Mr. Jody Ray Shadden is President of FUTURAWIND INC, a wind turbine technology firm located in Los Angeles, California, USA. FUTURAWIND is currently developing a portfolio of advanced wind turbine designs ranging from 100 kW to 25 MW for the on- and off-shore wind energy markets. The company vision is to see the world's energy demand supplied 100% by wind and other renewables by the year 2050. The company mission is to research and develop advanced and reliable wind energy technology by applying extensive wind industry experience, key design drivers, and design for six sigma (DFSS) methodology, and provide technology licensing and transfer services to companies aspiring to become wind turbine manufacturers in less than one year.

The company secured its' first wind turbine technology development and licensing deal with Adithyawind Pvt. Ltd. of Coimbatore, India in May of 2011 for a 1.5 MW direct-drive (gear-less) wind turbine design. The 1.5 MW wind turbine will employ both 82 meter and 85 meter tower heights, utilize a multi-pole, permanent magnet, synchronous direct-drive generator, and significant improvements to the overall design of similar 1.5 MW units in operation today. Adithyawind plans to assembly its' first prototype in the 2Q 2012 and begin serial production at the end of 2012.

FUTURAWIND uses an 8-step toll gate based design control process, similar to that employed by General Electric. Mr. Shadden worked for General Electric at the wind turbine manufacturing plant in Noblejas (Toledo), Spain from 2000 to 2003 and is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt. The company manages their wind turbine engineering programs via the 8-step toll gate based design control process and DFSS (design-for-six-sigma) methodology to exceed the highest standards and guidelines for the design and engineering of wind turbine generator systems. FUTURAWIND wind turbine generator systems are certified to IEC 61400-1, ed. 3. and/or Germanischer-Lloyd, ed. 2010.

Key design drivers include european (classic) platform (3-blade, up-wind, HAWT), modularity for logistics & transportation optimization, proven & reliable technology, cross-platform component interchangeability, progressive materials & design concepts, sustainable manufacturing processes, efficient component packaging, proven component suppliers, performance optimization, service-friendly features, innovation & creativity. The overall design and engineering philosophy is to integrate the key design drivers into intelligently engineered wind turbine generator systems that feature industry-leading reliability, maximum energy capture, and the lowest cost of energy (CoE) for each power and wind class.

FUTURAWIND wind turbine design licensing and technology transfer opportunities are a perfect fit for companies desiring to enter the global wind energy industry with a reliable product within one year. Licensing their wind technology can reduce design-to-market schedules by up to 4 years and engineering cost by up to $8 million (USD). The company works closely with their client's to develop wind turbine designs customized to their requirements and markets including nacelle shapes and features, component paint colors, location of major components such as converter (up-tower or down-tower), and other key design features.