Should you get an urban wind turbine? “For the planet and the wallets of Walloons, it could be interesting”

On paper, this helical turbine is a dream. But is it a good investment for individuals? The Free looked into the question.

A promise of profitability

The Liam F1 domestic wind turbine has the appearance of a small, colorful turbine. This “windmill”as the company describes it at its origin, promises to produce energy with a “low cost”“reduced maintenance”, “lightweight”and “low noise” and one “low vibration”while having a “bird-friendly design.

This urban wind turbine developed by The Archimedes would be a “more efficient method of producing energy” wind turbine. “This turbine is designed (unlike conventional windmills) to capture wind coming from different directions (at different times) due to its inherent ability to capture wind face to face, regardless of wind direction, by s ‘automatically adjusting to the optimum wind position like a weather vane’, explains the Dutch company.

The design of this turbine, which was invented around ten years ago, “promises a production of around 1,500 kWh per year for a diameter of only 1.5 meters, and optimal operation thanks to winds of only 5 m/s”, explains the specialized site Energy revolution. “These domestic wind turbines, adapted to the urban environment, offer an interesting alternative to large wind turbines, while reducing the noise and visual impact,” assures Walloon MP Jean-Pierre Lepine (PS) to our colleagues in Sud Info. Before adding that he would also like the Walloon Region to grant subsidies to citizens who install this new type of wind turbine in their homes.

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“We have to move the lines and not be afraid to launch new ideas. For the planet and the wallets of the Walloons, that could be interesting”asserts this opposition deputy again. But concretely, “the chances are high that this new wind turbine will fail to keep its promises, and end up in commercial failure”, explains Révolution Énergie. The reason? “Wind conditions in urban areas are very unstable, causing a very strong negative impact on the performance of urban wind turbines.

Should we take the plunge?

The Liam F1 wind turbine model with 1,500 kWh of power is enough to make you dream. In addition to the wind turbine itself, its installation on a mast requires a large quantity of materials. It costs 4,000 euros to own this efficient model. This financial criterion can already chill consumers. Because by opting for the traditional photovoltaic alternative, “it is now possible to have twice as much power, for four times less expensive”assure Energy revolution.

Knowing that solar kit solutions “less expensive” and easily to plug in are also arriving on the Belgian energy market, the consumer can therefore find less expensive solutions.

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But what must also be taken into account are the rules to be respected in Belgium for the installation of energy infrastructure. “In Belgium, individuals can install a wind turbine of up to 15 meters”explains TotalEnergies to this effect. “This height simply doesn’t offer enough wind. A wind turbine only produces energy in a wind speed of at least 3 meters per second. In practice, only our coast, with an average wind speed of 6 to 7m/s, meets this criterion.

Also, installing a wind turbine requires a building permit. TotalEnergies claims that no “uniform regulation does not exist at the moment. Cities and towns make these decisions themselves. Without assurance that this permit will be granted, and the performance conditions be assured, TotalEnergies advises to “put on hold” any domestic wind turbine installation project.

As for MP Jean-Pierre Lepine, asked about the prospect of installing a wind turbine on his own roof, he affirms that this will not happen. “My little house is not exposed enough to the wind, we should rather provide this for more ventilated housing estates”, he justifies. Municipal councilor in Quaregnon (and former mayor), he nevertheless says he is ready to support any municipal financial incentive, if this type of wind turbine also received the support of the Walloon Region.