Wind Turbine Tree Design Video

Equipped with scores of vertical spinning mini turbines, the Tree Vent can generate up to 3.1 KW of power NewWind R&D

Equipped with scores of vertical spinning mini turbines, the Tree Vent can generate up to 3.1 KW of power. Photo courtesy: NewWind R&D

By Russell Ray, Chief Editor

To some, the hulking wind turbines used to generate about 4 percent of the electricity consumed in the U.S. are eye-sores. Some argue they are a blight on America's most majestic plains, hills and ocean views.

But one company has developed a new kind of wind turbine that attempts to blend in with the landscape around it.

Behold, the Tree Vent, an aesthetically-pleasing structure designed to look like a tree and uses scores of small leaf-shaped mini wind turbines known as the Aeroleaf.

According to NewWind R&D, the French company behind the Tree Vent, a single "tree" with 72 individual turbines can generate 3.1 kW of power.

The "Wind Tree" measures 36 feet tall and about 26 feet wide, about the size of an urban tree. That's substantially smaller than today's conventional wind turbine, which can exceed 400 feet in height, taller than a 37-story building.

The Aeroleaf is made of a light weight material and can generate power with a wind speed as low as 4.4 miles per hour NewWind R&D

The Aeroleaf is made of a light weight material and can generate power with a wind speed as low as 4.4 miles per hour. Photo courtesy: NewWind R&D

Thanks to its light-weight material, each turbine can generate power with a wind speed as low as 4.4 miles per hour and is durable enough to withstand wind speeds of up to 129 mph. Although a tree with 72 mini turbines can only generate a small amount of power versus the common wind turbine we're used to seeing, the mini turbines of the Wind Tree can spin 280 days out of the year.

With its cables and generators sealed within the steel trunk, the Wind Tree is silent, according to NewWind. Imagine large clusters of Wind Trees across your city among real trees in city parks and other gathering places, providing power to specific buildings, businesses and neighborhoods.

Several Wind Trees will be tested in Paris. The cost of each tree is about $36,500, but the test results are expected to show that the technology can pay for itself in a few years.

The Tree Vent and its Aeroleaf mini turbines don't exactly resemble a tree. The man-made white metal structure is hardly comparable to the natural beauty of a tree. To me, they look like sculptures. But it is another creative and innovative step toward sustainability.

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