Giraffe 2.0 is a Hybrid Wind-Solar Power Station & Carport

The Giraffe 2.0 wind-solar power station is ready to charge anything from your e-vehicle to your home with wind and solar energy. It is comprised of a wooden structure supporting 24 solar modules as well as a wind turbine mounted at a 12 metre height. The design of the solution was released in 2014 at the largest design exhibition in Asia - Business of Design Week in Hong Kong. 

The Giraffe 2.0 wind-solar power station is suitable for a variety of applications. It can charge a summer cottage, a house, provide hot water, light, power electronic equipment - either connected to the grid or in remote locations, e.g., replacing diesel generator (with a suitable battery backup). In urban environment Giraffe 2.0 can function as a charging spot for electric vehicles, as a bus station (self-contained or utility-connected) or as an educational renewable energy installation.

 

Awards

Award by the Wind Energy Association of Sweden in July 2016

 

The Giraffe 2.0 has obtained an International Consumer Label based on the Certification by SP Technical Institute of Sweden

 

European Commission has awarded the "Seal of Excellence" to the Giraffe 2.0 as an EV charger project

 

Product of the Show Award at the Energy Show 2016 in Ireland

 

 Grant by the Energy Agency of Sweden for the development of the Giraffe 2.0

Notable Installations

Installation at the global climate conference COP 22 in Marrakesh

 

Installation at the world-class research facilities ESS & Max IV Lab near Lund, at the Science Village Visitor Centre

 

Installation Process

The first installation of the Giraffe 2.0 wind-solar power station took place at the end of 2014 in Västra Hamnen (Malmö) at the InnoVentum Demonstration and Testing Site for Renewable Energy Technologies. The installation process is relatively quick and easy once all parts of the construction are assembled (i.e., the wooden "skeleton" mounted on the foundation and the arches complete with solar panels). You can see the installation videos below.

Performance

The Giraffe 2.0 wind-solar power station is able to produce 10 000 - 20 000 kWh per year (depending on the wind speed and insolation level) providing power 24 hours a day, all year round. Special positioning of PV panels allows for stable energy production and gives solar energy during at least four (!) additional hours compared to a classic PV mounting.

Wind Turbine Certification

The wind turbine is certified according to all leading international certification systems

(which makes it eligible for all existing subsidies):

Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) in the UK

AWEA certification in the USA

Class NK Certification in Japan

Technical Specifications

Parking spaceTwo cars/EVs
Annual production*20 000 kWh
EV mileage per year45 000 km x 2 cars
Footprint24.6 m2
Structure dimensions (W x L x H)4.1 m x 6.0 m x 11.9 m
Energy density813 kWh/m2

 

* - at an average wind speed of 6 m/s with the 5.5 kWp turbine and 8.0 kWp Solar

 The Advantages of Hybrid Wind and Solar Installations

Wind and solar energy are highly complementary: wind energy is generated mostly during nights and cooler months of the year, whereas solar energy is only generated during daytime, especially in summer months. There are more factors than simple availability of solar insolation that contribute to this complementarity: the air has higher density during winter months and at night, increasing the amount of wind energy generated. Plus, based on climate studies, stable strong winds that make wind energy generation possible, are prevalent during nights and cold months of the year.

In this way, energy produced by a hybrid wind-solar power station has much more even flow compared to pure wind or pure solar installations, thus solving the inevitable sinusoidal curve problem that is regarded as the drawback of renewable energy.  Such complementarity is the main principle utilised in a hybrid construction like the Giraffe 2.0.

 Financial Incentives

Apart from providing energy around the year, the Giraffe 2.0 gives you the opportunity to benefit from subsidies for both solar and wind installations. Please check your local legislation on this account. For example, in Sweden it allows you to qualify for the PV installation support by the Swedish Energy Agency – where up to 30% of total PV system cost can be reclaimed. You can read more here.

 Installation Case

 Photos and Articles

 Marketing Literature