Generator Blog

What is a homemade wind generator?

Generally you could say that a wind generator is a machine that uses wind energy to produce electrical energy. It captures wind energy and converts it into mechanical energy that moves the blades of a motor to produce electrical energy. Wind generators help produce thousands of megawatts of electricity. They are also a very popular power solution for individual farms. They are ideal for large areas with good wind speed.

Setting up a home wind generator does not need professional help; individuals can easily set it up with the help of numerous guides available in the market. The components of a wind generator are also easily available in the market.

How does a wind generator differ from a windmill or wind turbine?

Wind generators have been in use for a long time in the form of windmills or wind turbines. Years ago, when electricity was not invented, wind turbines were used to pull boats and pump out water.

Even now, the terms, wind generator, windmill, and wind turbine are used to refer to the same device.

What are the advantages of using a wind generator?

The advantages of a wind generator are many. Let’s look at a few of them.

Environment-friendly: Wind generators prove to be environment-friendly in two ways:

• They do not emit harmful gases in the atmosphere nor do they leave any harmful residual component.
• They do not use any fuel to produce electricity, thereby helping the cause of the environment.

Power-saver: Wind generators are an alternative power solution. They do not use any non-renewable sources of energy, thus helping in times of energy crisis.

Economical: Though the initial cost of setting up a wind generator seems high, the cost of generating electricity in the long run becomes nil. So, you will be getting electricity absolutely free after a few years.

Independent option: Wind generators do away with the dependence on power plants and the government for electricity. With a wind generator in your land, you have your own power plant for life.

24/7 power: With wind generators, you can say bye to power outages forever. You will get continuous, uninterrupted power supply for your entire house and land.

Power storage: A homemade wind generator also allows you to store power for use later. This feature makes it an amazingly lucrative power solution.

If you want to help the world and fight the current energy crisis, invest in a wind generator.

Whether you own an RV, or intend to buy one soon, you will need a reliable source of power for your travels. Portable generators provide an economical and effective solution to your electric power needs, on the road or at the campsite.

For many people though, purchasing a power generator can be an intimidating and confusing process. Here’s how to choose the right one for your power needs.

First, you need to determine the size of the generator for your RV by knowing how much power you will use. This will narrow down the choices you have when selecting a portable generator.

Start by surveying your RV for appliances that run on 120 volts. The TV, microwave and other kitchen appliances generally require the most power but smaller appliances can add up. Most RV lights are 12 volt but some may be 120 volt. Your RV air conditioner is the biggest power user.

Next, add up the power requirements, in watts, for all the devices that you are likely to operate at the same time. Wattage ratings are printed on light bulbs; other devices like hair dryers and electric heaters are also described by their wattage requirements. If the device doesn’t provide a wattage requirement, you can determine watts by multiplying volts times amps.

Be aware that some electrical devices have starting wattage requirements that are larger than the running watts, like the air conditioner. If so, use the starting wattage requirement for the largest of the devices you want to run and the running watts for all other devices. This is the minimum wattage you will need from a generator.

Now that you have determined your power needs, it’s time to look at the type of generator that will fit the bill.

There are two types of portable generators: contractor and RV. Contractor generators are generally inexpensive, very noisy, and not suitable for an otherwise quiet campground. RV generators are purpose-built, providing quiet, reliable power that your camping neighbors will thank you for. They are expensive but are well worth it in the long run.

There are a wide range of portable RV-type generators, with each manufacturer having a wide range of noise levels. Honda, Yamaha, and Kipor (see Resources section below) all make super-quiet portable generators. Match up your power requirements with the model that has the lowest decibel (a measure of how loud we hear noise) level.

Starting options for portable generators are either pull start, like your lawn mower, or electric start using a key. Generally speaking, electric start generators are available in the 3000 watt range and larger. If you have a bad back or just want the convenience, shop for the larger wattage generators.

There is even a wireless remote option that can be retrofitted to most electric start generators. It’s costly but can be very convenient if you don’t want to get out of bed, go outside, and turn off the generator.

Consider how long you will run your generator. Some portable generators have small fuel tanks, less than 1 gallon, while others have much larger ones, up to 5 gallons. Generally speaking, the larger the power output from the generator, the larger the fuel tank capacity. There are options though to add additional fuel capacity.

Think about how you will transport your generator. Larger generators weigh a lot, up to 175 lbs. with fuel. You can transport it in the back of your truck so be ensure to get the optional wheel kit for the generator and use ramps to make it easier to roll the generator in to the back of the truck.

