SOUTHAMPTON BOAT SHOW SEPTEMBER 16th – 24th

It was another great show!
This year’s Southampton Boat Show was a week later than usual; the weather was a little cooler, and the evenings beginning to draw in, but visitors still found lots to enjoy!
The beach was a big hit, especially with the kids, and the selection of boats on the Marina and equipment on the stands was better than ever.
For the second year running, visitor numbers to the DuoGen stand were up by 20%. As ever, the response was one of admiration for the DuoGen combined water and wind generator, and delight with its original features and benefits. Typical comments were: “that’s neat”, “interesting idea”, “fascinating”, “very cunning” and “it’s so ingenious”.
There was also lots of interest in the D400 machine, Eclectic Energy's dedicated wind turbine. We were able to point to the results of a comparative test done by PBO magazine in the summer (for more details see below) which found that the D400 was by far the most powerful and efficient machine of its size.
What we did not expect was the number of people who asked if we produced a wind generator to install on their house. This is obviously something that interests an increasing number of people who are concerned about green issues, and about saving money on their electricity bills.
We were able to pass on lots of information culled from recent experience at ‘Microwind’ shows, and to give out information about our StealthGen urban wind generator.

PRACTICAL BOAT OWNER NOVEMBER EDITION:

Wind Generators on Test

PBO tested nine of the most popular wind generators used by yachtsmen over the summer, and concluded that the D400 is the Best Buy for High Output.

The testers were keen to assess output at 9 knots wind speed, which is the average summer wind speed on the UK’s south coast.

And in such gentle breezes, the D400 proved to be more than twice as productive as the next best machine, even though two of the other units were larger. The output recorded was 3.8 amps. In fact, the D400 continued to outshine its competitors up to wind speeds of nearly 20 knots, when the Air X joined in.

The D400 was also judged to be “exceptionally quiet”.

If you have read the report, you will wonder what happened to the DuoGen that was tested (in its wind mode of course). The unit was damaged when it was returned to us, so we must assume this happened in transit to the test. This would explain the reduced outputs. We maintain that, in good order, the DuoGen performs in line with our published data, as the PBO testers were happy to accept. This makes the DuoGen one of the most efficient low wind speed performers, second only to the D400.

More about domestic microwind turbines.

Eclectic’s MD, Pete Anderson, was invited to talk and exhibit at the Resource 05 show, held at the Building Research Establishment just prior to the Boat Show.

An Eclectic Energy StealthGen wind turbine was installed on a building on the site, and it ran impressively, unlike the other wind turbines, throughout the show.