Omniwind, an impact startup from central Brabant, has the solution with their patented compact wind turbines that can be placed almost anywhere. CEO and co-founder Pranav Tetali explains how their turbines contribute to a stable, clean energy supply and help in the energy transition.
Omniwind's innovative turbines are smaller and quieter than traditional wind turbines and perfect for urban environments. "Especially in the Netherlands, where it is often windy, wind is an indispensable source of clean energy. Our turbines can stabilise energy output, especially during dark months when solar power is limited," Pranav explains.
Stable solution for fluctuating energy demand
Anyone thinking of wind energy quickly thinks of huge turbines in the countryside or wind farms in the North Sea. That things can be different, Omniwind proves with their compact wind turbine. Pranav founded Omniwind in 2021 with classmates Ruby Hsiao and Kathy Vredeveldt.
Wind energy brings advantages as a clean energy source, Pranav explains. "Especially in a country like the Netherlands, wind energy is widely available; in many places it is actually always windy. Solar energy has a big output mainly in the sunny months of the year, and hardly any in the dark winter months. While there is a large energy demand during that period because of colder temperatures. In summer, on the contrary, there is a mismatch, resulting in too much solar power being generated and problems with grid congestion. Wind energy can then play a stable and significant role in the clean energy mix."
Pranav and his team developed a compact wind turbine that looks nothing like a traditional wind turbine, making an impact by making wind energy accessible to a wider audience as a clean energy source. In addition, Omniwind's patent does away with some persistent preconceptions about wind energy. "It is a quiet wind turbine that, because of its smaller size, is extremely suitable to be placed in an urban environment, without disturbing the living environment.
The design is also different: the turbine generates energy by rotating around a vertical axis. Road-side wind turbines have a horizontal axis. This means the wind turbine does not have to constantly move with the direction of the wind. Also, our wind turbine is quiet and safe for birds because they are smaller and seen as one obstacle so they don't fly into it. The turbines can also be placed closer to the ground, or in urban environments where fewer (migratory) birds fly. Unlike the -many- open areas where the larger wind turbines are now often placed."
Omniwind focuses mainly on businesses, but Pranav does not rule out the possibility of Omniwind turbines being placed on new flat blocks in the future. "For now, we mainly focus on business markets, one reason being that it is easier to get the necessary permits to place the turbines on an industrial estate, for example. The real estate market is a bit more complicated, but we see opportunities there too."
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As a true Impact Startup, Omniwind is doing its bit for the energy transition explains Pranav. And this is much needed. "Currently, 55 per cent of Dutch energy still comes from fossil fuels, globally it is as much as 83 per cent! Every kilowatt produced cleanly counts. We also want to be an employer that creates high-quality jobs that contribute to the Dutch knowledge economy. I myself am from India and have worked in different countries for a long time, but here the climate is favourable for startups and we hope to grow steadily."
For now, Omniwind is looking for the first customers to pitch a pilot version of their product. That was immediately their reason for participating in The Connection, Startups For Society's pit event where participants can present their Million Dollar Question to a business audience. Pranav: "Through this event, we wanted to find a pilot customer, a company or organisation willing to try out our turbine for a substantial discount so we can see how it works in practice.
And we succeeded: we immediately got in touch with local companies and municipalities, allowing us to start implementing a project now. After that, we hope to expand this and eventually offer our product on the market."
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