If you have an SUV tow vehicle, you can have a platform built on the back of your RV to carry the generator. Never transport your generator in the back of your SUV. Gas fumes are explosive and in the event of a fender bender, you don’t want a 100 lb. chunk of metal flying in to the passenger area.

The amendment to the 2006 renewable energy law was adopted on Saturday by the standing committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s legislature, the Xinhua news agency said.

The amendment also gives authority to the State Council energy department, together with the State Council finance department and the state power authority, to “determine the proportion of renewable energy power generation to the overall generating capacity for a certain period.”

Many other countries also have requirements that grid operators priorities the dispatch of power from renewable sources, even if it is more expensive than coal-fired baseload plants.

In China, a boom in wind-power plants thanks to government subsidies has resulted in a large amount of wind capacity that is not always properly connected to the grid. In some cases, the wind farms are not located at the optimal spot for wind.

One-third of China’s installed wind power capacity is not well connected to the grid, Xinhua said, citing industry experts.

Much of China’s wind power is installed in remote, wind-swept regions like Inner Mongolia and Gansu, where power demand is low. But some of the country’s cheapest coal generators are also in Inner Mongolia, pricing the wind farms out of the power market.

“Renewable energy power in the country’s resource-rich, underdeveloped northwestern region must be sent to the resource-scarce, prosperous coastal area,” said Wang Zhongyong, renewable energy director at the National Development and Reform Commission’s Energy Research Institute, according to Xinhua.

The relative independence of regional grids made such transmission difficult, Wang said.

China must develop more efficient “smart grids” as part of the solution, said Xiao Liye, director of the Institute of Electrical Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The new requirement will also benefit China’s massive new nuclear power plants, although nuclear power is usually cheap enough to be competitive on its own.

Grid operators refusing to buy power produced by renewable energy generators could be fined up to double the loss suffered by the renewable energy generator, the amendment said.

China’s target is for renewable energy sources to make up 15 percent of its power generation by 2020, up from about 9 percent currently. It also targets a reduction in carbon intensity, or the amount of carbon produced per unit of GDP, of between 40 and 45 percent by 2020 compared with 2005.

Christmas morning concerns at Columbia’s Providence Hospital, where an electrical transformer exploded.

“I ran outside and all I saw was nothing but smoke,” said hospital worker Soto Manos.

Manos works at the hospital. In addition to a fire inside, Manos says the blast was so powerful it damaged a nearby building.

“It was a transformer machine right there that actually flew across the road and shattered all the glass and everything,” said Manos.

According to hospital officials the situation could have been worse. But because of the holiday, many people who would have been working in the building hit, were off.

“I hate to think of what could have happened because it went across the street,” said hospital spokesman John Kessler.

Kessler says the hospital prepares for emergencies like the one on Friday; and the nearly 100 patients inside were never at risk.

“Alarms went off because we lost power for a couple of seconds, the lights flickered, it caused an emergency response and a command center was implemented,” said Kessler.

Right after the explosion, Providence used it’s generator for temporary power. Officials are now investigating to find out what caused the Christmas day chaos.

Crews have been able to restore most of the hospital’s main power. Right now, there is no official damage estimate.

With so many people in the region relying on alternative fuel sources because of storm-related power outages, fire officials are urging people to exercise caution when using emergency generators in order to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

A Washington County couple died over the weekend from carbon monoxide poisoning. Emergency and law enforcement personnel found a recently running gas generator in the basement of the home of James and Ann Garland, where the couple were found dead in their bedroom Sunday afternoon.

Kingsport Fire Department Public Education Officer Barry Brickey said such tragedies are all too common during the winter and in times of stormy weather when power outages occur.

“Folks are trying to manage or just get a source of heat going, and the fumes given off by a generator or other source are dangerous, even if they are properly set up outside,” Brickey said.

“(Carbon monoxide) is an odorless gas that is colorless and invisible. When you use gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil and methane to heat or cook things inside, that is when the levels can get dangerously high and can be fatal.

“It is very important to have a carbon monoxide detector installed. Most people will have things like generators running outside their homes, but those fumes can sometimes find their way back into the house, and those levels must be monitored.”

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Fire Protection Association shows 166 people died from unintentional non-fire-related carbon monoxide poisoning between 2002 and 2004.

