Compact, lightweight and highly portable, this mobile charging unit by Nils Ferber weighs around a pound and can provide power day and night, particularly on windy hills for remote hikers.

The Swiss designer made the unit fold up into something about the size of a hiking pole (indeed, if he can make it more robust, perhaps it could even double as one!), after he continued to run out of juice on long treks.

For mountaineers, climbers or expedition leaders, the choice makes a lot of sense: solar power depends on access to the sun, which can be intermittent, but wind is often present on high exposed ground. It is designed to be robust, withstanding strong winds and storms, while generating as much power as possible.

The Micro Wind Turbine is lighter than most of its competitors and can capture a relatively high volume of wind thanks to how far it unfolds. A simple adapter jack lets users plug in smartphones, flashlights, cameras and other devices one might want to keep handy on a long hike.

The post Portable Power: Folding Micro-Turbine for Mobile Wind Energy first appeared on Gajitz.

Set to float offshore near the coast, the Hywind Scotland Pilot Park will the the largest of its kind, featuring five turbines each generating six megawatts of power starting early next year. Northern Europe is a hotbed for such projects, accounting for nine-tenths of new offshore wind developments.

The specially-engineered turbines are being constructed to withstand extreme weather despite their size. Statoil, the Norwegian company building them, is employing technology they have previously used to make oil rigs stable in storms, wind and waves. The results are more economical but also tougher than other floating wind farms.

Leif Delp, the Statoil Project Director:  “We are very pleased to develop this project in Scotland, in a region with a huge wind resource and an experienced supply chain from oil and gas. Through the hard work of industry and supportive government policies, the UK and Scotland is taking a position at the forefront of developing offshore wind as a competitive new energy source.”

The post World’s Largest Floating Wind Farm to Set Sail in Scotland first appeared on Gajitz.

Designed to be mobile, practical and easy to use, this miniature wind turbine can generate 2,500 watts of power but also plugs right into your devices with a built-in inverter. Eligible for tax credits, this little gadget could be the key to powering your RV or even your off-the-grid home.

In just a week, the crowdfunded project raised twice its $50,000 goal. Early backers of the project are going to get their Trinity turbines for just a few hundred dollars, though they will be closer to $1,000 once on the open market.

Warrantied batteries that come with the unit are able to store enough energy to charge your smartphone 16 times, and are, like the rest of the system, designed to be compatible with standard grids and plugs.

Boasted features include: “Easy two step setup or mount Trinity on your home. Trinity uses the same type of battery as today’s electric cars. Highly efficient generating up to 2.500 watts and generating in as low as 2 m/s (4 mph) wind. Affordable with pledge starting at $369 for the first 50 units of Trinity 50. Light and portable weighing only from 650 gr (1.4 lbs.). The most powerful versions can generate and store electricity to power your home. Earlier version has already gone through Kickstarter funding with great results.”

The post Mini Turbine: Portable Wind Generator for Home or Travel first appeared on Gajitz.

Turning gravity-fed freshwater pipes into passive energy generators, this turbine system deployed in Portland, Oregon, takes water power in a new direction, tapping into urban flows beyond conventional rivers and oceans.

The LucidPipe Power System from Lucid Energy has minimal impacts on water flow rates, even helping slow down flows that run too fast, and their turbine-equipped pipes slot right into existing systems.

The larger boon here is the potential to turn all kinds of urban water supplies into power-generating pieces of infrastructure, from water pipes in this case to rainwater turbines also in development. Given that cities tend to be where power is needed most, this could prove an essential underground technology for the future of urban energy generation, working right under our feet. Also, subterranean and other urban systems don’t have the same environmental impact on migratory species or ecosystems in general.

Per Gizmag, “Once up and running, it’s expected to generate an average of 1,100 megawatt hours of energy per year, which is enough to power approximately 150 homes. Over the next 20 years, it should also generate about US$2 million in energy sales to Portland General Electric, which Harbourton plans on sharing with the City of Portland and the Portland Water Bureau in order to offset operational costs. At the end of that period, the Portland Water Bureau will have the right to purchase the system outright, along with all the energy it produces.”

The post Hydroelectric Pipes: Clean Water Powers 100 Urban Homes first appeared on Gajitz.