UK wind microgeneration specialist Quiet Revolution received a major boost yesterday after German energy giant RWE announced it was investing £6m in the turbine manufacturer to help take the company's technology into mass production.
Quiet Revolution has pioneered a new design of vertical wind turbines, which the company says is more efficient at harnessing wind power in built up areas than conventional bladed turbines and also finds it easier to secure planning approval from local councils.
"We have had very positive feedback from the public and from local authorities," said chief executive Robert Webb. "We are told that conventional turbines of a similar size have a high level of failure at planning stage – we tend to get planning permission without problems."
Traditional small wind turbines have also proved to be ineffective in urban environments because buildings break up airflow. But Webb said that Quiet Revolution's design can generate reasonable levels of energy even in urban environments as it can harness wind from any direction without having to swing on a horizontal axis like a conventional wind turbine.
Quiet Revolution claims its turbines produce 6,000 to 10,000kWh per annum, depending on their location.
Crispin Leick, head of the RWE Innogy Ventures Division, said that the fresh funds would be used to "take this promising technology towards mass production, so that it will become commercially usable".
About 30 of the vertical axis turbines have so far been produced and installed around Britain on university campuses, commercial properties and housing developments, while a further 45 are at the manufacturing or installation stages.
The 6kw QR5 units cost about £40,000 and Quiet Revolution is planning larger and smaller versions of the design – ranging from 2.5kW up to 40kW.
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