GE Backs Small Wind Maker Southwest Windpower

Earth2Tech has a report on a small scale wind turbine manufacturer called Southwest Windpower - GE, Investors Back Small Wind Maker Southwest Windpower.

The grand vision of small scale wind involves plunking tiny turbines (100 kilowatts or less according to the American Wind Energy Association) in backyards or on top of buildings in order to bring distributed clean power closer to the source that’s using it. Well, that’s the idea. Hampered by the cost of the technology and the difficulties of installation, however, the industry makes up less than one percent of the overall wind market. Now a group of investors including GE are trying to help grow that market, and this morning have announced a $10 million investment into Southwest Windpower, one of the more established residential wind system makers.

Flagstaff, Ariz.-based Southwest Windpower has been selling its small-scale wind hardware for two decades, and the company says it’s already sold more than 100,000 of the turbines. The company sells its gear through dealerships (many can be found in California) with prices ranging from $600 to $3,000 per turbine. We posted a video of one of Southwest’s turbines in the urban Mission district of San Francisco.