Generating power by free methods is the Holy Grail for the green power movement. For consumers it could one day mean that we get power for our homes and gadgets for free from the sun or the wind. Wind power is controversial because the massive wind turbines are ugly and make the area where they are installed look bad to some people.

A company called Green Energy Technologies has announced a new wing-generating power plant that is designed to be fitted onto the roof of a building. The WindCube can be installed in singles or as a pair. A single unit generates 60kW of power while a dual unit generates 120kW.

The Kinesis K3 power generator gives you another way to obtain sweet gadget juice. In addition to its windmill and solar cells, it can now charge its internal battery with external electricity sources. It doesn’t sound very green, but you can charge its 4,000 mAh battery using a USB adapter or a car cigarette lighter. Why not just leave it by the window to have it fully charged?

According to the company, one hour of sun and wind will give you 30 minutes of talk time in a cellphone. Fully charged, the K3 can load the battery cells for an average mobile phone five times, or an MP3 player more than ten times.

This water-activated “portable power product” is fuel cell-based and through the use of $20 disposable cartridges, it will provide “enough energy to recharge an average notebook computer 8 to 10 times” or even “operate low power devices such as portable lights, notebook computers, portable televisions etc. for more than 14 continuous hours,”. It works via AC outlet or dual USB. The unit will cost about $400. A few of the nicer features on this one are that the HydroPak is quieter and lighter than other types of generators in it’s class, and as a bonus, it doesn’t spit out horrible emissions.

At CES 2008, they will also have a smaller version named the HydroPak Mini, which is a prototype designed to power gadgets like cellphones or your favorite game systems. They expect to have units available for sale in mid-2008.