Ed Lenz’s wind turbine powered home

January 8, 2008

Ed Lenz's wind turbine powered home
Photo: Popular Science Magazine

“Ed Lenz’s house is pretty hard to miss—it’s the one with a home-built vertical-axis wind turbine on the roof. A career tinkerer, Lenz put the turbine up there for a test run three years ago, and it’s still turning away today, a super-quiet model of efficiency and ingenuity. The “Lenz2″ turbine, built primarily from easy-to-find supplies like aluminum, plywood and magnets, can produce about 50 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month with steady wind. Its output—about 10 percent of the total power Lenz uses—is then stored in a battery bank that feeds into his home lines. The slow-turning vertical-axis design is most efficient in gusts of 6 to 20 mph, so it’s ideal for relatively low-wind areas like western Michigan, where he lives. You can download plans at windstuffnow.com to build your own Lenz2. It’s not a quick weekend project, but once it’s up and running, paying the electric bill should be a breeze.

Build a Vertical Wind Turbine
Cost: $300
Time: 3 Days”

Website: Plans available from Wind stuff now



Written by Beam · Filed Under Energy, Sustainability 

Comments

7 Responses to “Ed Lenz’s wind turbine powered home”

  1. Cheo on August 21st, 2008 10:48 pm

    So interesting is the Lenz Turbine but what i don’t know is the revolutions at cut in, the max. rev it can make since U say that it is a slow work horse. Please furnish me with this. I really want to build one with ceramic block magnets 2″x2″x1″

  2. Greener Living thru Technology » Blog Archive » Backyard Wind Turbine, Part 1 on September 24th, 2008 9:35 pm

    […] http://www.palebludot.com/2008/01/08/ed-lenzs-wind-turbine-powered-home/ […]

  3. Praveen Rana on June 3rd, 2009 10:09 pm

    VAWT a geeky power mill !!!

    Great work, Ed!

    Have been reading about your work in the much-needed Savonius design….and of course…good application. The success of your work clearly illustrates that small-scale power production is a feasible proposal for the common man, especially in the third world where people subsist on meager means.

    My proposal:
    I live in India and would want to test the turbine under these conditions, but I cannot handle the electrical part of it. If you are requested to design two 500 W each alternator for me — the way you have gone about it or better (for I bet you have improvised) — would you take it up?

    If yes, how much would you charge in case the delivery is made in New Jersey, USA, where I would be visiting shortly?

    Are you planning the 1kW version? If yes, how much would the alternator cost me?

    Once again,
    Keep up the good work

    Praveen Rana
    Email: rana.praveen@gmail.com

  4. Abid Mustikhan on June 28th, 2009 2:04 am

    Hey Ed, How do I know how much power your turbine can produce in a 12mph wind?

  5. Fotis Liberopoulos on January 10th, 2010 5:51 am

    Good evening from Greece.

    My name is Fotis Liberopoulos and I am interested to build some wind turbines based on your design, for commercial purposes.

    Is the design patent-dependant? If so, can I rent the rights to use it? how much will this cost?

    Thank you for your time and please pardon my English.

  6. Cheofuh on August 25th, 2010 4:20 am

    Where do you really havethe detailed plans of your turbine?

  7. Jim Mcknight on October 31st, 2010 3:38 am

    I used to Know an Ed Lenz in Brisbane Calif. Back in the 60’s sometimes we fly kites together. Could this be you??

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