tBrighton-based Clean Green Energy announced today that it has been issued a U.S. patent for its new directional wind turbine. The company has teamed up with Burtek Enterprises, based in Chesterfield Township, to manufacture the new turbines that are expected to begin production by spring 2015.
t"Being able to produce power from any wind direction is an advantage WIND e20 has over the traditional horizontal wind turbines you see in large wind farms," says Bryan Zaplitny, president and CEO of Clean Green Energy, which plans to merge with McKenzie Bay International later this year.
tWhile traditional turbines capture power from air flowing parallel to the rotational axis of the turbine blades, the WIND e20 is a vertical axis wind turbine, meaning its blades are always facing the wind. Zaplitny notes that as the wind direction changes, traditional turbines are at a disadvantage, as they must be mounted so they pivot horizontally to face directly into the wind.
tPaul Schneider, a spokesman for Clean Green Energy, says the turbines are not meant for wind farms but rather for schools, small businesses, municipal facilities, and wastewater treatment facilities. Once completed, the first turbines will be delivered to the Ishpeming Housing Commission in the Upper Peninsula and the YMCA Storer Camps in Jackson.
t“The primary way they go to market is under a power purchase agreement, so the customer doesn’t purchase the turbine, just the power it produces,” Schneider says. “We handle all ownership and maintenance of the turbine and sell (clients) the power, at a rate that’s typically less than what they’re currently paying.”
tThe company also sells energy gathered via solar panels to clients throughout the state and country, Schneider says.
