It seems like every few weeks, wind turbines just get better. Mariah Power’s new Windspire is the latest incredible wind advance, with an array of features that make harnessing the wind a potential reality for mainstream consumers.

The Windspire turbine looks more like a light pole than anything else. It's thirty feet tall, narrow (two feet wide and hollow), and can be purchased in different colors. This design is likely to be especially useful in dense urban zones or where there are stringent zoning codes. It can be fitted like a light pole in a city and is unlikely to violate even the toughest zoning restrictions.

"Windspire’s efficiency is on par with most propeller-based wind turbines but it is priced much lower" said Mariah Power CEO John Hess. "It is also much quieter because the rotor glides through the air at only a third the speed of propeller blades and it can capture wind instantly from any direction.”

Since Windspire moves at the same rate as the wind, it does not pose a risk to birds. Our feathered friends will be able to see -- and sometimes perch on -- the Windspire. And it's quiet: Mariah’s Windspire boasts near silence in the outdoors at 65 decibles, which is about the level of restaurant noise. Outside, this level of noise is negligible. This is particularly important in neighborhoods where the sound of a louder turbine can upset neighbors.

Windspire’s biggest advantage is that it is very economical. About $5k will buy you your very own turbine, capable of generating two kilowatts of energy a year in low to moderate winds. Though this represents about a tenth of the energy needs of the average American home, Mariah offers a couple of kwh options, and they pay themselves off pretty fast anyway, especially if you are in a wind corridor. At the same time, it can handle hurricane-force winds of up to 100mph.

Proud Windspire turbine owners can link up the transmission in several ways.  Handy do-it-yourselfers can, indeed, install it themselves by pouring a concrete foundation and raising the turbine with a car.

Bonus feature: The Mariah Windspire includes an ingenious bonus feature: A modem at the top of the turbine enabling owners to track power output while surfing the 'net!