Portable and DIY energy tech is having a moment: more and more of us are installing balcony solar, setting up home batteries, and generally finding alternatives to the regular power grid — and a new appliance being crowdfunded on Kickstarter extends the trend.
It’s the Ventyra R1, a portable wind turbine that’s compact enough to fold away and put in a backpack. Like portable power stations and solar panels, the idea is you can get your gadgets recharged anywhere your travels take you — provided there’s a strong breeze.
Given that a lot of outdoor locations are pretty blustery, including coastal roads and hillside trails, it’s an intriguing innovation with a lot of potential. It seems popular too: over 600 people have now backed it on Kickstarter (via New Atlas).
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Meet the Ventyra R1
While this isn’t quite the first portable wind turbine we’ve ever seen, they’re a lot rarer than portable solar panels and chargers, and the Ventyra R1 seems to get a lot right — as far as we can tell without testing it. It’s simple to assemble and set up, and gives you a decent amount of power on the go.
The core specs are 50W of power output, 75W peak load, and 12V DC support, so it would take you around 35 minutes to charge a phone if the turbine was running at top speed (based on Ventyra’s own testing). There’s an integrated power hub for plugging your gadgets into when they need recharging.
A start-up wind speed of just 6.7 mph (3 meters-per-second) is listed, so it doesn’t take much of a breeze to get some power going. At those speeds you’re unlikely to see much in the way of charging though, so it might be an idea to charge up a power bank with the turbine over an extended period, then use that for your other devices.
The wind turbine pack comes with its own tripod stand and carry bag, and you also get four ground stakes for fixing it in place (just like you would with a tent). While it’s marketed for being suitable for remote adventures, you could also set it up on a balcony at home and use it as an alternative power source there.
There’s room for expansion here as well: multiple R1s can be used with the same power hub, expanding the amount of power you can capture at once, and there are also bundles available that include solar panels — these can connect to the same system as well, increasing the capacity of your on-the-go clean energy setup.
In fact, the marketing blurb for the Ventyra R1 says it’s “designed to complement solar” rather than replacing it. “When connected through a compatible power station or charging setup, the two energy sources can create a more flexible system for changing weather, overnight use, and longer off-grid stays,” explains the Kickstarter page.
Wind and rain
Another useful-looking feature on this unit is the automatic wind alignment. The turbine comes with a tail vane that automatically adjusts the position of the rotor and its blades, saving you from having to make multiple manual adjustments. You can simply set it up then let it get to work.
The turbine itself is 52 centimeters (20.5 inches) long, with the individual rotors measuring 38 centimeters (15 inches). The product page doesn’t say how tall the tripod is, but judging by the accompanying video, you’ll be able to get your wind-powered generator up to somewhere near head height if needed.
What’s not mentioned is any kind of weatherproofing. It’s possible that this isn’t designed to survive heavy rain, which somewhat reduces its usefulness as an outdoor device, so bear that in mind. It also doesn’t look particularly sturdy, so there may be issues with it blowing over in strong winds.
That’s about all we can say without taking a proper look at this, but it seems to be a clever idea, well executed. As always with Kickstarter products though, there’s no guarantee that a product will make it to market in the same form shown here, or even at all — especially when it comes to companies making their first product, as is the case here.
The Kickstarter goal was a mere $1,500 (or £1,100 / AU$2,090), which seems rather low. In any case, $140,020 (£102,646 / AU$195,390) has been pledged at the time of writing, from 661 backers.
If you’re a believer in what the Ventyra R1 is offering, then you can put your name down for one for an early bird starting price of $179 (about £130 / AU$250). Shipping is scheduled for December.
If you’re looking for an alternative for home or the outdoors, the Shine Turbine is now on its second incarnation, and comes with an integrated power bank that changes when the wind blows. Preorders are available on Indiegogo now for an early bird price of $399 (that’s about £290 / AU$555).
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