While other engineers have been racing to design larger and larger turbines, architect Renzo Piano and Italian energy company Enel have decided to go smaller so that people can start installing them in their backyards.

The major problem with large turbines is that they're way too loud and their massive size tends to kill birds. Having them installed at home would probably also affect property values.

This smaller design measures only a foot wide and 65-foot high, making it extremely thin. The design is based on the physics of dragonfly flight, swapping the three blades for two. When at rest, these blades can perfectly lines up with the central column to diminish its impact on the landscape. And the final design is shaped in such a way that it needs winds of only four miles per hour to harvest energy.





[DesignBoom]