‘Tree Turbines’ turning in your back garden
The majority of us have trees in our back garden, but imagine if you could have a tree turbine, yes a wind turbine that looks like a tree but still harvests your energy cost-effectively and eco-efficiently. Living in the middle of a city no longer means you cannot own your own turbine, NewWind is a product with tree like objects, containing lots of little green moving mini-wind turbines.
Each leaf is a miniature wind turbine, which captures low wind speeds and turbulence that can deliver power and autonomy as they work. Created as the first human-scale biomimetic wind turbines, NewWind allows consumers to change their energy model and without any eyesores either.
CEO, NewWind, Jérôme Michaud-Larivière created the company back in 2011 with the idea to bring an original, quality service to as many people as possible, through creating an electrical power generating system in the form of a tree.
Jérôme Michaud-Larivière described his company as being: “Beyond any mission statement, there is a vision – to put an end to renewable energy intermittency. How? Well, by coming up with solutions combining various natural resources – wind, light and heat from the earth.”
The Biometric Wind Turbine is a model that harnesses energy right in your back garden, as it seems sensible to bring energy as close as possible to where it is going to be consumed, which helps avoid waste and connection costs. The Areoleaf are the leaves that rest upon the Arbre à Vent tree.
The Arbre à Vent measuring 10x8m and has 4.1kW installed capacity with low-voltage distribution board connection, produces an average 2400kWh annually depending on the location. The Arbre à Vent can produce the equivalent of 1,905lb of coal, 41 four gallon jerrycans of fuel and could power an electric car for 10,168 miles for a year, or lighting 15 street lamps of 50W.
Today, electrical needs are vastly increasing worldwide; this can lead to tension between costs and new social inequalities. The technology from NewWind has been developed to harvest wind turbulence, being the average variation in the flow of air at any given point.
The Areoleaf is conceived to harness and exploit the slightest airflow which is triggered at 2m/s. These small modular units are installed in relation to the nature of the wind source and are adaptable to various electrical needs.
In 2012 the first definition of the Aeroleaf proprietary technology was developed after a partnership with designer Claudio Colucci occurred, and then a year later saw the installation of the first Arbre à Vent prototype.
Colucci took the design of the tree away from the standard trunk and changed the placement of the leave turbines to acquire the most air that possibly could. With no cables, blades or generators this organic idea steers away from tradition windmill ideas.
The idea then became more than just a national concept, with pre-production taking place in France, Germany and Switzerland. Finally in 2016, sales of the standard Arbre à Vent models began.
Michaud-Larivière commented: “Away with the very concept of the ‘wind turbine’ and transform it into the most organic form possible.”
He added: “The enormous acclaim we have met daily illustrates that consumers are ready to change their energy model. We’re thrilled to be able to participate in that movement and, thus, help each and every one of them find their own peaceful place in the world.”
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.