Museum of Science, Boston Installs Windspire Wind Turbine for Nations First Rooftop Wind Lab

Seeking Innovation, Mariah Power Joins Innovative Experiment to Explore Small Wind Technology in Urban Settings

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, (MAY 29, 2009) – Mariah Power (www.mariahpower.com), a wind technology company that maximizes energy conversion from wind into electric power, announced its participation in the nation’s first rooftop Wind Turbine Lab at the Museum of Science (www.mos.org) in Boston, Massachusetts, with the installation of a Windspire wind turbine (www.windspire.info) on the Museum’s rooftop. The Windspire is the only vertical axis turbine participating in the Wind Turbine Lab, which will include five different brands of wind turbines of varying size and power capacity. Mariah Power joined the project to better understand the viability of rooftop turbine installations in urban settings.

Rooftop installations have long been considered challenging by many in the small wind industry, mainly because of concerns about wind turbulence. However, very few actual scientific studies have been done on rooftop turbines; instead a handful of anecdotal and case studies dominate the discussion. The Wind Turbine Lab provides a refreshing scientific approach to monitoring the performance of multiple types of wind turbines on rooftops. The lab will provide data on energy output, wind conditions, and turbine efficiency.

The data collected will allow Mariah Power to gain invaluable information about rooftop installations and should help answer questions regarding turbulence and efficiency. Some wind modeling experts have theorized that vertical axis wind turbines, like the Windspire, are able to more efficiently handle turbulent wind than traditional propeller turbines. Mariah Power intends to use the Wind Turbine Lab to better understand the performance of the Windspire in rooftop settings as it expands into the commercial rooftop market.

Prior to starting the Wind Turbine Lab, the Museum of Science installed anemometers in various locations on the roof of its building to determine best locations for the wind turbines. The final locations were based on wind speeds and visibility for visitors to the Museum. "This is a giant science experiment," said David Rabkin, Farinon Director for Current Science and Technology at the Museum. "No one has tested five different small turbines in a rooftop
laboratory.”

“Innovation is at the core of what we believe, so we are thrilled to have a Windspire in the Wind Turbine Lab,” said Mike Hess CEO of Mariah Power. “If the small ind industry is going to evolve, we need to take risks and look for new ideas to lead us into the future.”

About the Museum of Science, Boston

The Museum takes a hands-on approach to science, engineering and technology, attracting about 1.5 million visitors a year via its programs and 700 interactive exhibits. Founded in 1830, the Museum was first to embrace all the sciences under one roof. Highlights include the Thomson Theater of Electricity, Charles Hayden Planetarium, Mugar Omni Theater, Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, 3-D Digital Cinema and Butterfly Garden. Reaching 25,000 teens a year worldwide via the Intel Computer.

WINDSPIRE® VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINE PARTICIPATES IN TRIAL TO POWER FREEWAY LIGHTING Clubhouse®, the Museum also leads a multi-museum, $20 million National Science foundation-funded nanotechnology education initiative. The Museum’s “Science Is an Activity” exhibit plan has been awarded many NSF grants and influenced science centers worldwide. Its National Center for Technological Literacy® aims to enhance knowledge of engineering and technology for people of all ages and inspire the next generation of engineers, inventors, and scientists. The Museum is ranked #3 by Parents Magazine in its list of the country’s “Ten Best Science Centers." For more information visit mos.org.

About Windspire

The Windspire wind turbine is a low-cost, low-noise, attractive wind power appliance for use with residential, business, and commercial buildings. Manufactured in the U.S. by Mariah Power, the Windspire is a 30-foot tall, propeller-free, vertical-axis wind turbine designed for harnessing wind power in urban, suburban and rural locations. The patented technology in the Windspire wind turbine maximizes energy conversion from wind into electric power, regardless of changing wind speed and direction. For more information, visit www.windspire.info.