The technology is described as a ‘breakthrough scalable renewable energy solution’ that could be coming to other European roofs soon.
ADVERTISEMENTThe UK’s first “motionless” wind energy system has been installed on a roof in Oxford.
When we think of wind energy, wind turbines naturally spring to mind - elegant blades spinning to drive an electricity generator.
But as the renewable energy revolution surges forward, more and more technologies are being developed to fit various niches and help wean the world off fossil fuels faster.
Motionless wind energy designs, like this one from US company Aeromine Technologies, have the advantage of being quieter and somewhat safer for birds.
The prototype is being trialled on the roof of German carmaker BMW’s MINI manufacturing plant in Oxford, before being installed elsewhere in the UK and Europe.
How do motionless wind energy systems work?
Like heat pumps and other components of the clean energy transition, the wind energy unit isn’t much to look at.
It takes up a fairly unassuming spot on the edge of the plant roof, angled towards the prevailing wind.
The white unit comprises vertical airfoils that create a vacuum effect, drawing wind behind an internal propeller to generate electricity.
“Our “motionless” wind energy technology is designed to work seamlessly alongside solar systems, maximising the renewable energy output from rooftops while helping address challenges like noise, vibrations, and wildlife impact,” explains Claus Lønborg, managing director at Aeromine.
The unit works with an existing rooftop solar system of 11,000 panels - covering an area the size of five football pitches, and generating enough electricity to power the equivalent of 850 households for a year.
The idea is for the wind unit to step up when solar power conditions weaken in the evenings and during winter.
Funding came via the BMW Startup Garage, which backs cutting-edge technologies by commissioning the startup as a supplier. Rather than acting as an investor through venture capital, it takes on the role of a customer.
As Carmen Gargioni, innovation team lead at BMW Group Real Estate Management explains, “[it] acts as a matchmaker between startups and different business units. New technologies are essential as we strive to find the most efficient solution to our requirements.”
What other new wind technologies are in the works?
Aeromine’s wind system installations are typically 50 kW or larger, the firm says, and ideal for large, flat rooftop buildings like warehouses, data centres, offices and apartment buildings.
Other eco-inventors are devising different solutions. French company New World Wind, for example, has created ‘Aeroleaf’ technology which places micro wind turbines on structures that look like trees.
ADVERTISEMENTThey blend into urban environments like residential streets and are also noiseless.
Another bladeless design comes from Spanish start-up Vortex Bladeless. Nicknamed ‘the Skybrator’, its turbine generates energy through vibration alone.
Traditional wind turbine makers are also constantly innovating, of course. Stripy wind turbines have been proposed as one solution to limit bird collisions at offshore farms.
