Small-scale wind turbines are being piloted at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.

Four LS double helix 1.0 wind turbines, developed by the German company LuvSide, have been installed as part of a pilot project of the renewable energy solutions programme of Germany’s Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action’s Energy Solutions initiative.

“The installation of the turbines in the V&A Waterfront shows how aesthetically pleasing wind power can be, including in urban areas. The use of wind power can help to support the local power supply, especially in the windy coastal regions of South Africa,” LuvSide said in a statement.

The concept behind the LS double helix 1.0 turbines is an innovative adaptation of LuvSide’s Savonius design, enhanced by the addition of two new slats on the original two blades. This modification aims to eliminate gaps in the wind window and amplify the torque generated by the turbines.

“In the past few months our operational team oversaw the installation of four 1 kW wind turbines in the Silo District,” said Petro Myberg, Head of Sustainability at the V&A Waterfront. Installation of the 3 kW unit near the Breakwater parking is nearing completion, she added. “These small-scale vertical wind turbines are not only aesthetically pleasing but their ability to capture wind from any direction and compact size offers the opportunity to string multiple units, like street lights, making it ideal for the urban environment.”

Due to the controller’s volt-step-up function, the four-blade turbine starts moving at a wind speed of 3 m/s. An integrated dump load ensures that the excess energy is reduced at wind speeds above 16 m/s.

“If solar and energy storage systems are supplemented with small wind turbines, they also produce electricity at night or on days with weak sunlight in windy areas. In this way, wind turbines help to ensure that batteries can be charged around the clock, given the right wind conditions,” LuvSide said.

The turbines will be operated for a year during which their feasibility will be tested to ascertain if there is potential to scale up the technology and incorporate it into the V&A Waterfront’s larger sustainability strategy.

With implementation of the first reference plant at the V&A Waterfront, LuvSide plans to expand its activities in South Africa. The company says a key element of these plans is the local production of some system components in South Africa.

“Reducing transportation routes will not only increase efficiency but also the competitiveness of the product in the windy South African market.”