Almost 'Free' Electricity? These Turbines Can Power Houses for a Lifetime at Low Costs

A startup in India has designed a turbine that brings wind power to households at only a quarter of usual costs. Avant Garde Innovations (AGI) promises these turbines can provide maintenance-free energy for years to come.

According to the Economic Times, the clean energy startup has finally filed a patent and was recognized by the United Nations Foundation. Their turbine can generate power at low wind speeds. Its one-kilowatt-capacity equipment can provide five units of power daily, enough to power a middle-income household.

The best part is that their turbines only need Rs 50,000 or $750 to make. 

The duo behind AGI, brothers Arun and Anoop George, seeks to help India achieve renewable power dependency, something its other counterparts in Europe are already doing.

At present, India plans to its green energy generation capacity to 175 GW by 2022. Its renewable power generation capacity presently accounts for less than five percent of the country's total capacity.  

If the concept comes to fruition and other people start pitching in, then India may achieve fossil fuel independence in a few decades.

The Georges added they are also being approached by other venture capital groups as investors said their design can be modified to support tidal turbines as well. They are also receiving various distribution proposals from other countries.

Anish De from KPMG said that wind turbines that generate 1,000 KW of power would cost around Rs 70 million. Smaller installations would cost more, and the Georges' concept may be godsend.

However, experts such as SP Gon Chowhdury told India Times that the efficiency of the equipment still depends on the volume of energy generation and cost savings. If generation and savings are larger than those generated by bigger turbines, then the AGI turbine is a good concept. It also has to be carefully placed, as wind power works best on seashores or places that cities are not built close to.