The groundbreaking Aeromine technology was invented by Danish natives Dr. Carsten Westergaard and Martin Manniche, who teamed up with climate technology veteran David Asarnow to found Aeromine Technologies in the U.S. The solution leverages aerodynamics to capture wind traveling up and over a building’s roof and convert it to renewable electricity. The EUDP, which funds new green energy technology projects, selected Aeromine based on nine criteria, including innovation height, climate-policy targets, and commercialization potential.
Aeromine marks the latest chapter in Denmark’s long history of wind power innovation, introducing smaller, motionless wind energy units that do not rely on traditional wind turbines. Aeromine’s silent rooftop units are easy to install and seamlessly connect to a building’s existing electrical and solar energy infrastructure. With manufacturers and building owners working to reduce carbon emissions while grappling with the rising costs of traditional energy, the product is a welcome new solution that addresses both issues.
“Aeromine offers a huge step forward to help business and building owners along their journey toward energy independence and Net Zero carbon emissions,” said Dr. Carsten Westergaard, Aeromine’s CTO and Founder. ”We are proud to receive this grant in a country where big wind energy technology was pioneered, and the world’s leading onshore and offshore wind energy companies originated. This will help us expand this new technology across Denmark and other parts of Europe.”
Founders Westergaard and Manniche created Aeromine as an alternative to wind energy solutions that rely on turbines and require large open spaces for wind farms. The technology leverages aerodynamics similar to airfoils on a race car to capture and amplify each building’s airflow to generate around-the-clock energy in any weather. The space-efficient units can easily be installed directly on the roofs of commercial buildings, including apartments, offices, warehouses, port terminals, hospitals, retail centers and nearly any large building with a flat roof.
The project will investigate the connection between wind conditions and Aeromine energy production in built-up environments.
Professor Christian Bak, Head of the Airfoil and Rotor Design Section at the Technical University of Denmark, explains. ”DTU Wind will perform flow modelling for different building types and measure the performance of the Aeromine to derive improved algorithms to estimate the energy production and the optimal rooftop placement.”
”We are receiving a huge amount of interest in the technology and are ramping up production to meet demands,” said Aeromine Co-Founder Martin Manniche. ”Wind is the most reliable energy source available, but until now, it hasn’t been a great fit for local business owners. Combined with solar, Aeromine can make a huge difference for businesses and the environment.”
The silent wind harvesting devices produce green energy without spinning turbine blades and then transfer the power directly into the building’s electrical system without requiring complicated conversions. The Aeromine devices have no visible moving parts, are durable, and neither make noise nor shake. Systems typically consist of 20-40 units installed on the edge of a building facing the predominant wind direction.
Designed to integrate seamlessly with existing rooftop solar solutions, Aeromine’s wind units combined with solar have the potential to produce 100 percent of a building’s energy needs while minimizing the need for energy storage.
Aeromine’s Managing Director of Europe Claus Loenborg adds, “Aeromine is a great complement to both solar energy and decentralized land and sea wind farms and has the potential to quickly increase the share of renewable energy in the overall energy mix. Because Aeromine units produce energy locally where the power is used, they reduce pressure on the overall electricity grid and eliminate the environmental impact from transporting energy over long distances to where it is consumed.”
The Aeromine system can utilize a small footprint on a building’s roof, requiring just 10 percent of the space typically used by solar panels and leaving ample room for existing solar and utility infrastructure. It provides commercial property owners, also facing rising feature demands, with a compelling new tool.
