A wind turbine silent that does not use rare earths and does not put the flight of birds at risk
Wind energy production is a very interesting but still underdeveloped sector. According to the PNIEC, (National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan), Italy should reach 28 GW of installed power within the next five years, of which 26 GW related to onshore wind power. Last December, the installed capacity of onshore wind power stood at just over 12 GW (this year’s updated data is awaited).
However, the development of wind power, especially in the past, when its effects were less known, has caused problems in the conservation of biodiversity. Wind farms, in fact, can have a negative impact on the avifauna present in the areas where the turbines are installed. Many studies have been conducted to mitigate these effects, and research continues to progress in this direction. Furthermore, some animals demonstrate an ability to adapt: studies confirm that, for example, seabirds often manage to avoid blades.
This French proposal represents a valid alternative for producing energy and, at the same time, preserving ecosystems.
A vertical axis turbine
It is called Quinoa and it is a 12 meter high vertical axis wind turbine, with a production capacity that, in optimal conditions, can reach 52 MWh/year. It was developed by a French company, Collaborative Energy, which in its design chose not to use rare earths, i.e. those elements with particular conductivity characteristics, but distributed only in certain areas of the world.
Each Quinoa turbine is equipped with three 6 meter high blades, with a rotor diameter of just 3.5 meters and an overall height of less than 12 metres.
Performance
Quinoa turbines are usually arranged in a quincunx: imagining a wind farm made up of 100 turbines, these would follow an arrangement similar to that of the black dots on the five face of a dice. In a park of this size, under optimal conditions, an annual production of over 6,000 MWh could be achieved.
Towards the construction of the first industrial prototypes
The company firmly believes in the project and has planned to start production of the first prototypes of its innovative wind turbine, which will then be subjected to testing. To finance these activities, in addition to the commercial expansion plan, Collaborative Energy has launched a fundraising campaign on the Enerfip platform. As part of this initiative, a holding company was created, called Collaborative Energy Citoyenne Enerfipwith the aim of gathering investors and participating in the company capital.
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