Current Phase of REDI-NOW

Renewable Energy Demonstration Initiative

Who We Are

A partnership between A.L. Huber General Contractor, VQ Wind and Burns & McDonnell. As leaders in the construction, engineering and technology fields, the team has come together to test new technologies as well as demonstrate alternative-energy advancements to the Kansas City community. The team will monitor the solar and wind energy output. A “demonstration” area will be open to the public and visitors will be educated on the different technologies being used.

The Team

A.L. Huber – building and property owner with the vision to build an alternative-energy demonstration project “in our backyard.” As a commercial construction company, A.L. Huber is a leader in sustainable efforts on construction projects from the job site to the building.

VQ Wind - headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, was formed in May, 2009. AeroNet, a South Korea corporation was founded in November of 2001 in Seoul and contributes world-class engineering though Dr. Seungbae Lee and his team. The new turbine was designed by AeroNet, a partner company of VQ Wind, with headquarters in Seoul, Korea and is the first of a family of Small Wind Turbines to be installed in North America with power ratings between 1.5kW and 100kW.

Burns & McDonnell – a world leader in energy engineering and one of Kansas City’s own, Burns & McDonnell provided the procurement of the wind turbine and engineering expertise for both the PV-panels and the wind turbine before, during and after installation.

Location

10770 El Monte
Overland Park, KS 66211
United States

REDI Goals

REDI is an ambitious education and demonstration project. It has been established to provide educational opportunities in wind and solar energy to public and private companies or individuals who are interested in the future of energy.
Energy education and demonstration
A public ENERGY CENTER at the A.L. Huber office will illustrate energy usage and savings using alternative sources. Wind turbine speed and data will be collected and used for educating the public on utilizing alternative energy. As an educational component, the REDI team worked closely with local institutions to incorporate materials and information relevant to secondary educators and students. REDInow.com is a dedicated web site with real-time monitoring allowing site visitors to review historical data as well as see current energy utilization.

The Project

REDI is a privately owned and operated energy demonstration and education project located in Overland Park, Kansas. REDI includes solar energy technologies: wind and photovoltaic. The vertical-axis pole-mounted wind turbine is the first of it type in the United States. The double-mounted turbine provides a slow turn rate, which minimizes noise, ice throw and bird kill. The installation and monitoring of a variety of solar photo-voltaic panels will provide education and demonstration of different technologies available to the market.

Products

VQ WindJet 5 Vertical Axis Twin Rotor Wind Turbine. Designed and developed by VQ Wind(a partner with AeroNet) in Seoul, Korea. The turbine is an 83-foot high, pole-mounted and weighs 6.5 tons. Diameter of turbine is approximately 15 feet. Height approximately 22 Feet. Potential to generate 5 kW of power with the cutting-edge design, is more efficient than blade-type turbines, and generates power at lower wind speeds. The unique vertical-axis design provides no vibration and a quieter turning than horizontal blades. See Phase I for more detailed information.

Photo-voltaic panels: SunPower 230 – each panel rated to generate 230 Watts. First phase installation includes 24 photo-voltaic panels. These panels are the most efficient panels currently being manufactured in the world. The A.L. Huber panels include a potential to generate 5.5 kW. PV panels are also serving as awnings over existing windows therefore creating a sunshield effect.See Phase II for more detailed information.

Reclaimed wood siding from Seldom Found. The 100-year-old Douglas Fir wood on the side of the building was flooring from two different 100-year old buildings in Missouri. The wood sun screen will shade the south exposure of the building from the intense summer sun, reducing the building’s heat load. It is also a nice architectural feature that extends the height our building to shield views of air conditioners and roof-top units. The wood is reclaimed from two separate 100-year-old warehouses in Missouri: the Lambert Glove Factory and the Brown Shoe Company.