The company sees the UK as a ripe market because of high electricity prices and the feed-in tariff program reduces the payback period for consumers buying renewable energy products. It is applying for the MCS certification and testing its V3.5 vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT), which are requirements for qualifying for the feed-in tariff program.
Cleanfield Energy claims to have pioneered a turbine that can be placed on or near the buildings that use the power it generates
"The market potential for urban wind is quite massive," said CEO Tony Verrelli.
The company's proprietary VAWTs are designed and engineered specifically for the variable and chaotic winds that are characteristic of urban environments, the manufacturer claims. "Working with McMaster University, and with funding from the Ontario Centres of Excellence, we were able to develop this advanced technology which is now attracting the attention of leading architects, engineers, real estate owners and operators," said Verrelli. To date, Cleanfield's wind turbines have been installed in the U.S., Canada, Slovenia, China and Ireland. "We expect to be in a number of new markets in the months ahead," Verrelli added.
Traditional wind turbines rotate on a horizontal access. Rotating on a vertical axis instead offers critical advantages in urban environments, Cleanfield says. VAWTs can capture energy from the wind independent of the direction, not requiring any yaw mechanism. This is significant within the urban area since the wind is characteristically veering in direction. VAWTs also typically operate at lower rotational speeds, reducing / eliminating the turbine vibrations and generated noise.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
