Windworks

The pitch Windworks created the world’s first real-time blade control system for wind turbine blades, empowering accessible and affordable clean energy. This technology uses on-board sensors and our in-house software to actively adjust the orientation of turbine blades in real-time, improving turbine performance, lifetime and electricity costs. The pain Over 95% of wind power comes from large, utility-scale turbines. At that scale, wind turbines offer the lowest cost of electricity of energy system. At smaller commercial and industrial scales, there are no economically viable wind turbines. Several stakeholders suffer from the lack of on-site clean power production. Currently, the only sustainable on-site power option is photovoltaics, which produce 67% less electricity in winter compared to summer. Energy-intensive industries, communities, and farmers must rely on carbon-intensive and expensive grid power or fossil-based generators to meet their power needs. They face increasingly volatile and high energy costs, and regulations regarding their carbon emissions. Our unique solution We built the first real-time blade control system for wind turbine blades that respond to local wind conditions using on-board sensors and a data-driven algorithm. Smart vertical-axis wind turbines are quiet, fauna friendly and require only a third of the space compared to traditional turbines. They provide socially attractive wind power and thrive in a wide spectrum of wind conditions, enabling on-site power production. Our laboratory proof-of-concept achieved industry-leading efficiency, with power coefficients surpassing the 0.5 mark, and demonstrated resilience to strong wind conditions.