S-Series Vertical Wind Turbines from SIGAS Bangladesh

Bangladesh has an energy problem, and the country is at least two decades away from uninterrupted power across 100% of the population. The Government of Bangladesh has set a target of 10% of all electricity produced to be sourced from renewable sources by 2021. Today, it is at around only 3%. As the situation stands in 2019, Bangladesh does not possess an indigenously developed commercially viable engineering solution to produce electricity from renewable sources at any scale (small/medium or large).

At our organization, we say the wind is blowing. We are a Bangladeshi technology organization, an SME, and we believe Bangladeshi problems require Bangladeshi solutions. We have successfully developed a commercially viable, reliable, efficient, affordable and accessible series of vertical wind turbines. Our ‘patented’ product promises safe, clean, robust, round the clock, and ready to use energy for people and businesses in Bangladesh, at great affordability. Let’s spin some turbines!

Bangladesh has a population of 170 million people. Not one single person out of this population has ever experienced reliable uninterrupted power from the national grid. Rampant mismanagement and lack of innovation in the energy sector means that rolling blackouts can last anywhere between 1 hour and 6 hours in many areas. According to 2018 data, 25% of Bangladesh’s population don’t have access to reliable grid supplied electricity. That’s 40 million people.

The modern world relies on uninterrupted energy for commerce and trade, education, healthcare, and residential housing. The rich can, of course, always afford diesel generators. But whilst the rest of the world talks SpaceX, Drones and AI, the reality for most of Bangladesh’s low and middle income population is reliance on candles, kerosene lamps, and makeshift battery backups. Hence, there is a mass market for us. Whilst solar has had a boom, it can only go so far due to space limitations. The wind blows 24 hours a day in Bangladesh, and we intend to use this single largest kinetic force in nature.

Link to Product Video: https://urlzs.com/HmzQm

The demand for reliable sources of electricity is palpable. It has always been this way. We believe that renewables is the best solution for a country such as Bangladesh. According to our market research, there is a tremendous (!) demand from people for renewable energy sources that can act as substitutes for the unreliable mains electricity. People want freedom when it comes to their power supply. People want hassle free electricity and are willing to pay for it. Bangladesh does not have a purchasing capacity problem, we have an energy problem.

Our market research, which has spanned rural, urban, industrial, commercial and residential areas, has shown great interest and enthusiasm from these mentioned quarters for our product and its Unique Selling Points.

Our product promises a round the clock ‘no maintenance required’ renewable energy source, suited to our climate, backed by a competitive 3 year warranty and an impressive lifespan of 15 years. The product is an ideal solution for urban residential and commercial complexes (using our proprietorial rooftop installation technology). It is also an ideal solution for farmers, energy deprived communities, villages, suburbs, energy hungry industry and industrial parks, and everything in between.

No matter what someone’s point of view is, no one can deny that renewable energy addresses two of the world’s most challenging issues: Energy and the Environment.

For thousands of years, the wind powered commerce and trade, and agriculture throughout civilization. In today’s world of energy uncertainty, we believe the wind promises significant bounty. According to research conducted by United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Bangladesh has the potential to generate 30,000 Mega Watts of Energy annually from the wind. But this assumes use of large mega turbines, which are too costly for Bangladesh.  

Bangladesh has had a solar boom, but wind turbines are nowhere to be seen. We wanted to change this status quo, as a significant market and energy generation opportunity exists. We rapidly developed our own proprietorial technology and moved to prototype in record time. We partnered with a reputable local university to provide us with logistical support and testing space.

In late 2018, despite strong previous indications from the local scientific community suggesting otherwise, we found out that the winds blowing over and through Bangladesh were powerful enough to drive our Wind Turbine.

We quickly patented our technology from the Australian government. We will take further patents as our R&D matures over the next 12 months.

Our technology allows generation of electricity from the wind at very low speeds. That is our first USP. The product is versatile and equally suited for both urban (rooftops) and rural areas. That is our second USP. The electricity generated per unit comes at 1/4 th the cost of government supplied mains electricity. That is our third USP.

Link to Product Video:  https://urlzs.com/HmzQm

We have been granted Innnovation Patent from Australian Government. We currently are in possession of this patent.

We have invented a new method for manufacturing blades for Savonius vertical wind turbines. The resulting blade is modular, meaning they can be connected to each other to increase blade length. The new metal blade is light weight and can operate in low wind speeds as low as 1.1 m/s.

