Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront is leading the charge in incorporating small, low-noise vertical-axis wind turbines into its renewable energy portfolio.
This initiative follows the successful installation of four 1-kW units in the Silo District and an additional 3-kW turbine near the Breakwater parking area within the waterfront complex.
These LS Double Helix turbines have been procured from LuvSide, a German company which has partnered with Energy Systems Africa to establish LuvSide South Africa, aiming to explore and capitalise on emerging market opportunities for both vertical- and horizontal-axis wind turbine solutions.
The small wind turbines were installed as part of a pilot project with LuvSide hatching ambitious plans for the expansion of its activities in South Africa.
“We are already working with the City of Cape Town, the Atlantis Special Economic Zone, and Boardwalk mall in Port Elizabeth on further opportunities,” the group told Engineering News.
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 local market.
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.
The electricity generated at the V&A Waterfront supplements the energy produced by its current solar PV setup. This power is directed into a 30-kW inverter, which is linked to a 45-kWh battery backup system, ensuring a reliable and sustainable energy supply for the facility.
“In the past few months our operational team oversaw the installation of 4 x 1kW wind turbines in the Silo District, and a 3kW unit’s installation near the Breakwater Parking is nearing completion,” said Petro Myburg, Head of Sustainability, V&A Waterfront.
“These small-scale vertical wind turbines are not only aesthetically pleasing, but its ability to capture wind from any direction and compact size offer the opportunity to string multiple units, like streetlights, making it ideal for the urban environment. The units will run for a year, during which time we will test feasibility to ascertain if there is potential to scale up this technology, and possibly incorporate it into our larger sustainability strategy.”
