The Jellyfish: A 36” Personal Wind Turbine For The Masses

The Jellyfish: A 36” Personal Wind Turbine For The Masses

Imagine a personal wind turbine that can power a home filled with LED lights — and also only cost $400. Such is the idea behind the Jellyfish — a 36” tall vertical-axis turbine that is a semi-finalist in Google’s 10 to the 100th contest–$10 million for the 5 ideas that helps the most people.

The inventor, Chad Maglaque, figures the total cost of the turbine could be brought down to only $199 — if subsidized with tax rebates. His current version, which he believes is only 12-to-18-months away from stores, is Wi-Fi and WiMax equipped and outputs 40 kWh a month. That’s not enough to take your home off-grid, but it would offset a percentage of energy consumption from other, not-so-green sources. Here’s a bit more detail from the website:

Using a proven rotor design that automatically adjusts to wind gusts, the Jellyfish ensures quiet, safe, reliable operation and runs no matter which way the wind is blowing. The elegant helical design combines form and function, allowing it to fit easily into existing urban environments. And because the Jellyfish combines the same principles and proven technology used throughout the wind power industry – only on a smaller scale, it can be plugged directly into the existing power grid without special wiring or expensive inverters – you literally just plug it into the wall, anywhere there’s power. With only one moving part and no brushes to wear out, its virtually maintenance free, relying on the same proven design found in everyday household appliances and industrial motors.

We wish Chad the best of luck in Google’s contest — and hope to see the Jellyfish on our store shelves soon!