As we face a global energy crisis, many are looking for sustainable alternatives. From wind to solar to hydro, there is an array of possible sustainable energy resources that could replace traditional pollutants. Many European countries have adopted wind turbines as their sustainable solution. If you take a drive through rural France, you’re sure to find hundreds of massive wind turbines propped in the fields like… flowers.

A company in Amsterdam has taken that notion and put it into motion in an urban setting. NL Architects, who have been exploring the advancement of wind power since 2006, have developed a street light-type concept for smaller wind turbines. The “Power Flowers” are mounted in groups of three or 12, the website states.

These funny-looking turbines are almost tree-like, having one central bar accommodating about seven branches equipped with wind turbines on the tips of each attachment. The company says that the “wind trees need less space, can be installed where the power is actually used, create very little noise, do not need to be directed into the wind and have an interesting and aesthetically pleasing design.”

The company also says that Power Flowers can be easily integrated into a dense urban situation and are comparable to cell phone towers, lights, electric poles and art sculptures in terms of amount of space used.

“Domesticating wind energy into a form that can be used as distributed generation, we can make wind power more accessible for everyone and as easy to integrate as rooftop solar systems,” the website states.

Flower power may end up having a very different meaning for a different generation. One the original flower power generation will likely highly approve of.

Submitted by Aly Thomson, Freelance Reporter
www.alytomson.com