Stargazing in the desert, bioluminescent kayak tours, emergency search and rescue in the deep woods: there are times when you want to go where there’s no electricity and not enough sunlight for a solar panel. A Denver startup may have just what you need: a mini wind turbine you can slip into your backpack. The VENTYRA R1 could be a powerful little power source, which is why it’s quickly finding backers on Kickstarter.
The entire kit weighs just over 2 pounds, roughly the equivalent of a full 32-ounce canteen. It comes in a toolbox-sized container containing a four-blade turbine, a tripod, a power hub, a power cable, and four ground stakes. However, it doesn’t come with several metal cables that one of the homepage videos briefly shows as part of the installation. These can be essential for keeping a shoulder height wind protection device upright. It will therefore be necessary to give it a test drive before taking it on the road.
Once stable, the power is considerable for off-grid needs. Engineers say the turbine will start spinning with winds of just 6.7 miles per hour and will be able to generate 50W (up to 75W in gusts). The R1 supports 12V DC, making it compatible with portable refrigerators, lamps, power stations and battery banks.
Where a mini wind turbine makes sense
There’s a reason wind turbines aren’t a popular way to power homes. They are huge. They need to be able to cope with the more than 10,000 kWh of electricity that a typical home uses each year. This production would require two dozen R1 turbines generating their full 50 W of electricity 24 hours a day. But the R1 can still be an advantage. A turbine can charge phones and other smaller gadgets. And in the event of a power outage, a backup system with a running turbine can keep essentials like phones, lights and a small refrigerator running for a few days. One thing to consider, however, is how much power a mini wind turbine like the R1 will generate in your backyard. Your house, trees and other waste on the ground can create turbulence that reduces your energy production by up to 25%.
Perhaps the best use of the R1 is going off-grid. For mobile use, a small wind turbine can be a perfect power source. You don’t run electricity for an entire house. Your needs often fit in a backpack or the trunk of your car and this wind turbine provides plenty of juice. If you’re stargazing, the R1’s 50W can generate enough power to allow your eVscope eQuinox smart telescope to peer into deep space all night while charging two iPhones. During a bioluminescent kayak tour, you can keep your electric cooler plugged in while charging extra phones, headlamps, or backup GoPro batteries. During a search and rescue operation in the deep woods, you can power a satellite internet terminal and satellite communicator while charging your team’s headlamp backup batteries.
