Are Tree Wind Turbines as Ugly as their Big Brothers?

‘Unsightly’, ‘eye-sores’, a ‘blight on the landscape’, and just plain ‘ugly’ are common phrases and expressions used by the opposition when it comes to the great wind turbine debate in the UK.

With the UK ranked as the world’s sixth largest producer of wind power in the world (with wind turbines feeding the National grid since the 1950s), the wind turbine debate continues to infuriate the opposition as renewable energy firms and action groups campaign for further nation-wide commitments to sustainable energy.

In 2007, the UK government agreed to meet a European Union (EU) target of generating 20% of the EU's energy supply using renewable sources by 2020, and the placement of wind turbines has been a continual concern for government and renewable companies alike. When offshore wind farms are not tenable or practical, what’s the alternative to placing an ‘ugly’, ‘unsightly’ turbine on land?

Introducing the Tree Vent

French company, NewWind have unveiled an alternative wind turbine called the Tree Vent: an innovative, aesthetically-pleasing vertical structure that looks like a tree and houses individual vertical turbines. Measuring 11 meters (36 ft) tall, and roughly 8 metres (26ft) in diameter at the widest point, the Tree Vent is similar in size and shape to an urban tree. The white steel frame of the structure can hold up to 72 vertical turbines which cancel out any noise due to their orientation, thus spinning silently.

While traditional wind turbines are generally extremely tall in order to reach stronger winds, these vertical turbines are twice as sensitive as traditional turbines, with the ability to spin with winds as low as 4.4 miles per hour (mph). They are also durable enough to withstand winds that reach 111-129mph.

The individual turbines or 'Aeroleaves' are constructed from weather-protected lightweight plastic to withstand weather conditions such as humidity and salt for those in areas near the sea. If one turbine is unable to operate, the others will continue unaffected.

NewWind, the company behind the Tree Vent claim that a single tree with 72 individual turbines will be able to generate 3.1kW of power, and is expected to spin 280 days a year on average.

Tree Vent tested in Paris’ Place de la Concorde

NewWind will be testing a Tree Vent in Place de la Concorde, Paris from  March 12 for two months this year, demonstrating to the public how the turbine functions in an everyday urban setting. A further 40 Tree Vents will be installed by the company across France in September. With the design resembling modern art, the company hope that Tree vents will be installed in clusters throughout cities and urban areas where they will silently operate and contribute to the national grid.

With a manufacturing and installation price of €29,500 (US$35,000) per tree, the company argue that they will pay for themselves in just a few years, and that production prices will drop as the technology is developed further.

Whatever Next?

Makani, a 600-kilowatt wind turbine based on the concept of kiteboarding, is currently under development at Google's research and development lab, Google X. For more information, read: Could Google’s New Wind Turbine Power 300 Homes?