WindCredible starts pilot phase for self-consumption wind turbines
WindCredible, a Portuguese startup, is to begin a pilot phase for its self-consumption wind turbines from this September reports business daily ECO.
The company, founded by Filipe Reina Fernandes, a GNR captain, aims to produce 50 turbines in 2025 running from different companies like Nestlé Portugal which will have one operating from its premises.
The wind turbines are smaller than conventional ones, and by the end of the year another 10, of different designs, will be tested out at other companies such as energy company Galp, to work out which model would be the best to produce.
The mini wind turbines were developed at the offices of the National Republican Guard (GNR) at Pontinha and will now be tested at Nestlé, EDP, Galp, and Prio.
The idea came about when Filipe Fernandes was given the responsibility of reducing electricity costs at his unit.
In partnership with António Santos, who is a specialist in electronic transmissions, they began to experiment at the weekends with “rather rudimentary” turbines using scrap material.
They were joined by Nelson Batista, a specialist in aerodynamics, and together with Filipe Reina’s father Marvim Fernandes, a mechanical engineer, they all carried out various experiments over the summer of 2022 and started the company WindCredible in 2023.
The result is urban wind turbines with a 1-3KW capacity, standing 2 metres tall and weighing around 125 KG.
The idea is to fix them on roofs or plant them in the ground with foundations and supports. There is a race against time since similar projects are being developed elsewhere in Europe, and the founder hopes to raise €2 million from venture capital companies to add to the €300,000 they have already raised from business angel Simão Calado, Portugal Ventures, and Techstars.
