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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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.
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’.
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.