because it underscores Mariah Power’s mission to leverage independent test data to bring more credibility to this emerging industry” said Mike Hess, CEO of Mariah Power. “It also provides our customers with another layer of data that supports Windspire’s performance and reliability attributes. Windspire represents an industry first because it combines a sleek, propeller-free, vertical axis design with an anticipated production of about 1800 kilowatt hours per year in 11 mile per hour average wind speeds.
We welcome the scrutiny that independent testing provides. In addition to the NREL testing, we have a Windspire unit at Windward Engineering in Utah that is being tested for a full year in extremely real world conditions.”
Windspire is a propeller-free, vertical axis wind turbine designed for harnessing wind power in urban, suburban and rural locations. It is 30 feet tall with a two foot radius, sized below typical residential zoning restrictions. Guidelines for installation sites are generally half an acre of land and relatively windy locations. It is priced at half to a third the cost of comparable renewable power options, and can be quickly and easily installed by authorized dealers. Windspire features a fully integrated, plug ‘n produce design, including a high efficiency generator, integrated inverter, and wireless performance monitor. It incorporates a slow speed giromill rotor for virtually silent operation and improved safety and durability. It connects to the household power supply, offsetting electricity use and at times running the electricity meter backwards. This powerful, sleek and aesthetically pleasing wind power appliance can blend in well with a variety of settings, making it an ideal renewable energy option for many home and business owners.
Among Mariah Power’s other products currently in development are: an off-grid application that includes battery charging; grid-tie versions designed to meet international electricity standards; and completed design and testing of the Savonius style rotor, for release later in 2008.
About NREL
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the nation’s primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development (R&D). NREL’s develops renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices, advances related science and engineering, and transfers knowledge and innovations to address the nation’s energy and environmental goals.
About Mariah Power
Based in Reno, Nevada, Mariah Power provides low-cost, low-noise, attractive wind power appliances for use with residential, business, and commercial buildings. The Company’s patented technology maximizes energy conversion from wind into the electric power, regardless of changing wind speed and direction. The company’s first vertical axis wind power appliance, Windspire™, will be available for shipment in the spring of 2008. For more information, visit http://www.mariahpower.com .
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