More than 15,000 people were treated for carbon monoxide related sickness, and municipal fire departments responded to 61,100 related incidents in that time span, the report said.

Tips recommended by the NFPA include:

• Alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the house and in other locations where required by applicable laws, codes or standards.

• For the best protection, interconnect all carbon monoxide alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for placement and mounting height.

• Choose an alarm that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.

• Call your local fire department’s non-emergency number to find out what number to call if the carbon monoxide alarm sounds.

• Test carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month. Replace them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

• If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for low batteries. If the battery is low, replace it. If it still sounds, call the fire department.

• If the carbon monoxide alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Make sure everyone in the home is accounted for. Call for help from a fresh air location and stay there until emergency personnel arrive.

• If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do not run a vehicle or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors are open. Make sure the exhaust pipe of a running vehicle is not covered with snow.

• During and after a snowstorm, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove and fireplace are clear of snow buildup.

• A generator should be used in a well-ventilated location outdoors away from windows, doors and vent openings.

• Gas or charcoal grills can produce carbon monoxide — only use them outside.

Getting a generator that can handle all your power generation needs is one of the most critical aspects of the purchasing decision.  Whether you are interested in prime or standby power, if your new generator can’t meet your specific requirements then it simply won’t be doing anyone any good because it can put undue stress on the unit and even damage some of the devices connected to it.  Unfortunately, determining exactly what size of generator to get is often very difficult and involves a number of factors and considerations. 

Making a choice amongst single phase, three phase, kW, KVA, welder, standby or motor starting generators can be mind-boggling. To prevent such confusion, this article was developed to help you get a better idea of how the sizing process works and some key things to keep in mind.  This is not a substitute for a certified electrician, which we always suggest talking to before buying, but it should provide you with enough information to get a solid understanding of some of the key things that are involved.

Generator Size Variations:  With the latest advancements in the field of electrical engineering, generators are now available in a wide range of sizes. Generators with power supply capacities of 5kW to 50kW are readily available in the personal and home use markets, while industrial generators are anywhere from 50kW to over 3 Megawatts.  Handy and portable gensets are available for homes, RV’s and small offices, but larger businesses, data centers, buildings, plants, and industrial applications need to use the much larger sized industrial generators to meet their higher power requirements.

Generator Sizing - How Much Power?:  Many people believe smaller generators can be used for standby electric power because they are not running all the time. This is not only a myth but can actually be very detrimental. Unfortunately, generator under sizing is one of the most common mistakes committed by buyers.  Not only does it involve the risks of damaging your new asset (the generator), but it can also damage other assets connected to it, create hazardous situations, and even limit overall productivity of the unit and/or the business relying on it.  If nothing else, the key thing to remember here is that more is always better than less.  

How to Determine the Right Size Engine or Generator: While there is no substitute for having a certified electrician perform an inspection and calculate everything for you, the guidelines below do offer some great starting points and should at least get you started in the right direction:

- Make a list of the items that need to be powered by the generator

- Make a note of the starting and running wattage of the respective items

- Calculate the total power requirements in KVA or KW

How to Find the Starting and Running Wattage: Getting the right starting and running wattage of the devices you intend to power is crucial for calculating the accurate power requirements. Normally, you will find these in the identification plate or the owner’s manual in the buyer’s kit of each respective device, tool, appliance, or other electrical equipment.

Ampere - Watt Conversion:  You may often find power requirements of tools stated in amperes. In order to convert the power requirement of a tool from ampere to watts, follow these calculations, or you can also use our handy conversion tool on our power calculator web page.

For resistive load: Wattage = amperes x volts

For reactive load: Wattage = (amperes x volts) x load factor

Power Requirement Charting: It often happens that you lose the owner’s manual or for some reason can’t find the power requirement specification of the tools and/or other electrical devices you’re running. Here is a sample power consumption chart that demonstrates some of the typical wattages used for common appliances and tools.  The chart is simply provided as an example to demonstrate how starting and running wattages differ, and how each device has specific consumption needs.  If you have questions over any particular items you can contact the manufacturer, consult an electrician, or contact us for a free consultation.

Different ways of Calculating:  Depending upon the type and number of devices, and the way the generator is scheduled to be used, there are a few different ways of calculating power requirements:

-  Single motor running 
-  Multiple motors running simultaneously
-  No electric motors.

