New Vetical Axis Wind turbine promises a "Quiet Revolution"

Elegant looking indeed, but what will make this vertical wind turbine perform any diffferent than other vertical axis sytems that have apperared over the years, only to receed quietly into obscurity. Common knowledge says that energy output per dollar invested cannot compare to the advanced horizontal turbines that are spreading like wildfire. But according to Treehugger http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/01/come_the_quiet_1.php
the UK company called "Quiet revolution LTD. http://www.quietrevolution.co.uk/ might be offering something revolutionary -- at least interms of simplicity of design ( very few moving parts result in vibration free and virtually silent operation) and double- duty functionality by integrating LED lighting in the blades to provide decorative lighting or even messaging. The product was developed by XC02, ( http://www.xco2.com/) an appropriate name for an engineering and design studio dedicated to providing low-corbon solutions in the built environment.

According to Treehugger:

Trials were carried out at the end of last year and with the results XCO2 say that the Quiet Revolution will be capable of producing 10,000 kWh per year based on an average wind speed of 5.8 m/s. “If you had two of them that would satisfy the 10% renewable energy requirement for a 1200 square-metre office building,” says their marketing director Julia Grove.

Physical dimensions:		5m high x 3.1m in diameter
Generator:		Direct drive, mechanically integrated, weather sealed 6kW permanent magnet generator
Power control		Peak power tracking constantly optimises turbine output for all sites and windspeeds
Operation mode		Max wind speed: 16m/s; Min wind speed: 4.5m/s
Design life		25 years (annual inspections recommended)
Rotor construction		Carbon fibre & epoxy resin blades and connection arms
Brake & shutdown		Over-speed breaking above 14m/s wind speed, auto shutdown in high wind speeds (above 16m/s)
Remote monitoring		Event log can be accessed via GSM Dial up. Remote monitoring stores operation and kW hours of electricity generated
Warranty		Two years on components