The first residential vertical turbine windmill of its kind in the state is being installed in the front yard of 8440 Fauntleroy Way S.W., just north of the ferry. The $30,000 rig will provide 65 to 70 percent of the electrical energy needed for its owner, Linda Braun.

"With regular windmills with horizontal turbines, there is a lot of noise in those blades spinning around and it is not acceptable in a residential area," said Keith Hughes, a longtime West Seattle resident, and company owner. "They also have to be 50 feet above the nearest obstruction. These fins spin vertically like an egg-beater and catch the wind regardless of which direction the wind is coming from.

"This is a family business we've had for about two years," he said. "We install solar panel systems and solar hot water systems. but our dream is windmills."

The 5KW Helix Wind System is out of San Diego. A grid tide system, the electricity goes into a house breaker panel. When the wind blows strong and produces more than the house uses, the meter rolls backwards and the homeowner gets credit from the utility company.