Advantages of choosing the right size generator: Now that you have an idea on how to choose the appropriate size of generator to suit your needs, here’s just a few of the benefits obtained by going through that process:

- No unexpected system failures
- No shutdowns due to capacity overload
- Increased longevity of the generator
- Guaranteed performance
- Smoother hassle-free maintenance
- Increased system life span
- Assured personal safety
- Much smaller chance of asset damage

Where to Buy & Role of Dealers and/or Service Providers:  Since you are not only purchasing a substantial company asset, but most likely an item you will need to rely on for prime or emergency electrical power at some point, probably in a crisis, deciding where to buy is also a key consideration not to be overlooked.  The seller’s years of experience, whether they are a full service dealer or small commissioned broker, and so forth, all play a role. 

Having been in the business for nearly a quarter of a century, here’s just a few of the reasons why you should always consider Diesel Service & Supply, Inc. as your first stop for all your industrial power generation and diesel engine needs:

- 23+ years of industrial experience
- Full service multi-port garage
- Highly qualified mechanics and the industry’s top diesel technicians
- High-end testing equipment and de-installation tools
- Helpful support desk and knowledgeable office staff
- We test all our products
- Always a competitive price!

As this article demonstrates, there are obviously numerous considerations to account for when selecting the appropriate generator for the job.  If you are having a difficult time with it or would like more specific suggestions and recommendations for your situation, contact us today and one of our knowledgeable sales and support staff will be more than happy to assist.

One Christmas gift worth considering is an emergency generator for use at a camp or summer cottage or at home in case of a power failure. And yes, power failures during the winter months happen, but usually for only a few hours, although last year there were areas in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick where residents were without power for several days.

Yet, many buy a generator without giving due consideration to all the factors involved. Often a generator is purchased that has a much higher wattage rating than needed and is also heavier, and thus harder to transport.

Gas on hand and gas consumption of the generator is a key consideration. An emergency generator rated at 6,000 watts will use about 2.5 litres of gas per hour in running at half load and close to four litres per hour when running at full load. Yet a generator rated for 2,500 watts will use only about one litre per hour at full load.

These ratings will vary depending on the manufacturer and the motor used, but gives an idea of what to expect.

In view of this, a generator of 2,000 to 2,500 watts should be considered, and the keeping on hand of three or more 10- to 20-litre containers of gas in a shed during the winter months. Gas more than a month old should go into your vehicle’s gas tank and the container refilled with fresh gas, although many choose to add a gas stabilizer to the gas that will allow gasoline to be kept for three months or more without deteriorating.

For reasons of safety, a gas-powered generator must only be run outside in the open air, thus the following suggestions.

In addition to the generator, one should buy a heavy duty power extension cord rated at 20 amps or more. Ideally, to get the generator power into the house, the homeowner should have an electrician install a suitable male electrical receptacle on the outside wall of the house, and an outlet on the inside wall so one can plug the generator’s extension cord into the outside receptacle, and have the power available at the inside outlet.

Opening a window far enough to allow the power cord in also works, but requires a blanket or towels to block off the open part of the window so as to prevent heat loss.

Do not connect to the electrical wiring in the house. Instead, run a heavy duty extension cord inside the house to where the power is needed. And yes, almost 75 per cent of N.B. residents heat their homes with electricity, but that’s on a separate 220-volt system that would require a big and expensive generator to operate. For heat, a standard portable ceramic electric heater rated at 1,500 watts is recommended, as it will heat an area of up to 400 square feet. That 400-square-foot area can be a living room 20 feet by 20 feet in size. In case of a power failure during sub-zero temperatures, the homeowner should quickly decide which room they are going to camp in as the temperature drops within the house.

Note that pellet stoves in full operation usually draw only about 300 watts, one more reason to consider a pellet stove. For light, a 60 or 100-watt incandescent light bulb, or a compact fluorescent light bulb of 13 or 23 watts in a floor or table lamp will be sufficient. Most microwave ovens are rated at between 700 and 1,400 watts. While powering the microwave to heat a bowl of canned soup, or water for coffee, turn off the electric heater so as to keep the load on the generator at less than 1,800 watts. When starting up the microwave there is a surge which requires more wattage than normal. Yet, most 2,000-watt (2KW) generators should handle this if that is all that is being powered by the generator.

Some generators will run a computer, TV, or other electronic devices, and some will not. If you have the need, ask before buying. Always keep a flashlight and spare batteries on hand, required in order to see to start the generator and set things up if the power failure occurs at night. To keep track of what’s happening news-wise, buy a battery-powered radio and spare batteries.

