Wind energy is among of the most promising sources of renewable energy, but it has limitations. Traditional wind turbines are large, noisy, and dangerous for wildlife. They also require open spaces and steady winds, which are not always available in urban areas.
A new wind turbine design aims to overcome these challenges and bring wind energy to cities and towns. The PowerPod is a prototype small-scale wind turbine developed by Halcium, a startup based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The PowerPod is designed to collect incoming air from 360 degrees and focus it on an internal blade that is contained entirely within a stationary shell. This makes it safe around kids, pets, and wildlife, as well as more efficient and powerful than conventional wind turbines.
Because of the housing’s Venturi design intake, wind is accelerated into a full-360-degree turbine blade, producing 300 times more energy than a conventional-style windmill.
Energy from All Directions
The PowerPod can also intake wind energy from changing directions or multiple directions at once, which is more common in urban environments. Unlike regular turbines that can shatter in such conditions, the PowerPod can adapt and produce energy regardless of the wind direction. The PowerPod can be hooked into a building’s power grid or integrated with a solar and/or energy storage system to provide a complete renewable energy solution.
One use-case for the PowerPod is to provide backup power for homes and businesses in case of
emergencies or power outages. The PowerPod can be installed on rooftops, balconies, or windowsills and generate electricity from the wind. The PowerPod can store the excess energy in a battery or feed it back to the grid, depending on the local regulations and incentives.
Coming Soon
The PowerPod is still in development and has not yet reached the market. Halcium raised a small seed round in September 2021 to continue working on the prototype and testing its performance. The company has received interest from consumers, businesses, non-profits, and governments across the world who want to use the PowerPod for their energy needs. Halcium’s intent is to produce PowerPods locally with local manufacturing and materials wherever possible, to support the local markets and jobs of the people who are using them.
The PowerPod is part of Halcium’s Meta Energy™ system, a vision for energy independence that combines wind, solar, and storage technologies. The company believes that distributed energy is the future of clean power and that the PowerPod can help make it a reality for everyone.
