Crossflow Energy, the renewable energy technology specialist, is transforming therenewables industry with its unique Eco-Tower and roof-mounted wind turbines.We spoke with Martin Barnes, CEO at Crossflow, about the organisation’s technology, its investment journey to date and its plans to drive further investment so that itcan continue pioneering for a better future.
Tell us about Crossflow and its technology.
Pressure is mounting on businesses across all industries to transition to net zero. Indeed, the UK Government has committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050.In order to achieve this ambition, we need to understand what kind of practical approaches best reduce organisational carbon footprints. For me, an important answer lies in the remit of small wind power.
Up until now, small wind has not played an integral part in the race to net zero. The issues around performance, reliability, and planning concerns associated with noise, vibrations and ecology, have held back the wider adoption of small wind technology. The Crossflow Wind Turbine specifically addresses these issues opening up a wealth of applicationsincluding telecoms, built environment, public sector, transport and utility infrastructure, commercial property and retail. Now is the time for decision-makers to pay attention to the untapped potential held by small wind.
We have heard about your exciting work with Vodafone. Can you walk us through your working relationship?
We are really excited to be working with Vodafone. It’s a fantastic opportunity to show how our self-powered Eco-Tower solves the problem of harnessing small wind to offer not just that all-important carbon reduction but also significant commercial benefits. In the case of Vodafone, it will help to accelerate the expansion of rural connectivity, transform energy consumption patterns and deliver significant economic and carbon savings.
Our turbine technology has equally strong applications in other industries, but to have such a high-profile player as Vodafone deploying our Eco-Tower is a major endorsement for our technology.
What potential is there for roof-mounted turbines in the built environment?
While the adoption of solar technologies has become widespread, the potential of small wind has previously been underutilised in the built environment. One of the historical barriers has been the challenge of high wind shear and turbulent environments. In built-up areas, high turbulence levels and veering or swirling winds can cause fatigue damage to turbines. Other factors putting off uptake have been reliability, noise and vibrations.
The good news is that Crossflow’s new turbineaddresses all of these historic challenges, meaning wind power is at last a viable option for embedded renewable generationinto both new build and existing structures: commercial developments, public buildings, as part of road and rail infrastructure and in challenging environments such as remote, ecologically sensitive locations. The possibilities are endless.Indeed, if there is an existing structure already in place, the turbine can be deployed.
Can you let us know about your current investors?
Of course! Our shareholder structure comprises two main international Family Offices and a range of high-net-worth individuals, investing under Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) rules. Their investment journey with Crossflow varies in terms of timings, with some having supported Crossflow since its infancy, and others coming on board much morerecently. And we are thrilled to work closely with each and every one.
Are you looking for further investment?
Yes, we are going out for our next round of investment this quarter.We are looking for up to five million pounds to support the growth of the business through 2022 and 2023. In particular, this money will provide the working capital to support our build programme for Vodafone and other deployments across the international telecoms sector and the commercialisation of our roof-mounted turbines.
It is an exciting time to join Crossflow’s journey as we have reached a tipping point as a business. The technology is developed and proven, and the market potential is significant. With awareness of our brand increasing exponentially, and the net zero agenda driving demand,our market traction is growing rapidly leading to significant sales growth.We have forecast sales in excess of one million pounds this calendar year building to circa £5m in 2023.
Our technology makes small wind accessible and implementable for any industry. In Telecoms, the Eco-Tower has the potential to transform tower infrastructure reducing energy costs and delivering tens of thousands of tonnes of CO2savings. Our roof-mounted turbines deliver highly visible renewable power and CO2 savings, they satisfy investors and strengthen energy branding for retail facing sectors.
The reality is, with proper investment, there is no reason why small wind cannot become mainstream and as commonplace as solar in the race to net zero.
To find out more about Crossflow and its technology, visit https://crossflowenergy.co.uk/
