[Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story read this turbine design is capable of 400 kWh per month, when in fact it is 40 kilowatt hours per month. EarthTechling regrets the error.]

Plug and play wind power? That’s the idea behind SmartBox Wind Turbine, one of the many bright ideas seeking your support in the GE Ecomagination Challenge, which focuses this year on innovative ideas for powering the homes of the future.

This patent-pending technology comes to us via Clarion Power, which picked up the Consumer Innovation Award GE’s Ecomagination Challenge last year for its SmartBox Plug-In Solar system. The company’s SmartBox Wind Turbine is similar in its focus on “out of the box,” homescale renewable energy that does not require special skills to install, as it plugs directly into any existing outlet and provides power that can be used anywhere in your home

SmartBox Wind Turbine
image via Clarian Power

The SmartBox Wind Turbine kit comes with everything you need to get the system up and running, including a wind turbine with built-in micro-inverter, mounting hardware, the SmartBox Gateway, and all necessary power cables. It features built-in circuit protection, a maximum output of 3.2 amperes, and doesn’t require a dedicated electrical panel.

The system, which has a wind turbine output of 400W at 28 mph, is reportedly capable of producing 40 kilowatt hours per month at wind speeds averaging 12 miles per hour and retails for $699-$799. According to Clarian Power, the system will pay for itself in reduced electricity bills within 5-8 years, or less after rebates and tax credits.