Carlsbad Man Invents Home Wind Generators

CARLSBAD, Calif. — Solar panels are a fairly common sight on rooftops in San Diego but a Carlsbad inventor hopes to transform rooftops by adding wind generators.

Local inventor David Raine left the Marine Corps in 1992 and after several starts and stops during a post-military career, he settled into computers.

"I was looking for an energy solution for my home and started tinkering in my garage with the concept of a wind turbine," said Raine.

That idea led to the formation of Dyocore, the company that tests and sells the rooftop solar-aided wind generators. A solar panel is incorporated into the design as well as a larger panel.

"Combined, the two power sources – wind and solar – increase efficiency by 50 percent to 70 percent," said Raine.

The energy savings depends on where the devices end up. In Valley Center, Ramona and the East County, where the winds are stronger, customers will generate more savings, according to Raine.

After battling for three years to get permits for the rooftop devices, Raine suffered another setback when the California Energy Commission suspended the rebate program for the device. The rebate program helps homeowners offset the cost of the devices.

However, Raine remains hopeful.

"We hope to have the rebate program started again in about a month or two as we start to look outside of California," he said.