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The companies making up Canada's "small wind" industry are popularizing a scaled down version of wind turbines. The low-maintenance energy producers generate enough power for a home or business and can be erected using a tractor, making them a good fit for developing countries.

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Darryl Jessie is president of Raum Energy, a Saskatoon company that makes small wind turbines for farms and customers in developing countries.Liam Richards

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Seaforth Energy has wind turbines installed around the world, including the Isle of Luing, Scotland.Handout

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Small turbines, like this one in the Dominican Republic, require little maintenance and can be erected by a trailor.Handout

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Around 87 per cent of small turbine sales are exported to other countries. Energy rates are so low in Canada that small turbines, like this one in Church Point, Nova Scotia, can't compete.Handout

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The energy industry has settled on a single design for large turbines: three blades, upwind, and a horizontal axis. But small-scale wind turbines, like this one in Castle Douglas, UK, are ripe for innovation, said David Wood, a professor at the University of Calgary.Handout

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While a large turbine can generate energy for 5,000 homes, smaller windmills provide energy for a single household or farm, like this one in Isle of Luing, Scotland.Handout

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