Not all wind turbines look like big pinwheels.

Some of them look like spinning sails, or a whirling shaft of light.

A new company in Ortonville is marketing a $3,995 vertical axis wind turbine capable of generating approximately 1,200 watts of power.

Unlike huge commercial wind turbines, the Windspire is only 30 feet tall and takes up only four square feet of ground space.

The Windspire, manufactured by Reno, Nev.-based Mariah Power, is being marketed in the Midwest by Southern Exposure Renewable Energy Co.

Southern Exposure was founded by Jim Bates, a veteran electrician.

Bates said the turbine just got an ETL listing and has been in testing for several years. Mariah is actually looking for a spot to manufacture the units in the Midwest. The company has offers from Pennsylvania and Ohio and Bates says its CEO has told him he's willing to consider an offer from Michigan.

More about the Windspire at http://mariahpower.com or www.seenergyco.com.