The wind turbine that won the Otago CleanTech challenge.
Photo by Bill Currie.
A small Dunedin business is in a spin after its Thinair
personal wind turbine and complementary business system won the
Otago round of the 2010 New Zealand CleanTech Challenge.
Powerhouse Wind Ltd co-director Bill Currie said the turbine
could be attached to any household to generate electricity,
and was an exciting step towards creating a mix of energy
appliances for "the future zero-energy home".
The former Electrocorp and Fisher and Paykel engineer has
been working with a team of directors at Powerhouse Wind Ltd
with similar engineering experience, and come up with a wind
turbine which is like a household appliance.
"You can just plug it in and leave it to do its job," he
said.
"To be appliance-like, it has to be easy to install, easy to
use, quiet and reliable. And of course, it has to perform
well and be good looking."
Powerhouse Wind's entry was praised by judges Mark Miller
from the Otago Institute of Design, Clare Ramsay from the
Otago School of Business, Bob Lloyd from the University of
Otago Department of Physics, and Mike Horne from Deloitte in
Dunedin.
The competition, developed by the Otago Polytechnic,
challenged New Zealanders to put forward their most promising
clean technology concepts for new products, accessories,
communications campaigns and building designs.
The criteria dictated designs were to be affordable and
support great living with less reliance on resources.
Mr Currie would now compete in the national final in
Wellington for a place at the CleanTech Open global finals in
San Francisco on November 17 where they could win $140,000.
CleanTech Challenge co-ordinator Tim Bishop hoped the
challenge would help take New Zealand innovations to the
world.
"We are looking for revolutionary ideas such as these for
generating clean energy, alongside ideas for better ways to
filter water or more efficient building systems.
"However, having an idea is but a small part of the bigger
challenge.
Our goal is to raise the profile of these concepts so that
they may find the support to successfully develop and market
saleable products and services globally."
Mr Currie was delighted with the award and the company was
now looking for investors to help produce the Thinair wind
turbine for the consumer market.
Two other regional contestants were commended by the Otago
judging panel for their innovative ideas.
Andrew Robinson proposed a renewable energy concept using
wasted fruit to create fuel-grade ethanol to allow Central
Otago farmers to continue operating farm machinery in a
post-peak oil age.
Mark Fuller put forward an air, water and waste concept,
based on creating a database-driven website which would act
as a platform for paper-reducing technologies.
john.lewis@odt.co.nz
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