Johannes Schmidtner | Urban Sail
Moritz Walter, Masterthesis 2023
Development of a Modular Small Wind Turbine System to Enhance the Acceptance of Wind Energy in Urban Areas
Amidst the global energy crisis, adaptable energy systems are crucial. Shifting from efficiency to resilience demands exploring alternative sources like small wind turbines, democratising the city’s energy supply.
Urban Sails reimagines wind power with decentralised turbines, offering a new urban aesthetic.
However, concerns about noise, aesthetics, and ecology hinder acceptance. The project introduces a novel design concept for distributed wind turbines to complement larger installations and enhance community acceptance. Using unconventional materials, like expansive textile sails, it departs from the traditional technical appearance of turbines and exemplifies a visually captivating, human-centric technology that seamlessly blends into the urban landscape.
Supervised by Prof. Carola Zwick and Dr. Lucy Norris