| After having much success installing over 250 home | | | | company has already installed 9 Swift turbines in |
| wind turbines in Scotland, Cascading Engineering is | | | | America, and still has at least 25 orders to go. |
| bringing the Swift wind turbine to America and | | | | With a customer base split between residential |
| Canada. | | | | consumers and businesses, the company is in high |
| The company that specializes in plastics, partnered | | | | hopes that it can sell the Swift to anyone with |
| with Swift's Scottish designer, Renewable Devices, to | | | | economic or environmental purposes in mind - even |
| install the revolutionary small wind turbine in the U.S. | | | | while the economy is in turmoil. |
| households. | | | | But we disagree with Cascade - not anyone is going |
| What sets the Swift apart from other small wind | | | | to fork out $10 000 just so they can help the |
| turbines is the reduced noise it produces. In addition, | | | | environment. Furthermore, the electricity savings |
| the turbine can be attached to rooftops instead of | | | | realized by households will only cover their |
| towers. With it's five blades and "outer diffuser" ring, | | | | investment after 12 years! |
| the company claims vibration is reduced, resulting in | | | | Unless people have the money, we are not sure why |
| only 35 decibels of noise. | | | | anyone would want to waste $10 000, when they |
| With the turbine's seven foot diameter and two fins | | | | could easily make their own small wind turbine at |
| to help it face the wind, it can rotate 360 degrees | | | | home. Although it would be less efficient than |
| and it automatically shuts down in very strong winds. | | | | commercial ones, if you built enough of them, you |
| All the elements of its unique design allow the Swift | | | | could easily make 2000kW hours of power per year. |
| to generate up to 1.5 kW of power in 14 mile per | | | | In fact, many people all over the U.S are making their |
| hour winds. This equates to approximately 2000 | | | | own power systems at home, and they are showing |
| kilowatt hours per year, which is about a quarter of | | | | others how to do it with step-by-step instruction |
| the electricity consumed by a typical U.S. household. | | | | manuals. We have a list of these manuals in our |
| At a cool $10 000 to be installed, this turbine does | | | | reviews section if you feel the need to make your |
| not come cheap. However, the upfront cost is | | | | own energy at home. |
| significantly lower when state tax credits of $1000 | | | | To conclude, as much as we like the commercial |
| for households, and $4000 for businesses is taken | | | | Swift wind turbine, it is not affordable enough for |
| into account. | | | | average households to install. So, until technology and |
| According to Jessica Lehti, Cascade's senior product | | | | prices improve, we are better off making our own |
| marketing manager, this Michigan-based plastics | | | | renewable energy solutions at home. |