NL Architects is attempting to domesticate, or urbanize, wind energy design by creating aesthetically pleasing wind turbines. These small generators can be integrated into urban landscapes, and provide clean, renewable energy without creating any disturbing noise.
The quiet ‘Power Flowers’ are designed to look like trees and capture renewable wind energy. The basic concept relies on Urban Green Energy’s ‘Eddy’ turbine. The Eddy turbine is a small turbine that is designed for residential use. Power Flowers use either 3 or 12 Eddy’s on their wind tree to capture as much emission-free energy as possible.
Making these wind trees convenient for urban areas allows installation in places where the energy is actually used. These trees need very little space and could be installed along roads, in backyards, or on rooftops. Power Flowers are the most artistic generators I’ve seen, and they would be great for both commercial and residential use. (via: designboom)
Related: more on alternative energy.
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The NL Architects, design. Uses a, wind turbine called “EDDY”. Designed by Urban Green Energy. The turbine is safe in winds up to 193 kph / 120 mph. The figures, provided by EDDY’s manufactuer sates that a three turbine structure, will generate over 13,000 kWh of power anually, with a minimum wind speed of 5m/sec at, 42.8 db of noise at 12 m /sec. NL Architects, suggest a 12 turbine structure. So, to answer your question. Take the 3 turbine power output listed above and divide by 3, to get the maximum power out put for a single turbine. Wich, is 4,333.33 kWh, per year. In order, to get the complet power output for one Power Flower Tower. You need to multiply the single turbine max yearly output by the number of turbines on the structure. Which is, 4,333.33 * 12 = 52,000 kWh per year. Which enough juice to power alot of stuff. Hope, this helped. I, can not wait until the bring this product to market
As an artistic statement, great, I do question how my energy they can produce, especially where they are placed, if they can be both aesthetic and functional, for sure, a winner.
Even if they weren’t in urban environs, but along highways. Check out these wind tunnels sometime! And – the added breeze of cars passing by. We might as well take advantage of the spaces we create for our ‘needs’.
These look really cool and would fit will in an urban environment. What I want to see, though, is some information about how efficient and economically viable they are.