HYBRID SYSTEM

Small wind turbine maker Atlantis of Berlin -- winner of the 1994 European Solar Prize -- recently brought its seventh unit into operation within the boundaries of Germany's capital city. The 600 W mini turbine is installed on the roof of the community building within a new housing estate and operates as part of a hybrid system with a 1200 W solar plant. A community-based club uses the system for its course on the practical use of renewable energy. An Ammonit weather station, with data logger, is also installed providing weather and operating data. At present the system provides energy for a small kitchen and an experimental station. Once a pond has been completed nearby it will also power a pump for an artificial stream. To reduce noise, Atlantis has developed a special blade profile. Measured by Germanischer Lloyd, noise emission has been brought down to just 45 dB at a distance of 14 metres. Atlantis was founded with the aim of providing a route for the jobless back into useful employment with specialist training within renewable energy systems, ecological building construction and solar traffic systems, among other fields.