Cleanfield Energy teamed up with McMaster Engineering and the Ontario Centers of Excellence to evaluate a new 2.5 kW modular vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT), which features three narrow 3-meter vertical blades that rotate around a central axis. It is intended for residential and commercial use in Canada to offset higher utility bills, help meet increasing demand and address global environmental concerns.

"McMaster's testing of our VAWT is crucial to our overall product development process and corporate objective of becoming a global leader in the residential and commercial wind turbine industry," said Tony Verrelli, President and CEO of Cleanfield Energy. The Department of Mechanical Engineering at McMaster is studying the performance of the turbine in urban wind conditions. The research is being conducted at the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute facility in Ancaster and will be followed by field trials at the newly established McMaster Innovation Park in Hamilton. "Cleanfield Energy is an example of the type of entrepreneurial company that will help lead the development of alternative energy sources needed to power our homes and businesses," said Mo Elbestawi, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, McMaster University. "Providing the university's expertise through collaborative initiatives such as this will help these companies bring their products to market faster while broadening our practical knowledge of the field."
"Providing the university's expertise through collaborative initiatives such as this will help these companies bring their products to market faster while broadening our practical knowledge of the field." -- Mo Elbestawi, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, McMaster University