A group of brothers in Fort Smith are banking on green energy, by selling an innovative wind turbine that could fit right into your backyard.
"It's for people that want to go green without going broke," said Kevin Mounce, who opened Fort Smith Windspires with his two brothers, Barry and Britt.
The trio sell vertical wind turbines that are designed and made by a Nevada company, Mariah Power, which drew their inspiration for the turbines from ancient windmills.
"It's a design that's actually three-thousand years old, they found this in ancient Egypt," said Mounce. "You can fit this pretty much anywhere you'd put a basketball goal."
The spires can use even a slight breeze to generate electricity, but work best with 14-mile per hour winds, about enough to keep a flag flying strong. They generate enough power that one Windspire could shave a quarter off most Arkansan's electric bills, but first you have to pay about $10,000 for the turbine and installation.
There are tax incentives for people that do buy the spires, including a 30 percent rebate for all purchasers and several grants and rebates for farmers or ranchers. According to Mariah Power's website, the turbines' price can drop to as little as $3,200 in some cases.
One Windspire was purchased by the Marine Corps League, which recently moved into an office at the Chaffee Redevelopment Authority. Ivy Owen, the executive director of the authority, says the addition is really turning some heads.
"Most people don't know what they are when they see them, so they take a second look and they come back again and look again," Owen said Thursday.
The Mounce brothers had a goal when they started out to install 30 Windspires by the end of 2009, and while they only have one in the ground so far Kevin said they're close to a deal that would create a wind farm with 200 turbines. Every Windspire purchase before the end of the year will also earn 250-dollars for the Marine Corp's Toys For Tots program.
Owen said Fort Smith Windspire is also working on a partnership with a local solar energy company to install hybrid wind and solar power systems. He said it fits in with the Chaffee Redevelopment Authority's mission to be more green.
"We're looking for innovative ways to save money, to save energy, to attract new types of businessesÂ… And who knows, we might even manufacture Windspires someday."
To contact Fort Smith Windspires, call their office at (479) 784-9463. You can also find more information about the Windspires at Mariah Power's website, www.MariahPower.com.
"It's for people that want to go green without going broke," said Kevin Mounce, who opened Fort Smith Windspires with his two brothers, Barry and Britt.
The trio sell vertical wind turbines that are designed and made by a Nevada company, Mariah Power, which drew their inspiration for the turbines from ancient windmills.
"It's a design that's actually three-thousand years old, they found this in ancient Egypt," said Mounce. "You can fit this pretty much anywhere you'd put a basketball goal."
The spires can use even a slight breeze to generate electricity, but work best with 14-mile per hour winds, about enough to keep a flag flying strong. They generate enough power that one Windspire could shave a quarter off most Arkansan's electric bills, but first you have to pay about $10,000 for the turbine and installation.
There are tax incentives for people that do buy the spires, including a 30 percent rebate for all purchasers and several grants and rebates for farmers or ranchers. According to Mariah Power's website, the turbines' price can drop to as little as $3,200 in some cases.
One Windspire was purchased by the Marine Corps League, which recently moved into an office at the Chaffee Redevelopment Authority. Ivy Owen, the executive director of the authority, says the addition is really turning some heads.
"Most people don't know what they are when they see them, so they take a second look and they come back again and look again," Owen said Thursday.
The Mounce brothers had a goal when they started out to install 30 Windspires by the end of 2009, and while they only have one in the ground so far Kevin said they're close to a deal that would create a wind farm with 200 turbines. Every Windspire purchase before the end of the year will also earn 250-dollars for the Marine Corp's Toys For Tots program.
Owen said Fort Smith Windspire is also working on a partnership with a local solar energy company to install hybrid wind and solar power systems. He said it fits in with the Chaffee Redevelopment Authority's mission to be more green.
"We're looking for innovative ways to save money, to save energy, to attract new types of businessesÂ… And who knows, we might even manufacture Windspires someday."
To contact Fort Smith Windspires, call their office at (479) 784-9463. You can also find more information about the Windspires at Mariah Power's website, www.MariahPower.com.
