Shawn Frayne's Windbelt is generating real excitement and resonance after winning Popular Mechanics' yearly Breakthrough Conference. Shawn has started up a company, Humdinger Wind, to market his device with the motto "wind energy reinvented." Now CEO, Shawn Frayne offers up some interesting "coming soon" developments. In a very (VERY) brief page, humdinger developer kits, the company promises "your very own Windbelt in a box, for schools, researchers, and independents ... Coming soon!"

To provide a little more information on the development process and motivating path:

Shawn Frayne, a member of a team from MIT and Petite Anse [Haiti] working in the area, recognized that instead of kerosene lamps, white LEDs powered by a very inexpensive wind generator might be able to better light homes and schools in the area. However, when Shawn tried to design this affordable, turbine-based wind generator, he hit a brick wall: turbine technology is too inefficient at these scales to be a viable option.

In other words, the key challenge was micro-power turbine sets. Frayne's claim is that for $1-5 the Windbelt can provide a generator that "can power two white LEDs and a radio" that "can be manufactured in Haiti." While the power for "two white LEDs" might not go too far in a McMansion, they could provide revolutionary change for places like rural Haiti households. And, well, another Humdinger motto that is one for all EcoGeeks to embrace:

"Harder problems = Better inventions"

The world's largest wind farm, which has been planned for the ocean off the coast of Kent, UK, for some time has been officially approved. However, the project, which is being planned by Eon and Shell energy companies, is being threatened by an increase and projected costs, and possible regulatory problems with transmitting the power.

A substation and the power cables necessary to transport the power to population centers are being fought by locals. At the same time, the projected cost of the project has increased from £1.5bn to £2bn.

Locals are uninterested in having the 340 turbine project in their back yard, but the UK needs to focus on these massive renewable projects in order to meet its Kyoto targets. Without them, it simply won't happen.

Via The Guardian