A Hawaii-based startup with ties to Japan is bringing cutting-edge Japanese clean energy technology to Kaka’ako Makai in Honolulu to study its feasibility in the islands by operating its only wind turbine for research and demonstration purposes.
By partnering with the Hawai’i Community Development Authority, Kanoa Winds Inc. has access to the HCDA’s contractor sandbox, where they plan to install a 0.5-kilowatt, dual-blade vertical coaxial counter-rotating wind turbine (VCCT), according to an announcement from the HCDA.
“These compact vertical turbines are successfully used in densely populated areas of Japan,” said Craig Nakamoto, HCDA Executive Director. “We are excited to partner with Kanoa Winds to test this technology’s modest yet powerful ability to harness wind energy for a new alternative to Hawaii’s clean energy future.”
The VCCT wind turbine was created to produce safe and clean wind energy and has been successfully used in Japan for over 15 years near transportation hubs, near industrial facilities and in mixed-use residential communities.
“VCCT wind turbines in Japan are known to house birds that nest inside the turbine, proving the safety and coexistence between birds and VCCT technology,” says Kaname Takeya, founder and CEO of Kanoa Winds, who is from Japan. “The prestigious Japan Falconiformes Center has approved this technology due to its safety and reliability while having minimal impact on the environment.”
One of the main distinguishing features of horizontal axis wind turbines is that they produce electricity at a much wider range of wind speeds than traditional horizontal axis wind turbines, such as those installed in the West Maui Mountains. Horizontal axis wind turbines can operate at wind speeds between 7 and 134 miles per hour. In contrast, traditional horizontal axis wind turbines typically stop producing electricity at wind speeds around 44 miles per hour.
Kanoa Winds will install a 0.5-kilowatt VCCT unit near the Hawai’i Technology Development Corporation’s contractor sandbox to conduct a comprehensive study of the technology: its wind energy production, equipment loading, stability testing, safety assessment, wildlife impact and environmental assessment. It is smaller than a streetlight and will be erected on a footprint of about 24 square feet.
