Eco-power doubles as modern art (CNNMoney.com)

[eppur_se_muova]

ENERGY
Eco-power doubles as modern art
Want to turn your backyard into a wind farm? The QR5, from U.K.-based Quietrevolution, is a residential-scale wind turbine that generates enough electricity to power a standard U.S. home or a small office. It also looks like a piece of wind-powered sculpture, which may prove to be one of its most important selling points. Quietrevolution's Richard Cochrane designed the QR5 to masquerade as an objet d'art to mollify critics who might grumble about ugly, noisy propellers.

Beneath the skin is what Quietrevolution calls the world's most efficient turbine for capturing air currents near buildings and other structures, with carbon-fiber blades shaped to grab gusty city winds without making much noise. But make sure your checkbook is fully charged: At $48,000, the QR5 costs twice as much as a traditional propeller-style unit that generates the same output.

Product QR5

MANUFACTURER Quietrevolution

DESIGNER Richard Cochrane

Bottom Line Two units have been installed in commercial development projects around London, with 70 to 80 planned for the coming year.


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http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/biz2/0703/gallery.bottom_line_design.biz2/3.html

(1 of 11 design awards)

[don954]

1. that's pretty cool but i like Southwest wind-powers new generator

its smaller and i think less intrusive than the egg-beater design, and its a heck of a lot cheaper...

[jwirr]

2. Both of these models are beautiful. I was delighted to hear Al Gore

tell congress that they should just give individuals help in setting up their own energy alternatives and let them sell to the grid to supply others. Home grown first.