Our goal is clean air. Our technology : Wind Power
It's an outrage that 86% of our power* comes from coal, oil, and natural gas, while there is enough energy in the wind for the USA 3 times over. Coal is strip-mined, destroying forests, streams, birds, and then burned releasing toxic gases, heavy metals, ash, soot, and causes global warming, BUT we don't have an alternative... yet.
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Solster is a windmill manufacturer start-up based in Maryland. Although most people are familiar with the term windmill, there is no mill stone and no grain being milled into flour with these windmills! So, the term that is more accurate is wind turbine, but if you want to call it a windmill, that's fine with us! |
Learn About our Wind Power Research
Who we are : Solster is about to launch a product to reduce your electric bills.
We are marketing toward farmers and home owners who have open fields or land with wind. We are also offering systems for commercial and government buildings and offices with a roof tops model to reduce your electric bills by harnessing the free-flowing wind. Our prices expected to be well below a similarly sized solar system ($42,000) or current wind competition ($30,000) and that is why we are bringing affordable wind power to the market, because we need it. If you would like to pre-order, or find out more contact us.
We are also working on a water-pumping electric non-grid kit version for export to Africa to assist with their drought-induced famine. The kit will include a wind power generator, an easy to assemble tower, 300' of wire and a well pump and plumbing. We will also offer UV water purification systems as a charity give-away for every 7th unit that is purchased. Normally a well is located at the bottom of a hill and a wind system placed at the top. We have designed a long-wire for this purpose and include it in the kit. If you would like to support this effort, please contact info@solster.com.
Be notified when Solster Wind Energy units are available in the market and be the first to have one in your area!
What we offer : Wind Generation systems to connect to your household electric panel. When the wind is blowing, wind power feeds electricity into your house. If there is extra power, it goes backward through your electric meter into the power grid. When the wind isn't blowing, your power comes from your electric utility like normal. The system is simple and reduces your electric bill by reducing your electric use of the grid. If you produce more electricity than you use, your bill might be zero or the electric company may even pay you at the end of the month! Here in Southern Maryland, there is simply a don't-use-it, lose-it policy, so it's best to select a system to provide just for your needs. Contact us if you would like more information or have any quesitons. We're here 24/7 for you!
Financing available through the Energy Efficent Mortgage (EEM) program or cash out some equity in your home with a low-cost mortgage provided by Mitchell Bieker of www.Energy-Mortgage.com. You could have a complete system installed without having to pay anything out of pocket, and enjoy a return on your renewable energy investment around every three years!! It's easy to save money and help the environment~
Opening Progress :
We are seeking start-up investors!!!
July 7, 2007 - On 7.7.07 more than two billion people will come together during the Live Earth concert. Let’s use this moment to pledge our support to solving the climate crisis. Sign the Live Earth Pledge
March 14, 2007 - In an effort to focus on an alternative wind power generator with even lower costs of ownership and operation and higher power output : We have begun an endeavor on new projects which are nicknamed Perla and Ingus3-Tipclip and Ingus4. The Perla is based on the Pantanemone, and a video can be seen below. It is interesting in that it can collect wind from most directions, without having to turn into the wind. It works either like a boat propeller or like a savinous generator, depending on the direction of the wind. In the boat propeller mode, wind moves through both blades straight through the axle. This is the most powerful mode of operation; however, if the wind blows directly perpinduclar to the axle, both of the blades will try to spin in opposite directions, and all rotation forces will be cancelled out. This accounts for about 30 of the 360 degrees the wind can come at the device from. This form of wind generator can be scaled up and has the ability to make use of very light breezes a common propeller-style wind turbine generator will not produce any power from. More information will come shortly.
Synopsis of VAWT development We attempted numerous models, performed computer simulations, and researched various configurations (images release date TBD). Our best model only lasted a month before vibrations caused it to shake to pieces. We used the same materials that military grade helicopter blades used, and still had failures. We learned that military helicopter blades, of the type we were interested in, are replaced every 1000 hours, as they only last that long from all of the flexing and shaking. This was bad news, as a VAWT blade is pushed back and pulled forward over and over as it circles across the wind at the front and again at the back of its rotation. In addition, we needed a 14mph wind to make the device begin to produce energy, and once it did start moving, it spun at such a blindingly fast rate, that it would be like a blender if a bird were to cross its blade's sweep. So, we have shelved research of the VAWT in search of some recent inventions and discoveries that we have high hopes of becoming more powerful, lower cost, and available to more locations than any current wind power device.
Items for future development of a VAWT :
= Vibration dampers on the tower and blades - possibly rubber or springs with shock absorbers
= Material that can withstand constant flexing - possibly titanium for the blades
= Lower TSR resulting in lower rpm per mph of wind or nerf-coated blades to not harm birds
April 20, 2005- X-18 has just been constructed. A new hub design and even lower cost blades are being tested. Also a car-alternator configuration will be tested later next week. Remember to respect the enviroment this Friday for Earth Day!
April 2, 2005- X-16 is a modified X-15 design with a stronger hub assembly (which attaches the blades to the generator shaft). X-16 is doing exceptionally well. It is a 500 watt, 4 blade system. The design has been Über-sized to a 3Kw "home powering" 20 foot system as X-17. A single blade is being tested with new Mylar covering material. The whole 4 blade prototype is currently on a ground-spin pole for balancing and testing. Note : These are propeller / dutch designs, not VAWT's.
