An expression the power of the spirit it probably brings up images of giant spinning blades. But other companies now make small wind turbines—small machines that can be installed in homes, businesses and public parks.
“We can install inside the city, outside the city,” said Luc Eric Krief, CEO of a French company called New World Wind. His company makes what’s called the Aeroleaf, a small turbine that looks like a folded leaf. When the wind blows, it circulates and generates energy that can go directly to the nearby building.
Microturbines are installed in groups—either on the roof of a building or as part of what New World Wind calls a wind tree or wind tree.
View this post on Instagram
These sculptures mimic real trees and shrubs. And their stems, branches, and leaf colors can be customized to blend in with their surroundings or draw attention. For example, the spirit tree near Wichita State University in Kansas has black and yellow leaves, the school’s colors.
And unlike solar panels, which stop generating power at night, Krief says Aeroleaf microturbines can generate electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
So small wind turbines offer an alternative way to produce clean energy where it is needed.
-ChavoBart Digital Media
This story was originally published by Yale Climate Connections.
