A meeting with some hot air

By :JASON KAUFFMAN

Andy Kruse, co-founder of Southwest Windpower, an Arizona corporation, will speak about the use of small wind turbines to the Blaine County Commission later this week.

Seeing a need for small, reliable battery charging wind generators to complement solar energy photovoltaics in supplying energy to rural areas of the world, Kruse and David Calley established Southwest Windpower in 1987.The first product the company developed was a 300-watt wind generator called the Windseeker, the company's Web site states. The product was a simple design made from a modified Ford alternator.

In 2006, the company began shipping the Skystream 3.7 to North American customers. According to information on Southwest Windpower's Web site, the Skystream offers a simple, all-in-one solution to harnessing wind energy on a residential scale.

The public is invited to come and listen to the presentation. The meeting, scheduled for  6 p.m., Thursday, May 22, will be held in the upstairs meeting room at the Old Blaine County Courthouse in downtown Hailey.