{"id":1409,"date":"2023-11-16T12:04:32","date_gmt":"2023-11-16T12:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apers.ro\/?p=1409"},"modified":"2023-11-16T12:04:32","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T12:04:32","slug":"could-wind-trees-with-micro-turbines-be-a-solution-to-green-energy-in-tight-urban-spaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apers.ro\/en\/2023\/11\/16\/could-wind-trees-with-micro-turbines-be-a-solution-to-green-energy-in-tight-urban-spaces\/","title":{"rendered":"Could \u2018wind trees\u2019 with micro turbines be a solution to green energy in tight urban spaces?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This nature-inspired \u2018wind tree\u2019 can produce renewable energy in urban environments.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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From\u00a0community solar farms<\/strong>\u00a0to\u00a0co-owned wind turbines<\/strong>, eco-inventors are coming up with new ways to bring renewable power into our homes.<\/p>\n

Now, micro\u00a0wind turbines<\/strong>\u00a0designed to look like trees are addressing some of the challenges of green energy.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs it is biomorphic, people cannot see at the first look that it is a renewable system,\u201d says Luc Eric Krief, owner of New World Wind, the French company behind the \u2018Aeroleaf\u2019 technology.<\/p>\n

The metal \u2018trees\u2019 have branches tipped with micro\u00a0wind turbines<\/strong>\u00a0resembling leaves.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no visual pollution and we can install a bench around the tree for people to sit on,\u201d continues Krief. The colour of the trunk and leaves can also be customised.<\/p>\n

But the turbines\u2019 looks aren\u2019t their only appeal.<\/p>\n

At between five and 10 metres tall, the trees are compact, making them easy to install – even in\u00a0urban environments<\/strong>\u00a0– without major engineering work. Once a turbine is in place, a single bracket and three bolts are all that\u2019s needed to complete the construction.<\/p>\n

Their size also eliminates some of the other problems faced by giant turbines, such as\u00a0bird collisions<\/strong>. Plus, they operate in\u00a0silence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

How much energy can a micro wind tree generate?<\/h2>\n

Rather than being connected to the\u00a0national grid<\/strong>, the turbines provide energy directly to a building\u2019s existing electrical system. \u201cThis is what we call self consumption,\u201d explains Krief.<\/p>\n

The aeronautic engineer, who acquired the company in 2017, is set to release a new design in January that will see the Aeroleaf\u2019s power production triple. One leaf will be capable of producing up to 1,000 kilowatt hour (kWh) per year, giving the 36-leaf WindTree a maximum annual output of 36,000 kWh at a\u00a0wind<\/strong>\u00a0speed of 12 metres per second (m\/s).<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s unlikely that wind conditions would remain steadily high around the clock, in regular conditions of 8 m\/s, one WindTree could produce almost 18,000 kWh per year, enough to power a four-person household. This could reduce a\u00a0home<\/strong>\u2019s annual CO2 emissions by over 12 tonnes.<\/p>\n

For comparison, a 4 kW\u00a0solar power<\/strong>\u00a0system on an average-sized house can produce up to around 3,000 kWh of electricity per year, according to Project Solar UK.<\/p>\n

The secret to the micro turbines\u2019 power output is their ability to work around the clock.<\/p>\n

\u201cSolar panels can work between 10am and 4pm\u2026 with our technology, we can provide energy seven days a week, 24 hours a day,\u201d says Krief. \u201cAnd if we create more energy than we can consume during the night or day, we can store it inside the\u00a0battery<\/strong>,\u201d which has a 60Ah capacity – or around 45 minutes to one hour in normal conditions. Each tree has four batteries.<\/p>\n

A hybrid version of the tree offers even greater stability. With\u00a0solar petals<\/strong>\u00a0fixed beneath the turbines, it harnesses the power of both the wind and the sun.<\/p>\n

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How much does a micro wind tree cost?<\/h2>\n

This year, New World Wind was recognised by industry magazine Energy Business Review as one of the top 10 energy\u00a0sustainability solutions<\/strong>\u00a0providers in Europe.<\/p>\n

So far, the company has installed 130 devices around the globe, from Europe to the US to South Korea. Most of the company\u2019s clients are commercial – including British American Tobacco in Italy, Phoenix Contact in Germany, Deloitte in the USA, and L\u2019Oreal in\u00a0France<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

To date, they have also installed three wind trees residentially in Birmingham, UK; Vermont, USA; and\u00a0Switzerland<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

While the micro\u00a0wind turbines<\/strong>\u00a0offer a greater energy output than solar panels, the emerging technology also comes at a higher price.<\/p>\n

A single Aeroleaf costs \u20ac795, a 36-leaf wind tree is priced at \u20ac51,990, and a hybrid solar WindBush with 12 leaves costs \u20ac24,500.<\/p>\n

A 4 kW solar panel system typically costs between \u00a36,000 and \u00a38,000 (\u20ac6,900-9,200), according to Project Solar UK.<\/p>\n

As New World Wind grows, with plans to expand into the Americas and take advantage of US President Joe Biden\u2019s\u00a0Inflation Reduction Act<\/strong>\u00a0over the next year, wind trees could become a more familiar sight on streets and in gardens around the world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_zigzag]\t\t

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Source<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t[\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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