So now we have heat, light, and a source of hot food. Nor is it usually necessary to run the generator all the time. Thus, 30 to 40 litres of gas should be good for about two days, at which point one can usually scrounge gas from a neighbour or the next town over that still has power. As for water pipes freezing, running a dribble of water from each tap in the unheated part of the house and flushing the toilet once in a while will bring water at ground temperature (at about 45 degrees F, if I remember correctly) into the pipes and thus protect the pipes from freezing. That’s provided you are on town or city water and the system is still working.

As for the larger generator needed to power a rural deep-well pump, sump pump and/or an oil or gas furnace, some all at the same time, best bet is to consult with an electrician well in advance so as to determine how many amps of power your particular well pump, sump pump or furnace actually draws, and the generator wattage needed. Separate from your main electrical circuit breaker panel one also needs to have an electrical panel installed that contains the power cables routed to these units, and a transfer switch to switch to generator power. This is required so as to prevent the generator from feeding its electricity back down the power line coming into the house.

As previously mentioned, always run a gas-powered generator outside in the open air. Case in point, a camp owner finding that a porcupine had taken up residence inside an old woodshed and would not leave despite prodding with a stick. A small gas-powered generator was started up and put in the shed with the idea that the noise and the exhaust fumes would soon drive the critter out. Three hours later, the critter still had not left, but then an inspection found that the porcupine, along with two previously unseen others, were now dead due to asphyxiation.

Not the original intention, but a lesson well and truly demonstrated as to why one should never, ever run a gas motor in an enclosed area where people are present.

Every week, consumers take their portable generators to local stores hoping for good news.

They swear they’ve been performing the recommended monthly maintenance on the machines so loud, but so valued when the power goes out following a storm. But the tell-tale thick brown sludge in the generator’s carburetor gives them away.

It’s OK, say local generator store owners. There’s no need to lie — especially now that we’re in the height of the hurricane season.

The important thing, they add, is to bring in that unused generator to be serviced before a storm is on the way. For example, stores saw a flurry of business last month when the first tropical storms of the season popped up in the Atlantic.

And now, with Erika looming, they can expect a little more.

For fees typically ranging from $65 to $125 — depending on the amount of work to be done — local generator “specialists” say they can get that neglected piece of equipment back on track.

“I get a couple of generators a week that come in for maintenance,” says Justin Suggs, general manager at Stuart Lawn & Garden. “They won’t start. People have left gas in them, or they are not doing the monthly run on the engine.”

His standard generator maintenance advice: Once a month, put a half gallon of gas in your generator and run it for at least a half-hour. A month later, do the same thing.

Even a generator that’s out of gas still has vapors that create a blockage in the carburetor, says Suggs, whose also owns and operates Suggs Lawn Equipment in Royal Palm Beach.

There are easily hundreds of portable generators idled in garages and storage sheds that haven’t seen the light of day since Wilma left town four years ago. What’s more, the current recession has moved generator maintenance to the back-burner for many owners.

Still, in one week last month, customers dropped off five generators to be brought up to snuff at Blast Off Equipment Inc. in West Palm Beach, co-owner Felix Finnegan Jr. says.

He said that’s a sign that despite the recession, the storm season is making folks recognize the need for maintenance.

“People have … left gas in them and gummed up their carburetors,” Finnegan says, which can lead to a generator mechanic having to remove the fuel completely and dry out the system with an air compressor.

One area of generator sales that has jumped during the recession is “whole house” or stand-by generators.
Jon Andio, co-owner of 1 Stop Generator Shop in Palm Beach Gardens, said since people can’t sell their homes, they figure they might as well install a generator.

He says while the store sells portable generators, sales of stand-by units — which start at $8,000 — are up 65-70 percent over 2008 and make up the bulk of his business.

But, he warns that the stand-by generators, which operate automatically and start instantly in the case of a power outage, also require maintenance.

“The big ones are car engines,” he says, “And just like a car mechanic tells you to change your oil, you should change the generator’s oil every six months.”

Power station
Generator neglect is common, say mechanics. But there are some basic maintenance tips to avoid a bill that could easily top $100.

Running the basics
Generator size: 5,000 watts
Price: $1,000 (average)
What it will run:

Neglect vs. proper care
Cost of generator: $1,000
Cost of proper do-it-yourself maintenance: a half gallon of gas ($1.50) for 12 months = $18
Cost of neglect: A dead generator that takes $65-$125 in service. And if it requires parts …

At Lakeland Electric, Generator 5 was once synonymous with frustration, failure and even fire. It was considered a $165 million mistake.

