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Heat Waver - The First Ever Combo Solar Collector And Wind Turbine
The Heat Waver is supposedly the very first combination wind turbine AND solar collector ever made. It is not the first time anyone ever THOUGHT of such a thing, however.

(Heat Waver Combination Solar Collector And Wind Turbine)
Is the first photovoltaic turbine in history causing a strange effect on the environment? Before analyzing the impact that this innovation has had on the environment, it is necessary to understand that this is a photovoltaic turbine that utilizes a hybrid energy generator responsible for combining solar and wind power. Called the Heat Waver, this novel structure seems to be living up to its name whilst keeping energy outputs constant despite low wind periods. This photovoltaic turbine can turn its photovoltaic rotor itself into a source of solar energy, but recent reports show somewhat of the strange side effects that this turbine has on the atmosphere.
The Heat Waver is said to break the expectations of what turbines can do. The Heat Wave has rotor blades lined with photovoltaic materials similar to those of solar panels. Conventional wind turbines, on the other hand, depend solely on kinetic energy from the wind to turn the blades that power the generator. The advantage is that The Heat Waver can continue harnessing the sun’s energy even when the wind slows down, as the blades can convert sunlight into energy.
(Via ecoticias.)
Science fiction writer Simpson Stokes wrote a story called Down on the Farm, published in Thrilling Wonder Stories in 1937, that described a hybrid wind-solar device. He called it a wind-suncatcher:

(Wind-Suncatcher from 'Down on the Farm' by Simpson Stokes)
Farmer Geary watched the Nibbler at work. He saw beyond it the vast three-storied acreages of his Multiple-Crop “Flats,” incongruously tilted on the side of Durdleberry Slopes in the distance. The bizarre shadow of the combined Wind-Suncatcher, like a spray of tulips mounted fanwise on a rotating mast, slanted across the meadow.
“This is good,” said Geary, rubbing his hands. “This is fine.”
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 5/29/2025)
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