The question of where our energy comes from is more relevant than ever. An Icelandic company offers an interesting solution for this, especially for remote areas: vertical-axis wind turbines.
Stuttgart – Leaving nuclear power plants in operation for longer, using coal-fired power plants more intensively again: Due to the Ukraine war and its effects, the topic of energy production is more relevant than ever. While in this country the solution is increasingly based on old energy suppliers such as coal or nuclear power, a company in Iceland is developing a new type of wind turbine. These not only look strange, but are particularly suitable for remote areas.
Wind turbines in Iceland: Special energy suppliers are also interesting for German areas
But the Icelandic wind turbines could not only be interesting because of the current energy crisis. In order to limit the heating of our planet, energy must above all be obtained from sustainable sources, such as wind. However, the euphoria of building wind turbines in Germany often fails because of politics or local residents and conservationists who resist the high masts with the three rotor blades. This is where Freya from the Icelandic company IceWind comes in.
Freya is a “vertical-axis wind turbine for on-grid and off-grid applications,” as developer IceWind states on its website. Imagining something like this is not that easy.
Icelandic wind turbines: will we see them in Germany soon?
The wind turbines are available in three different versions, all of which are also adapted to extreme conditions. They are a lot smaller than the wind turbines we are familiar with and are designed to withstand any weather. According to the Icelandic manufacturer, they can even withstand hurricanes. According to IceWind, these mini wind turbines, in combination with solar energy, emergency diesel generators and battery storage, should offer a good solution for generating energy, especially in remote areas.
According to the company, the system for commercial use costs around 6,000 euros, and around 500 euros more for off-grid use. On Facebook, some people are interested and see other benefits. One writes: “It’s also not as dangerous for insects and birds as conventional wind turbines”. Others are rather skeptical about the systems. One user says: “Vertical wind turbines have not prevailed because their efficiency is a lot lower” and another asks: “Interesting – what does the German building law say about this?”.
It will certainly be a while before we see the Freya turbines in this country. They are currently only available in Iceland. According to its own information, the company hopes to be able to further expand its market.
