Well five months have passed since my last update, and at first glance, not much seems to have happened, but dig a little deeper, and we have been very busy, albeit "below the surface". The RB2 has been testing for over a year now, and has been performing exactly as we hoped it would. That means that we have now got a "stable technology", i.e. the design is now finalised, and will not be changed when we go into production. In the meantime we have been addressing all of the less exciting, but necessary things that go into the launch of a product. Certification has been a major issue for us - we want people to be confident that the RidgeBlade will perform to specifications, and certification is one way that we can prove this to be the case. So far we have achieved CE certification, and we have just agreed a testing programme that should see us achieve MCS certification in the UK, as well as IEC61400, and the AWEA certification for the US market. We expect the testing to take about 12months. So why all this testing? Well, even in our own industry we've seen what a product recall can do to a company - one minute market leader, and the next in administration. We have to be 110% sure that the product is ready for market, or we risk everything. In other matters we have arranged for product liability insurance - which is not always easy for new and innovative products. We are also working with installers to produce an installation procedures manual, and also looking at what the operation and maintenance schedule should be.
On the commercial front, we are partnering with a small number of organisations that can help us to widen the testing programme, installing RidgeBlades on a variety of roofs, in a variety of locations: agricultural buildings, warehouses, distribution centres, light industrial and commercial buildings. All of this data will help us to accurately predict what power a RidgeBlade will produce on any given roof in any location. Some of these partner organisations are very well known - household names in the UK and Europe. The proposed test installations will be of a variety of sizes, ranging from small, 12 meter installations, to a 100 meter installation with a capacity of over 50kw.
Oh, and one other thing - we have commissioned a video! As soon as it's completed we'll put a link on the website, but it will show the making and installation of a RidgeBlade, from factory to roof.
So whilst it might seem that not much has changed, we are much closer to a commercial launch than we were before, and if the progress made has not been exciting, it's been necessary. Hopefully the next post will have some photos of more actual installations and some more exciting news!
Are you still looking for additional test sites? If so, would you consider a small scale test site (or two) at a non-profit organization in Port-au-Prince, Haiti? I am working with a small non-profit that focuses on job creation via a seamstress/tailor program. (We are also partnering with an ever expanding network of other organizations that would benefit from this technology).
ReplyDeleteAs I'm sure you are aware, there is a really need for reliable, inexpensive electricity throughout the country of Haiti, and I see your product being on the forefront of meeting so much of that demand! Currently, the only real sources of reliable power on a consumer/small business scale are diesel generators. (I don't think I need to get into all the downsides of those).
I would be honored to share more with you about my thoughts and to have the opportunity to be a test site for this fantastic product you have been developing. I can see it filling many needs and playing a huge role in the rebuilding of the poorest country in the world.
Feel free to email me if you would be willing to discuss further. Either way, thank you in advance for your time.
God Bless,
Jason Unze
jlunze@gmail.com
Dean, I have followed the RidgeBlade progress for some time now, and it is very encouraging that you are making real headway into developing such an innovative and potentially vital product which takes electricity generation away from centralised power stations to the home of the consumer. I wish you well in your testing over the next year, and if you need a house in Ireland for trials then you know where to come!
ReplyDeleteRegards
Paddy Macdonald
I live in Finland and in winter we get tons of snow here. Besides snow there's the frost and it may be very, very cold and that lasts for months. How might a RidgeBlade cope in those condiditons?
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of the snow clogging it and also when the temperature in the winter is a bit on the warm side and then again gets cold - will the RidgeBlade get iced stiff?