Lakeland Electric's Unit 5 generator.

But Unit 5, the utility’s big, 360-megawatt combined cycle natural gas generator, has done a U-turn. It has gone from the outhouse to the penthouse among Lakeland Electric’s fleet of generators.

“Unit 5 has gone from worst to first,” said Tony Candales, a utility assistant general manager whose main job is to see that Lakeland Electric’s generators hum along.

That’s just what Unit 5 is doing, and it has been for more than a year. At one point during the past year, it worked continuously for 82 days.

In the 2009 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, Unit 5 was unavailable for service because of mechanical failure for just five days. That is by far the best performance since it went online in 2002.

The worst year for failure was 2006, when it was down with mechanical problems for 81 days.

It’s not unusual for generators to take a while to operate properly. But Unit 5, which was serial No. 1 of it’s kind, and it took longer than most and had a variety of problems, including:

The generator three times caught fire as Lakeland Electric and its manufacturer, Siemens, tried in vain to get it rolling at the turn of the century.

In summer 2005, Unit 5 went down for a few months with a rusted, broken rotor bolt. The cost to repair it and buy replacement power was $7 million.

In 2006, it was down for a month because a rotor blade went awry and damaged hundreds of other blades. The blades were a bit out of whack, and that problem was magnified by the high-speed at which the rotors spin. The blades had to be redesigned.

In 2008, insulation wore off thousands of copper wire windings. The wire is used to create a magnetic field, one of the essential elements of producing electricity. The fix was $2.5 million.

At one point, Candales said, things were so iffy with Unit 5 that workers used to cross their fingers when they fired it up.

It was always something.

Candales said that rather than fixing problems in the generator on a case-by-case basis, Unit 5 needed a two-month time out, during which a head-to-toe analysis of the machine - and how it was used - was undertaken.

With new wiring, better rotors, a two dehumidifiers to prevent rusting and a better understanding of the generator, it has been on a roll for more than a year. Lakeland Electric now makes every effort to keep Unit 5 running or shut down, rather than stopping and starting it repeatedly.

Candales praises Lakeland Electric power plant workers also for the success of Unit 5.

Mayor-elect Gow Fields said the earlier problems and eventual first-string status of Unit 5 remind him of the same thing Lakeland Electric went through with Unit 3, its 365-megawatt coal-fired generator.

The difference between Unit 3 and 5 is that Orlando owns 40 percent of Unit 3 while Lakeland Electric owns all of Unit 5.

“The two situations, early on, were a lot alike,” Fields said. “Both machines were considered dogs at one point in time.”

Cardiff-based Tidal Energy Ltd is hoping to stage a year-long trial of its DeltaStream device off Pembrokeshire

A renewable energy company plans to test a new underwater generator just off the Pembrokeshire coast.

Cardiff-based Tidal Energy Ltd has planning permission for onshore works and is now seeking consent to place its DeltaStream device on the seabed.

A year-long trial is due to be held at Ramsey Sound, near St Davids.

The company said its tidal generator, capable of producing enough electricity to light around 1,000 homes, was at the cutting edge of green technology.

Invented by Pembrokeshire engineer Richard Ayre, each unit features three generators that sit on a triangular frame.

It is designed to be easily lowered onto and recovered from the seabed using a floating crane.

The company said its distinctive blade design enabled the turbine automatically to shed excess power, permitting consistently high energy conversion.

Planning approval has been granted by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority for the onshore works.

The company has now applied to both the UK and Welsh assembly governments for consent for the offshore works which include laying a cable and positioning one DeltaStream device on the seabed.

Chris Williams, development director of tidal energy, said a “comprehensive” environmental impact assessment had been undertaken.

A public exhibition of the plans is due to be held later this month.

The company is hoping to start the trial in autumn next year.

Mr Williams said: “The next public exhibition is to update the local community on the project, and particularly to discuss and explain the findings of the environmental assessments.

“Areas that have been assessed are far-reaching, ranging from bird life, to mammals, tourism and ecology.

“We invite anyone with an interest in the project to come along and talk with us about the details of the proposed 12-month test.”

The exhibition will be held from 1400 to 1700 GMT on Friday, 20 November and 1000 to 1300 GMT on Saturday, 21 November at Curtis House on Bryn Road in St Davids.