InteliSpark client, Accelerate Wind, Inc., wins a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a low-cost, roof-edge wind capture technology. The federally-mandated SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) program provides seed funding for innovative startups such as this phase II project that will harness the power of wind.
Though renewable energy is a growing market globally, the small wind market has lagged behind solar power. Commercial building rooftops utilize solar energy more often now but rarely tap into the power of wind energy. High costs with long payback times prevent small wind power from expanding into a larger market.
Erika Boeing, CEO and Co-founder at Accelerate Wind, will lead a team of scientists in this phase II project to design and test roof-edge wind turbines with an enhanced capacity of energy capture to buildings and a shorter payback period. This would make wind power affordable on commercial buildings and potentially attract a larger market for this technology. The company’s target customers are solar installers, who already have a large market but would benefit from a varied portfolio.
By introducing affordable wind energy, this innovative technology may aid in the reduction of society’s reliance on and consumption of fossil fuels.