Marquiss Wind Power raises $1.3M for roof-top turbines
Most wind turbine manufacturers stick with giant, commercial-scale turbines, but Marquiss Wind Power is trying to popularize a roof-top turbine suitable for use by ordinary businesses.
The company’s “ducted” wind turbine looks a bit like a 19 foot tall box fan. Despite its clunky appearance, it’s capable of re-orienting itself according to the direction of air flow, while the ducting is intended to increase wind speed as it approaches the blades.
At the moment, two models are sold — one intended for areas with wind speeds of 6-10 mph, and another for higher average speeds. The turbines are intended for buildings between one and three stories tall.
Marquiss received the $1.3 million funding from Velocity Venture Capital, which led, and Strategis Early Ventures. The funding was the Folsom, Calif. company’s first.
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About the Author, Chris Morrison
Chris Morrison writes about cleantech and environmental issues for VentureBeat, with occasional forays into gaming and semantic technology. He got his start writing about tech for Business 2.0 magazine, but quickly realized new media was the ticket when that institution closed its doors in 2007. Chris has also covered public equities and regulatory issues. He originally hails from southern Virginia, graduated from Evergreen State College in Washington, and now lives in San Francisco.