24th May 2007

A Bozeman-based company will receive an $80,000 grant to research an innovative new way to harness wind power, Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester announced today.

The company, Wind Innovations, is developing a system that converts wind into energy using vertical, aerodynamic panels called Wind Fins, which generate energy by moving back and forth in the wind. Wind Innovations says the new technology is significantly cheaper than conventional wind turbines, and will allow more Montana farmers and ranchers to generate power on their land.

"Wind energy produced at the local farm level could represent an important new cash crop, help foster rural development, and contribute to the nation's energy supply," said Wind Innovations Vice President Dr. Will Swearingen.

Baucus, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has secured more than $72 million in Clean Renewable Energy Bonds for wind projects across Montana, said that this is another step in the right direction.

"We must boost energy production here at home and lessen our dependence on foreign oil," Baucus said. "Finding new ways to harness our resources will not only help achieve this, but will also create more good-paying jobs. It's a win-win"

Tester, a member of the Senate Energy Committee and a longtime supporter of renewable energy development, said the project holds tremendous promise for Montana.

"This research will give Montana farmers and ranchers more options, using one of our most abundant natural resources," Tester said. "Innovative projects like this will steer us in the right direction for the future."

The $80,000 grant will be distributed through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The “Wind Fin” technology exploits the kinetic energy of an aerodynamic, oscillating panel system, rather than rotating There are three major components of this patent-pending technology: a mast, a vertical, hinged panel, and an innovative power-extraction system. The hinged panel responds to the wind with an oscillating motion. The system is able to rotate freely around the mast and will automatically swing to orient itself downwind. It is self-starting. The power-extraction system is concentric with the mast. When the wind blows, the panel oscillates, and the oscillating motion of the panel turns a generator, producing electricity.

The Wind Fin technology was initially developed as a visually pleasing alternative to wind turbines. It allows for designs that are more compatible with existing architectural forms as well as able to blend more readily into the natural landscape. The company states that preliminary wind chamber tests and computer modelling has shown that this new technology will be comparable if not superior in performance to current state-of-the-art wind turbines of similar size – at half the cost

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