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Can it be true? A Truly Portable Wind Turbine
Born and raised in Iceland, brothers Einar and Agust Agustsson were both inspired and determined to share the benefits of clean energy with the rest of the world. In their country, they have an endless supply of fresh air and clean, wind-generated energy. After taking a trip to the United States, they were surprised by the high energy costs. In fact, they then were astonished to find out the rest of the world also has high energy costs. Einar and Agust are third generation inventors. Following in their father and grandfathers footsteps, they started working at a very young age. Nothing was going to deter these two to find a solution to the energy crisis.
To that end, their Iceland headquarted company with a distribution center in Minnesota, Janulus, launched Trinity – The Portable Wind Turbine Power Station that comes in four different models anywhere from producing an incredible powerful and portable system capable of producing power for everything from your smartphone to your entire house and car. After years of innovative engineering of their 3D printed prototypes, Trinity is well on its way to transforming how we generate clean energy and the entire manufacturing process takes place in Iceland.
The fact is most of the world is in an energy crisis. This summer was one of the hottest one of record, and Americans felt it. According to a 2015 report on highest and least expensive states, about 7.3 percent of the average consumer’s total annual income goes to energy costs. Lower prices don’t always equate with lower costs, as consumption is a key determinant in the total amount of an energy bill.
In the back of their minds, Einar and Agust knew there had to be a way to get those energy costs down without people having to spend tens of thousands of dollars buying alternative energy sources. Small wind electric systems are one of the most cost-effective home-based renewable energy systems — with zero emissions and pollution. Small wind electric systems can:
- Lower your electricity bills by 50 to Ninety Percent
- Help you avoid the high costs of having utility power lines extended to a remote location
- Help uninterruptible power supplies ride through extended utility outages
Trinity allows anyone to generate clean energy anywhere, store it for when needed and even sell the excess energy not required. Janulus then made a powerful energy generator called Trinity 2500 that can be set up outside your home and plugged directly into an outlet without requiring any additional wiring or electrical know-how. Besides portability, other features of the Trinity wind turbines are their ease of use and low cost. Inverter, batteries and controllers are built in to the unit, while the wind turbine is essentially plug-and-play. This allows the Trinity to plug into a wall socket and convert the power it generates and stores to provide power to all other outlets – no electrician is required. The unit also switches automatically between charging devices from the battery or directly from the turbine, depending on how much electricity is being generated.
Wind turbines are especially advantageous for the company’s home in the upper Midwest of the U.S., with its long, cloudy winters and higher than average wind speeds. The minimum speed for the Trinity to work is 4 mph (6.5 km/h). Once speeds reach 25 mph (40 km/h), the turbine can be converted to the vertical setting. The Trinity also comes with a smartphone app, which allow users to monitor the battery level, turn the blades on or off, see how much electricity is being generated as well as the historical data of wind and energy generated.
Trinity is currently on Kickstarter and the campaign is on track to quadruple its’ goal. Please let me know if you would like to interview co-founder and vice president of Janulus, Agust Agustsson.
Q&A with Agust Agustsson
Do you have to live in a windy area to use a portable wind turbine?
Trinity starts creating energy a 2m/s so it works in most areas and can easily be taken with you and used in other locations. Trinity can also be a great backup in case of an emergency or power outage.
Why did you decide to manufacture the product in Iceland?
Trinity is a very complicated product to make and the manufacturing needs to be done just right, to ensure longevity and an overall quality product. We looked at a many possibilities and visited factories in several countries before deciding to setup our own manufacturing facility in Iceland.
What is your background in? Engineering? How about your brothers?
We both studied business administration in the Reykjavik University. We come from 2 generations of electricians and have also spent many years working for the family business in that field.
Do you anticipate building more than four versions in the future?
It’s something we will look into at a later time but we are also looking into expanding into other energy sources.
Your turbines seem to be the most cost effective. What do others cost (approximate range)?
The purchase and installation of a system large enough to power an entire home costs, on average, $30,000, but the price can go up to $70,000 depending on the size and installation expenses. Trinity 2500 however costs $5,999 and is therefore very cost effective, simple to use and minimizes setup and installation costs.
How much can I save on my monthly energy bills?
Depends on the size of the house and how much power you use. Most people should see a substantial decrease in their energy bill and in some cases people can go off-grid or sell electricity back to the grid.
