Wind turbines don’t have to be of one design and can blend into the surrounding environment. A recent development by a French startup company NewWind Energy Solutions , is developing wind turbines that look like trees and need less wind than the big turbines to create power. The Wind Tree has 72 artificial leaves that are positioned on a vertical axis and stand 36 feet tall with a diameter of 26 ft – so it’s similar to a real tree. The company says it is silent during operation, which gives the expression “like the wind rustling through the leaves” a new meaning. See the video for a look at the micro-turbine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3SEmD7_Cb4&feature=player_detailpage
It is made entirely from steel with all the cables and generators sealed inside the structure. Each of the turbine leaves has little mass and generates power with a wind speed as little as 4.4 mph. The company says that this capability could make it able to generate power for most places for an average of 280 days/year providing an estimated 3.1 kW of energy. It can be plugged into the public grid or provide power to specific buildings. The trees are expected to cost $36,500 and can be installed in groves to increase the output energy.
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