"Air Dolphin" --small-scale wind power --
We will be introducing you to the merits of small-scale wind power. Unlike thermal power, wind power can generate electricity without emitting carbon dioxide. It can do so even at night, so compared to solar power, facilities can be used more efficiently. Wind power is being utilized all over the world, but there is a company in Japan which makes the best-quality windmills in the world. It is “Zephyr Co., Ltd.”
We interviewed this company on July 5th. The world-class windmill is named “Air Dolphin”. Wind power is often equated with large mills in Japan, but this is a small-scale device. However, compactness is only one of its wonderful virtues and abilities.
Firstly, Air Dolphin is not affected by limitations on space. It is very light, weighing only 20g/W, which is less than 5 to 10% of what a normal small scale wind mill weights. By comparison with large mills, that is only 2%. It is also small in volume, so it doesn’t take up much space. It can be transported to all over the world cheaply, since it can be sent via a parcel delivery service rather than by using large shovel cars and cranes. For these reasons, Air Dolphin can be set up not only in mountainous regions and isolated islands but also on the roofs of houses, schools, and commercial facilities. Also, it has been specially modified to require no maintenance--for example, it uses traditional Japanese woodworking techniques to decrease the number of screws. As a result, it can be set up on uninhabited islands, deserts, and Third world countries without electricity.
Secondly, Air Dolphin is efficient. Regular windmills can only operate by wind speed at less than 15m/s, because of the danger of breakage. However, Air Dolphin can transform weak winds into very strong revolutions. So, it can change wind energy into electricity very efficiently.
Thirdly, Air Dolphin can disperse energy source. By generating electricity where it’s used, we can cut down energy loss. We can disperse the risk that a power plant will break down and stop producing electricity; Air Dolphin is already known to be indispensable in the event of a disaster.
Air Dolphin is produced by one company, “Zephyr”, but it is full of Japanese technology, supported by various specialized companies.
According to Ryosuke Ito, who is chairman of Zephyr Co., Ltd., there are formidable obstacles in Japan’s quest to make wind power widespread. These are legislation, values, and politics. In Japan, several companies monopolize the energy supply. These companies do not favor electrical self-sufficiency. There are also strict limitations on where windmills can be built—for example, not in national parks. The Japanese government just doesn’t seem to like wind power. Several politicians and extreme environmental organizations have forced through laws that put wind power at a disadvantage, and wind power is bought at only a quarter of the price of solar power. In the state Japan is now, it’s difficult to introduce wind power. The Japanese also tend to think in terms of gains or losses. Currently, producing your own energy is more expensive than buying it, so Japanese are not very enthusiastic about the idea. This Air Dolphin costs 50 to 100 yen per unit.
In Japan, technology is being developed at a steady rate. This country has always been superior in terms of technology, but the same cannot be said for its system for utilizing those skills. We must first look beyond solar power and get rid of our prejudice against wind energy, with American policies that are making use of eight thousand windmills per year as a guide, we must build a system that naturally fields profit for adopting natural energy.
