Growing up surrounded by the ocean, lake, river and mountain filled west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada, Nick Blitterswyk wanted to share a little piece of the pristine wilderness of his childhood with others. He co-founded and became CEO of Urban Green Energy, a rapidly growing wind energy company that launched a vertical axis wind turbine in 2009.

The turbines, which have been perfected over the last three years, have been installed in applications that include residential, commercial, municipal and defense.

Turbines run on wind, a renewable energy, which after the initial cost of set up and investment is one of the cheapest forms of energy to maintain. Along with the economical incentives, wind energy is also a practical option. According to a report done by the U.S. Department of Energy, the United States possesses affordable wind energy resources that are “far in excess” of the goal of using wind energy for 20 percent of all contributions by 2030.

What Does This Have To Do With Business?

Wind turbines are an affordable way for business owners to lower their electricity bills while also switching to clean energy.  “Switching to wind energy is very easy,” Blitterswyk says. “With state and federal incentives available the cost has never been lower…customers can purchase affordable, reliable silent wind turbines and switch to wind power with ease.”

How Do They Work?

The vertical axis wind turbines Urban Green Energy makes, which Blitterswyk says sometimes get mistaken for art sculptures, resemble egg beaters rather than a giant fan. They can be assembled in as little as 30 minutes, and once they are installed on top of a tower, they feed energy into the home or building through an inverter.

What Are Some Of The Advantages?

Wind energy is an attractive investment because:

-A single wind turbine can offset 265 tons of CO2 over the course of its life, while also lowering electricity bills and protecting against future increases in electricity rates. “Companies can really save a lot,” Blitterswyk says. “It isn't unusual for us to calculate costs that are less than half of what customers are currently paying.”

-If combined with batteries, the turbines can assure that if the power goes out, there will still be electricity.

-It doesn't matter what type of business you are. “Usually…the location determines whether a business is suited for wind turbines,” Blitterswyk says. “But there is a benefit of green advertising that is valuable to many companies.”

-You will still be able to talk to customers without shouting over a resounding drone. “We have certifications on our very low noise and vibration levels,” Blitterswyk says.

-Public perception can also be a motivation to go green.  “There is no better, more visible way to show your customers that you care about the environment than to install wind turbines,” Blitterswyk says.  Seeing your company take the first step to help the environment could also have a lasting domino affect — going green can be catchy, and if that's what it takes to save our planet, who's objecting?

-It will last awhile. The life expectancy of Urban Green Energy's wind turbine is at least 20 years.

What are the steps to switching over to wind energy?

-Install an anemometer to measure your wind speed. “With wind energy the first thing to investigate is your wind speed as this is the single most important factor in determining whether wind energy makes sense,” says Blitterswyk.

 -Plan where to install.  After determining that you have wind levels adequate for a wind turbine, the next step is to plan where to install it, which includes selection of a tower and filing a permit.  Once approved the wind turbine can be installed, which can take as little as a single day. While wind turbines aren't the only energy saving devices available for companies to take advantage of, a small investment in one can be a huge savings for your checkbook — and the environment.

For more information concerning Urban Green Energy's version of the wind turbine, visit www.meeteddy.com or www.urbangreenenergy.com.