Can portable wind generators replace solar power? My advice after testing one at home

ZDNET’s key takeaways

The Shine Turbine kit is on sale for $279, while the Essentials Kit is on sale for $342.
The kit includes everything you need to turn wind into electrical energy, and the turbine features a 12,000 mAh battery.
There are limitations, which include the weight of the kit and the 40W of power it taps out at.

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I cover a lot of solar generators here, and they are all the rage. I’ve tested dozens of devices over the past few years and seen the technology go from strength to strength.

But I often get asked, “What happens when the clouds roll in and the sun vanishes?” Living in the UK, the sun can be in short supply for much of the year.

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This is when you turn your attention from solar to wind power. And there’s one company that makes portable wind turbines perfect for charging your smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices: Shine Turbine.

The Shine Turbine kit comes with everything you need — the turbine, a stand, guy lines, pegs, and cables. Setting up the first few times took a bit longer than I expected, especially if you’re trying to do it while it’s blowing a gale. But as with most things, it does get easier with practice.

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There’s also a knack to setting the guy lines out effectively, which took me a while to figure out — a process that would have been a lot faster had I read the manual — because I found the setup all shaky the first few times. But once you get it figured out, it’s very robust.

Shine Turbine — Once set up, it’s a robust bit of kit!

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Once set up, you have options. You can let the turbine charge up the internal battery and then use that to charge your devices, or you can attach a power bank to the turbine. Your choice depends on how you’re using the setup. Using the entire turbine as a big power bank makes sense for odd top-ups on the move, but in a base camp setting, it’s better to charge separate power banks and use those, keeping the reserve in the turbine for backup on still days.

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Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

I’ve found the Shine Turbine to be quite effective, but there are limitations. First, the 40-watt output is a low amount of power if you’re used to having 100- or 200-watt solar panels at your disposal. The Shine is ideal for smartphones, tablets, drones, and cameras, but laptops and other bigger devices are off the cards.

Setup is also rather time-consuming. I’m used to being able to throw solar panels out for my power stations in seconds. The best I got the setup time for the Shine Turbine was about ten minutes. Also, taking the turbine down involves carefully packing the guy lines away so as not to make the next setup a painful one.

But despite the downsides, the Shine Turbine is a great way to harvest power from Mother Nature when you are away from an AC outlet.

ZDNET’s buying advice

If you need power and can’t rely on the sun, the Shine Turbine really shines. Yes, it’s weighty, yes, setup takes some time, and yes, the power output from it is rather limited, but I’ve used a single turbine to keep my iPhone and a drone powered on a multi-day trip where a power station and solar panels weren’t an option.

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Starting at $399, the price is what it is — if you want power on the move, it’s a price worth paying because you’re getting the best portable wind turbines on the market and a package that will accompany you on many adventures.

Shine Turbine tech specs

Power rating: 40 watts
Internal battery: 3.7 V, 12,000 mAh
Connector: Regulated 5 V DC, 2.6 A
Charge ports: USB Standard-A, USB Micro-B
Folded length: 35 cm / 13 3/4 in
Folded width: 10 cm / 4 in
Rotor diameter: 60 cm / 23 5/8 in
Mount height: 91.4 cm / 3 ft
Total weight: 3 lbs / 1.3 kg
Protections: Over-voltage, under-voltage, under-temperature, over-temperature, overload and transient