Today’s entry from Greenbang’s special report on UK Clean Tech Start-up businesses is about quietrevolution, just one of the many companies found in the report.

• Founders: Robert Webb (CEO) Richard Cochrane (CTO)
• Founding date: 31 March 2005
• Number of employees: 37
• Turnover: 2008 – £3 million; 2009 – £10 million +
• Website: www.quietrevolution.co.uk
• Investment to date: £4 million so far. A further £6 million investment expected in August.

The UK is a windy place – in fact, windier than any other place in Europe. Predictions suggest by 2050, small-scale wind generation and other forms of energy micro-generation could provide 30 to 40 percent of the UK’s energy needs. The problem is that wind can be unpredictable. In urban areas, particularly, some wind turbulence is inevitable.

Step in quietrevolution, which claims it can outperform conventional turbines because of its vertical axis and active control system. While a horizontal axis wind turbine has to physically rotate into the wind every time the direction changes, quietrevolution’s vertical axis design means wind from a consistent direction to produce power isn’t essential.

The Greenbang Barometer

From 2009, quietrevolution turbines will generate energy at lower cost than grid electricity in key markets. It’s not a new claim for renewables companies, but it is one guaranteed to delight both consumers and investors alike.

Solar panels for the home have already proved that the average householder is keen to get involved with microgeneration, so it makes a lot of sense to turn to wind.

quietrevolution isn’t the first to look at domestic turbines but it’s certainly come up with an impressive design to please the harshest of NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) critics – the turbine itself is a thing of beauty and quiet as a mouse. quietrevolution gets the thumbs-up for addressing the barriers to domestic wind adoption before they’ve really been raised.

• Green certified homes sell faster, higher price