As wind energy becomes a practical necessity, designers are scrambling to make the giant spinny things as visually inoffensive as possible. Some are small, some are off in the sea where we can't be bothered, and some just look really pretty. In this case, Broadstar AeroCam developed this handsome horizontal-axis turbine that can be installed in any number of configurations and shipped easier than other turbines, making it a viable solution for those who don't want to erect a giant pole or get involved in construction. AeroCams work on the physics of air lift -- like wings on a plane -- resulting in a huge amount of power from a small package given the amount of blades per unit. Broadstar also brags that the system's price is a boon as well -- a 250kW system runs $250,000, which it says makes AeroCam the first wind power system to break the $1/watt cost barrier.

[Via Inhabitat]