The Not So Impossible Dream

By Peter Mitchell

The proliferation of giant propeller-style turbines sprouting up in cities and countrysides across the globe bring to mind Don Quixote tilting at windmills in his efforts to make the world a better place. His heart was in the right place but many believed his mind was not. Yet he slowly developed a band of associates who recognized the deeper truth behind his crusade and supported him against all those who refused to come round to his way of thinking.

The same can be said for the burgeoning wind energy industry. The wind turbine has long been acknowledged as a theoretical power source, but not a very practical one. Critics have pointed to issues relating to structure, vibration, noise and cost that prevent wind turbines from becoming a viable source of energy. But supporters are rallying in ever-increasing numbers as Cleanfield Energy’s president and CEO, Tony Verrelli, can attest.

In 2002 Verrelli founded Cleanfield with his partners Mihail Stern and Alexander Trica. Their goal was to create a smaller turbine system for residential and commercial applications. Finding investors proved difficult as most people concluded they were dreaming the impossible dream.

Verrelli explains, “There are a lot of nay-sayers out there who have always said, ‘A turbine cannot be installed on a rooftop. You’re just developing a pipe dream. Don’t waste your time.’ Nobody was talking about the environment, and energy was not a major issue. It wasn’t top of mind.”

Undaunted, they forged ahead investing their own money and manpower, and soon found support from a far-off source: Romania. Stern and Trica were graduates of the Engineering program at the University of Timisoara, and their alma mater proved willing to assist with the research and development required to turn their dream into reality.

Then, in August 2003, fate intervened and the public started to see the light –as luck would have it– because the lights went out. After the infamous blackout that left much of eastern North America shrouded in darkness, attitudes changed dramatically. People realized that if it could happen once, it could happen again. Almost overnight the impossible dream became a plausible one.

The University of Toronto and McMaster joined the cause to provide further research and development. The first prototypes became available for outdoor testing in 2004. The business community began paying attention, and in September 2006, Cleanfield became a publicly traded company. In June of this year they proudly unveiled their Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) from their home office in Ancaster. Orders have already started coming in from Hamilton and Toronto, and interest has been shown by seventeen countries around the globe. The dream is slowly becoming reality.

The smaller, eggbeater style turbine has many advantages over the horizontal windmill- style turbines the public is more accustomed to seeing. Horizontal systems have a tail or vain that must always be directed into the wind. Winds change directions causing frequent tail movement that can burn out a system. The egg-beater style always ‘goes with the flow’ so to speak, and hits the wind no matter which direction it’s blowing. There are fewer moving parts which places less stress on bearings and generators to ensure longer product life. They also operate on a much lower RPM which reduces noise.

“I hate using the word silent because I think it’s misleading,” Verrelli says. “Every single piece of machinery makes some sort of noise. But it’s so low it would be very difficult to hear any noise whatsoever.”

There are cost advantages as well. Horizontal turbines must be mounted on large towers ranging from 60 to 100 feet. The VAWT can operate at lower heights, and can be mounted on rooftops, silos, and towers. However, as an energy source it still has one distinct disadvantage.

“There are restrictions to wind because, let’s face it, you need wind,” admits Verrelli. “With solar it’s the same thing: you need sun. And geothermal power has restrictions just by where it has to be installed. The best solution is to combine multiple applications down the road, so we are also getting involved in solar and geothermal energy sources. That’s where we’ll be doing a lot of our packaging.”

Verrelli sees the future of clean energy following the same path as today’s cable and internet providers. Customers want to deal with just one source. By bundling wind, solar and geothermal packages Cleanfield and other providers will be able to offer a one-stop source for all their clean energy needs. The dream is growing, but a lot of work has yet to be done before that day comes to pass.

“You really have to change your lifestyle. It’s not just a matter of purchasing real energy; you have to reduce your consumption. It’s more cost effective to reduce a kilowatt of power, than to create a kilowatt of power. It has to be a total philosophy where you’re creating and reducing your power.”

The government also needs to do more to encourage businesses and individuals to invest in clean energy solutions, and to protect consumers from potential outfits that may simply be blowing a lot of hot air.

“From a customer standpoint the funding just isn’t available right now. In the U.S. several states have incentive programs in place. In California for a customer to buy our system, they would be reimbursed by the state government by 50 per cent. In New Jersey it’s a 60 per cent rebate. Internationally, the UK and Australia have programs. We definitely are behind.” Verrelli says. “We also need to establish guidelines to ensure when customers do purchase systems or turbines they buy a real system able to perform what it’s supposed to perform. There’s a lot of misleading and false information out there.”

In the meantime, the technology is still in its infancy and Cleanfield continues to work with its partners to find ways to improve the system. They are not just getting the technology ready; they’re getting the people ready too by developing programs with Mohawk College to train the technicians and installers that will be needed to keep the turbines spinning. And VAWT’s are springing up around the city.

“Hamilton has so much to offer,” Verrelli says. “There are so many experts here, especially on the manufacturing side. We have a mayor that believes in the environment right now. We have a councilor, Brian McHattie, who believes in the environment, Use these guys, use their vision, and use it to create a greener city. That’s what Toronto is doing. Toronto is becoming a much greener city, and they’re leaders. Hamilton could also be a leader, there’s no doubt about it.”

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Biz Hamilton is published by Town Media Inc.