Another reason why Charlestown should repeal its anti-residential wind ordinance

This silent wind turbine for the home outperforms solar panels

By D. García

New LIAM F-1 silent wind turbine

Windmills have been the emblem of the Netherlands since ancient times, a tradition that has not been lost to this day. Far from it, the country has become one of the leading wind energy nations in Europe. 

That said, it is not surprising that this new, smaller, more efficient and quieter wind turbine designed for domestic use comes from there. So, why do you need solar panel at home? You can have a silent wind turbine like this one.

The Netherlands reinvents windmills: an ultra-efficient silent wind turbine

It may be difficult, especially for younger generations, to think of the Netherlands as a heavy industrial powerhouse highly dependent on fossil fuels. However, until the 1970s, pollution due to large numbers of cars and emissions from natural gas and coal-fired power plants fueled a thriving chemical industry.

Air pollution, land scarcity due to its high population density and rising sea levels that threatened to flood its cities led to a sustained effort to decarbonize its economy and diversify its energy sources and industries. Today, the Netherlands is an emblem of innovation in sustainable technologies and policies.

For this transition, one of the key technologies was wind energy, in which today they are one of the main leaders, developing important innovations in this field. The most recent of these innovations is the LIAM F1 UWT, a small and quiet wind turbine for urban use with the capacity to generate between 300 and 2500 kWh, approximately half of the average household consumption.

The new trend in wind energy: generators so small that you can install them on your rooftop

Wind energy is one of the most widespread renewable energy sources worldwide, especially in Europe. However, traditional wind turbines require large tracts of land, with their gigantic blades that generate a negative visual impact, pose a risk to birds and prevent the use of these lands.

This is why the aim is to reduce their size and increase their efficiency in order to exploit the weaker, more erratic winds that flow close to the ground and between buildings in urban environments. One such solution is the hexagonal wind turbines developed by a Scottish company. The LIAM F1 silent wind turbine, developed by The Archimedes, ups the ante in this field.

With a helical design inspired by Archimedes’ Spiral, this silent wind turbine has a diameter of 1.50 m and weighs no more than 100 kg. Its design allows it to move according to changes in wind direction to make the most of all air currents. This enables it to generate, on average, 1500 kWh per year with winds of only 5 m/s.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Charlestown is one of the only towns in America to effectively ban wind-to-energy devices of all types. A CCA-pushed NIMBY ordinance creates so many terms and conditions that even small, silent residential units are effectively banned. No one in Charlestown has managed to get past this self-imposed barrier to this energy source.

Ironically, Dr. Bruce Gouin's Arrowhead Dental showed how vertical axis turbines are not only quiet but pleasant to look at. He placed a group of them as an art installation around the beautiful grounds at Arrowhead. But they don't generate electricity - if they did, they would be illegal.

Ironically, Dr Gouin was one of the most vocal opponents of residential wind power and supported Charlestown's draconian ordinance, an ordinance that needs to be repealed to allow residential wind power.   - Will Collette

Goodbye to the electricity bill: the silent wind turbine you can combine with solar panels

Another key point in the development of the LIAM F1 is the synergy with other renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic cells and energy storage systems. This would greatly reduce consumption from the electricity grid, eliminating CO2 emissions and saving significant costs for the household.

The new silent generator for self-consumption has the capacity to convert 88% of wind power into usable energy. When there is not enough wind, it would be possible to switch to solar energy.

European renewable energy infrastructure will be key to a sustainable future

The European Union’s ongoing efforts to develop and implement renewable energy production systems have allowed us to decarbonize our electricity grids and greatly reduce CO2 emissions. In fact, according to recent reports, we are even said to have produced too much energy with solar panels, causing electricity consumption to fall to an all-time low. So, as you have seen, this LIAM F1 UWT wind turbine could be the future.