Chen Liao Hsun has been envisioning a future of renewable energy that individuals can use right at home. His concept, the Wind Cube, would allow each homeowner to install personal wind turbine generators right on the sides of their houses. The Modularized Wind Power Systems could help offset each family’s reliance on grid power, and lower monthly bills.
Wind Cubes can be installed alone or in groups, easily connecting with other units to create a honeycomb tile pattern. They mount sturdily to unseen exterior walls, or on rooftops, and hook right into a home’s energy network. Each unit can generate 100 watts of power, thanks to retractable blades. When activated, they can cull power from even the most gentle of breezes. In severe weather, the blades retract into the wall mount to prevent breakage.
In actuality, Hsun estimates that each cube unit can generate 21.6 kilowatt hours of electricity per month, which equals around 1/15th of the power needed for a household of four. Combined together, the wind cubes could substantially offset a family’s power usage each month. Although still just a concept, Hsun’s Wind Cubes could take individual renewable energy usage to a new level. Although he does not estimate that the cubes could account for all of a household’s energy usage, it’s a great way to decrease power from less renewable sources.
Via Design Boom
That’s impressive, if you have white siding on your house no one could see it at all. I wonder how much it costs to install. But what about townhouses that are connected together that have no side walls, I wouldn’t want to put them on the front of my house.
Surely you need a free flow of air to spin the rotors efficiently. Backing them up against a wall would severely reduce the airflow unless it is proposed to knock air ducts through the wall.
will it mess up my structure? heavy winds, it doesnt retract, then what happens? my wall falls off?
I bet they would look great installed on a lighter colored roof! I could see people doing interesting configurations with them…