We solemnly swear that we have never been good at keeping a secret, and that is the whole truth and nothing but the whole truth. And remember, some say the truth will set you free. Well, this wind turbine tree’s secret might not be able to set you free, but it will free you from the burden of a high power demand. We promise to tell you how you can reach up to 55,000 kWh per year by “planting” this tree with 12 wind turbines in your garden.
This little secret in your garden will empower you
Traditional wind turbines have the following design: the usual three-rotor and horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) design. They require a vast amount of space to safely and efficiently operate, which results in significant unworkable space between turbines that could be utilized to capture more energy. They must also be stationed at a safe distance from homes, which is far from where the energy is needed, especially in urban environments. Since it is generally accepted that we need to seek out more sustainable power solutions and break away from our reliance on fossil fuels, renewable energies, such as wind, remain favorable.
Wind technologies have been advancing ever since mankind turned to “greener pastures” for sustainable energy solutions. NL Architects, a Dutch design house, is one of the companies that has been searching for ways to connect wind turbines to where their output is needed, instead of looming somewhere on remote hillsides. The NL Architects team believes the answers lie with the secret of the wind turbine trees, a creation the team has dubbed Power Flowers, one part power plant and one part art.
Power Flowers essentially groups a few less efficient turbines close to the users of their power output. NL Architects aims to produce aesthetically pleasing and adaptable wind turbines for use in all environments, specifically in urban settings. The team asked themselves one important question:
“Can we turn windmills into objects of desire?”
The Power Flowers will work in this way
NL Architects’ design team based the Power Flowers’ design on Urban Green Energy’s existing turbine named Eddy, which can be assembled in under an hour. Eddy is also safe for application in winds up to 120 mph (193 kph) and is durable for at least 20 years.
The Power Flowers design would showcase a hollow steel column with branches at the top. These branches would sport either three or 12 Eddy-like turbines and could be used closer to, or even within, urban locations such as parks, streets, or roadways. The Power Flowers design would thus allow for more of them to be packed into locations otherwise unavailable, which increases their efficiency, and they do not have wind direction requirements.
A power output of 55,000 kWh per year
It will be available in two designs: uw(urban windmill)3 and uw12. One uw3 would be able to power one typical US household annually and one uw12 would be able to power 5 US households annually.
By using figures from Eddy’s creator, NL Architects calculates that one uw3 Power Flower would generate over 13,000 kWh of power output every year with an average wind speed of five meters per second. It would also only produce 2.8 dB of noise at 12 meters per second, making it perfect for urban applications. With just one uw12 Power Flower in your garden, you would be able to generate 55,000 kWh of power output every year with an average wind speed of 5 meters per second.
Aren’t you glad we shared this little secret with you? Unresolved practical and engineering issues must still be overcome, but we sincerely hope Power Flowers is here to stay. Who knew you would be able to create energy with trees?