IceWind, a Reykjavik-based startup company, is bucking the current trend of ever-larger wind turbines and instead designing small-scale, vertical-axis wind turbines for telecom towers and residential applications such as homes, cabins and farms.

IceWind has two designs in production for use in both extreme weather conditions and low-wind areas, each with "virtually no need for maintenance," according to the company. The turbines are manufactured by hand from stainless steel, carbon fiber and high-strength aluminum, and plans are for them to be available for purchase in 2016 in Iceland and in selected locations internationally in 2017.

IceWind's turbines are designed for both extreme weather conditions and low-wind areas. Image credit: IceWind. The IceWind CW-1000 wind turbine is designed to yield 1,000W at 10 m/s and provide power or heating for most kinds of residential applications. According to the company, the turbine, coupled with a small heat pump, can fully supply an average cabin with heating and power suitable for both on- and off-grid applications. It is nearly silent (˂35 db), does not affect bird life and does not need to face the wind to generate power.

The company's IceWind RW turbine aims to generate sufficient power for the operation of telecom and surveillance towers. The turbine can be used as a main power source on off-grid locations or as a backup extension for on-grid locations and is designed to withstand extreme wind and icing in inhospitable environments—including gusts of over 60 m/s (a category 4 hurricane)—with a "failsafe" feature in case of generator failure. Models are manufactured in 300W, 600W and 1,000W versions at 10 m/s and have a power production range of 2-60 m/s+—but are scalable to customers’ specific needs.

Visitors to the company website can calculate the heating cost for a cabin in Iceland—assuming it is heated with electricity—and estimate their yearly savings with an installed IceWind wind turbine system.