A unique vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) installed today at a Hull firm’s new head office is set to play a major role in the generation of renewable energy at a radical eco-friendly Commercial Design Centre in Kingston-upon-Hull.
This Commercial Design Centre is home to InterTech Media UK Ltd., a leading commercial design company, which designs and builds creative commercial environments for a customer base which spans six continents. The 16,000 sq. ft. purpose-built facility was designed in-house by InterTech and utilises a number of state-of-the-art technologies to minimise energy costs.
The revolutionary wind turbine from British manufacturer Quiet Revolution Ltd. was recently installed by Sitec Infrastructure Services Ltd. and will be used to offset the energy costs required to power the state-of-the-art building. The innovative helical blade design – which looks more like a piece of modern art than a wind turbine – is capable of producing energy in built-up areas and, unlike traditional horizontal turbines, can collect wind from all directions.
The new wind turbine arriving at InterTech on a frosty January morning
Director at Sitec, Chris Evans, commented: “We were delighted to be asked to supply and install this turbine; it is a stunning design and will perform well in this location and, along with the other renewable energy solutions incorporated into the design, will be very effective in generating renewable energy for the building.
“The vertical axis design of the Quiet Revolution turbine offers key advantages over conventional horizontal turbines, including better performance in urban settings, low noise levels and improved aesthetics, which was particularly important with this project.”
The 3-bladed turbine rotor can be hydraulically lowered, for easy maintenance
Raising the turbine rotor on its mast using an hydraulic jack
In addition to the wind turbine, the building also benefits from the inclusion of solar panels on the roof, thermostatically controlled ceiling fans to circulate warm air back down to floor levels and energy efficient LED lighting, which is used throughout the building’s offices, showrooms and warehouse facility.
Managing Director at InterTech, Andrew Fenton, added: “We used this new build opportunity to concentrate our designs on creating a modern and functional building which would be as energy efficient as possible.
“The building features a number of innovative technologies to keep the amount of energy generated to an absolute minimum, but one of our main energy saving solutions was the installation of the Quiet Revolution wind turbine.
The new Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) installed at InterTech, Hull
“When running at full capacity, we’ve calculated that the turbine, on its own, will contribute to around 48 per cent of the building’s annual power consumption. To us, the turbine, along with the other energy saving devices, represents a strategic investment and shows that an individual business can make a deliberate and pro-active contribution towards generating and saving energy.”
Recording the final moments after the installation of the wind turbine is completed