March 24, 2005- Submitted a Grant application to DOE for funding and engineering testing program (acceptance pending 6 month wait time). Constructed prototype X-15 of the propeller design. Downwind design test. It is strange that when the wind shifts, it stops spinning, turns, and starts spinning again. Testing new all-plastic greaseless bearing (temp range -60 to +180).
February 2005- Its really cold here in Maryland. Small hiatus to Florida continues. Continued working on new horozontal axis machine. Tower designs are ready for sign-off and construction for 20 foot, 30 foot, and 40 foot models. They are designed to survive 140mph winds of 2,500 pounds of lateral load. They should make a good car hoist as well! The propeller blades have been shape tested in the computer. Excellent power across the slow to medium winds 15mph to 35mph. Blade materials are still being choosen. It looks like it's going to be a 5 blade design. Very simple, very low cost, and very powerful!
January 2005- Tower Design improvements have continued. Lower and lower costs have been the goal. The new dealer program is nearing completion for release. Test sites are being located and permitted in Florida. Thank you to all the wonderful letters of support we have received!!
October 2004- Prototype X11 is installed. X9 is rebuilt as X10. X10 is doing well. X11 did much better in low wind speeds. It is a 4 blade Dutch style mill, but with pointy blade tips instead of squares. It has great low-wind capability. It has turned into a down-wind unit with its tail too small. That's ok with me, because if the blades bend, they won't hit the pole. Work is continuing on a see-through blade for X12.
September 2004- Prototype X9 is installed. Had some storm tests. Learned to strengthen a few critical areas. Built a 16 foot diameter propeller blade. Still working on eggshell style outer coverings. Working on a lower-cost farmer windmill for the midwest. Received many requests from Mexico, British Royal Navy, and Africa for wind systems. We're working on it!!!
August 2004- Designed a novel "Solinous" design. It stayed up for a month and did not survive a recent storm. It seems the repetative positive and negative forces on the blades eventually loosens my attachments. This seems to be the doom of all vertical turbines. Even military helicopters, which use this new carbon fiber material, need replacement every few hundred hours. Prehaps its time to shelve this and make a standard propeller. The slower I can spin it, the fewer birds I'll injure. Back to the drawing board.
April 2004- Engineering specifications for attachment to the side of a residential house and extending 15 feet above the roofline. Also working on a method of low cost base to house the generator and transmission and support the tower and side-loads.
March 2004 - Working with computer wind tunnel simulations. Received 3 tower units for testing. Persuing UL Certification. Testing hybrid VAWT and Savinous design as prototypes X5, X6, and X7.
Feb 2004 - Testing various RPM ranges. Tested different generators. Looking for lowest cost safety device. Testing power output with a wattmeter.
Jan 2004 - Tinkering with various methods of transmissions. Determined optimal method of attaching main bearing.
Dec 30, 2003 - X4 Prototype construction in progress.
Specs : 10 foot arm diameter. 6 foot blade length. 4 blades.
Dec 12, 2003 - X3-B Prototype testing in progress.
Testing the various RPMs needed for windspeeds.
Specs : 12 foot arm diameter. 6 foot blade length. 3 blades.
Dec 4, 2003 - X3 Prototype Testing on a small tower.
Specs : 6 foot arm diameter. 6 foot blade length. 3 blades.
Nov 24, 2003 - X2 Second Prototype test in a field.
Specs : 6 foot arm diameter. 3 foot blade length. 3 blades.
Nov 14, 2003 - X1 First Prototype test in a field.
Specs : 20 foot arm diameter. 10 foot blade length. 3 blades.
* Prices subject to change without notice.
** Savings may vary and depend on the weather conditions.
The Chart above shows the global CO2 levels recorded by NASA scientist research projects from the past 1000 years. A huge spike in the past 100 spells horrific changes in where the planet will have ice, fields, oceans, streams, swamps, snow, desert, farmland, wasteland, tundra. Lush pastures in the African sahara, dry fields in England, most beach resort cities under water, rainforests in Alabama, and other drastic changes. We will all be moving, but many animals will not be able to figure out where to go, and perish. How do we know what it might be like? Help out to run prediction models on your home computer, while you're not using it.
Join the Climate Prediction.net experiment.
Is it possible our (collective) environmental ignorance might be our (planetary evolution of life's) undoing? Earth hasn't seen this much CO2 for 65 million years. A coincidence with the decimation of the dinosaurs.
Purchase environmentally responsible computers from these certified eco-friendly electronics products with the EPEAT logo.
The average home actually causes more air pollution than the average car. This is because much of the energy we use in our homes comes from power plants, which burn fossil fuel to power our electric products. Burning fossil fuels causes air pollution and contributes to smog, acid rain and global warming. Saving energy also saves money. By using energy-efficient products, the average household can save up to $400 per year on utility bills. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy estimates that if each of us increases the energy-efficiency in our major appliances by 10 - 30%, we'll release the demand for electricity by the equivalent of 25 large power plants! http://www.eartheasy.com/
