When you think of wind turbines, they are often large and not something one would call 'stylish' or 'blending in with the surroundings'. The French company, however, came up with a technologically brilliant solution that is also pretty to look at! They created a small modular unit, a micro turbine that resembles a green leaf — known as the Aeroleaf®, comprised of a ver-cal-axis blade and a synchronous axial-flux permanent-magnet generator — to harness and exploit even the slightest airflow. It is triggered already at 2 meters per second. The small units are then set up according to the nature of the wind source for maximum efficiency. In the urban areas, the Tree Vent does try to blend in by looking like a tree, rich with green, rotating 'leaves'. And when you look at the pictures, it does a pretty good job.

The structure and trunk are 10 meters high, measuring 8 meters in diameter. The number of modular units to be used on the ''tree'' is adaptable to the consumer's needs, ranging between 500 W and 3 kW. Depending on its location, the New Wind turbines can produce 2400 kWh annually.

"I created NewWind in the hope of empowering each and everyone to appropriate his or her means of energy production, beginning with the urban space, where all bets are now placed. Beyond any mission statement, there is a vision — to put an end to renewable energy intermittency. How? Well, by coming up with solutions combining various natural resources — wind, light and heat from the earth," explains Jérôme Michaud-Larivière, Chief execu-ve officer of NewWind R&D. 

Between March 12 and May 12, 2016, a NewWind tree was tested in Paris's Place de la Concorde. Now in September, approximately 40 more structures will be installed all over France.

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