Petal Power: Aesthetic, Silent Flower Turbines Could Drive Southeast Asia's Green Energy Shift

Innovation met elegance when Daniel Farb founded Flower Turbines, a company at the forefront of an innovative era of sustainable energy generation. The U.S. and Netherlands-based wind energy solutions company seeks to usher a "windustrial revolution" that may finally drive visible progress in Southeast Asia's green energy targets.

Blooming silently while harnessing nature's beauty

Drawing inspiration from nature, Flower Turbines promises effective wind generation minus the noise that's usually a key concern in windfarms. They also pose no threat to birds and other wildlife since they are easily spotted.

Aesthetics is a major issue in wind energy generation, but Flower Turbines resolves this problem through its tulip-inspired design that combines beauty and functionality. The Azerbaijan Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands described the turbines as "a pretty, eye-catching and unique wind" solution.

Flower power from New York to the world

Farb founded water and wind turbine firm Leviathan Energy in 2008. From the heart of Leviathan Energy, Flower Turbines was incorporated in New York in 2013. The company's subsidiary in the European Union, Flower Turbines BV, was opened six years later in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.

The company's "eco-art" turbine installations can be found in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Israel (Middle East) and parts of Germany, utilizing its patented "bouquet effect" that makes the turbines perform at their best when placed close to each other.

Aside from its beautiful turbines, the company also makes wind and solar e-bike charging stations, which it believes has a significant market potential in the greater Asian region – with Singapore or Hong Kong as suitable launching pads.

To sprout in Southeast Asia – a region with high wind energy potential

Asia is expected to become the global leader in wind power by 2050. Southeast Asia, a region with fairly high wind energy potential, particularly countries with coastal areas, just could pave the way for Asia to hit the said projection.

In an exclusive interview with International Business Times, Farb said Flower Turbines is "very interested" in the Southeast Asian market. While Southeast Asia is, in general, a low wind area except during the typhoon months, "coasts generally have good winds and are one of the key targets for us in SE Asia," he said.

Indonesia was last year's Southeast Asian country with the "highest wind energy potential," followed by the Philippines. When asked if he believes the two nations are prepared to adopt sustainable wind energy solutions such as Flower Turbines, Farb said:

"Yes, I've been in discussions this month with venture capital about manufacturing and sales in Indonesia and with a company in the Philippines about projects and manufacturing."

Indonesia seeks to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, which includes a plan to up the portion of renewable energy in its power generation to 44% by 2030. The Philippines, on the other hand, aims to achieve a 50% renewable energy share in its power generation mix by 2040. Flower Turbines just might be what these two Southeast Asian nations need to achieve their ambitious targets.

The company was recognized as a Top Innovator at a November competition sponsored jointly by the city of San Francisco and the World Economic Forum (WEF) that focused on implementing leading cleantech technologies in San Francisco.

"One of my visions is to use the opportunity to set up a wind and solar charging infrastructure in the city. And of course projects on large rooftops. I think that this project could be a model for highly urbanized Southeast Asia," Farb noted.

Roof installation has proven to be a challenge for solar energy-transitioning companies. Flower Turbines has found some solutions to such problems. "We have patented and started producing solutions for flat and slanted roofs, combined with solar, that are easily adjustable and require no roof bolts, relying on weighting and balance instead," he said.

Planting larger blooms in the Arabian desert

Beyond Southeast Asia, Flower Turbines also has its eyes on the Arabian Gulf as Farb revealed that the company has concluded a pilot for a "large contract for off-grid power for lighting a huge roadway in the desert of the Arabian Gulf." While there could be other options for a desert area to generate clean energy, Farb explained that Flower Turbines offer a competitive and unique advantage.

"Why not solar? Too much dust. Why not other wind turbines? We have a lower starting speed, less maintenance, greater safety at high speeds. In other words, they can be left unattended and expected to function," he pointed out.

Even if just two turbines are clustered together, power is substantially increased and the risk of low wind periods not being enough for lighting needs is eliminated.

Electronic flower power

Farb revealed a "major innovation" for the award-winning Flower Turbines, coming by way of electronic integration. "We have ways of increasing turbine efficiency through electronics, particularly when they are clustered," he said.

With much "unusual productivity" in the past year in obtaining U.S. patents – five patented out of 10 filed – in turbine electronics, the company has set its eyes on this specific segment for development over the next few years.

A sustainable future that combines beauty and efficiency

Spreading word that sustainability can be beautiful and efficient at the same time doesn't come without a challenge. At this point, Flower Turbines is looking for ways to scale up sales and reduce costs through volume production, Farb shared.

Still, the company is on a roll as it has raised a total of $15.5 million following its recent series A funding round where it raised over $4.5 million. The funding round closed on Feb. 22 but Flower Turbines remains open for investment.

With growing support and trust for its technology and problem-solving design, the company is confident that it can "become a dominant player in world renewable energy." At the dawn of a new era in green energy transition, Flower Turbines is redefining energy generation, one petal at a time.