The new method of manufacturing the vertical wind turbine blade is positively beneficial for the following reasons:

• The new blade allows vertical stacking, thus enabling to assemble one large blade from numerous small modular blades.
• The new method reduces manufacturing cost per blade
• The new method does not require expensive Plastics/Polymers, only lightweight metal is used.
• The new method does not require specialized blade manufacturing machines
• The new method does not involve heat/pressure/vacuum treatment
• The new method does not require chemical, resin/hardener treatment.
• The new method creates a product that is 100% recyclable

If more power needs to be generated, then more wind
contact surface area needs to be available. However, increasing wind
contact surface area usually means increasing the size of the blade to
get a single continuous running structure. Increasing the size of the
blade is expensive, both in terms of manufacturing and also in terms of
installation. Our method of manufacturing the blade allows for increasing the blade size of a Savonius vertical wind turbine by longitudinally stacking numerous small modular blades together without any gap in between blade joints.

We believe that our sacred Planet (Pacha Mamma), is slowly reaching a stage where the air, the water, the soil, the plants, and the animals will not be able to sustain the continued pollution and over exploitation. A global catastrophe is in the making. The main culprit is the energy problem and the pollution problem.

We want to promote energy responsibility. We want people to benefit their own economic status, and at the same time care for the environment by adopting to a more sustainable energy posture. We want people to move away from Coal and Gas, and adopt nature's bounty.

For the first time the human species has the technological capability to save the planet. We want to present the solution. Our change model is as such:

Inputs: Technology, Hope for a Better Future

Processes: Research and Development, Marketing the idea of Durable and Hassle Free Renewable Energy 

Short Term Outputs (3 years):  Standard of Living Uplifted by Affordable Clean Energy

Long Term Change (7-10 years): Provision of Sustainable Uninterrupted Power. Paradigm Shift in Energy Usage Pattern and Local End-User Energy Generation.

Current: Pilot Projects Installed in 2 areas within Dhaka City.

1 Year: 400-550 Units of sales (Estimated)

5 Years: 7,500 units of sales (Estimated)

Next 1 Year Goal:

>Design and Implement national marketing Campaign, with 400 units in sales

>Further secure intellectual property with more patents

>Establish significant brand value

>Establish quality reputation in market

>Scale up production capacity

>Streamline Inventory Management System and Logistics Handling

Next 5 Years Goal:

> Significant investment in research and development

> International partnerships

> Improvement of control systems, fail safes, backup systems, auxuliary systems

> Integration of Solar Panels into the wind turbine blades

Next Year Barriers:

>First 100 units of sales

>Securing larger, own production facility

>Streamlining inventory and logistics

>Increase R&D capacity

>Securing further intellectual property protection

Next Five Year barriers:

> Competition with 'me-too' copy cat products

> Maintaining track record of quality and consistency in service

Funding will provide monetary resources for larger facilities, more R&D capacity, and more patents.

We will install our own Quality Assurance system to address quality, based on our engineering and production philosophy.

We have contingencies to deal with competition.  

Full time: 4 Engineers

Part Time: 5 technicians

S. Siddiquee (Managing Director):

>University Valedictorian, 5 time gold medalist from university

>Patent holder

>Previously worked for NGOs, Corporates, Universities.

>Consultant for Armed Forces

Mohammad Rajib Uddin (Deputy Managing Director)

Engineer, Formerly working with Australian comanpies such as Telstra, F1, etc.

Patent Holder

SK Mohaimen Hossain (Special Assistant for the MIT Tiger Challenge)

In Addition, we have in our team, Intel USA Engineers, former 3M Country Head, Chemical Engineers, etc.

We are in talks with:

(1) National Renewable Energy Authority (government org)

(2) Multinationals, e.g. telecom companies, renewables companies

(3) Local Communities

Key Business Process:

Selling a tanigible renewable energy product that is differentiated, patented, quality assured, and priced competitively to strike balance between other renewable energy products. A Just in Time production method is used, where demand pulls production. Minimum inventories and labour intensive processes. Product is designed as a versatile mass market product.

Key Customers (in no particular order):

Residential Home Owners

Industry and Factories

Rural Communities

Urban Commercial Towers, etc

Government

Military

We have very low fixed costs (facility and labour)

Variable costs are driven by demand (advance payment)

Very limited inventory of raw materials or work in process

Just in time ensures current capital is not tangled up in inventory.

Sustainability will be driven by a level of sales that ensure gross profits in excess of fixed costs, or sales that ensure a moderate level of growth. 

We predict a strong growth in sales in first 5 years.

We are facing financial barriers.

More finances will allow:

1) Buildup of production capacity

2) Increased R&D opportunity

We wish to partner with NGOs, businesses, business associations, etc.

Some of these organizations may be:

BRAC

BGMEA

Energy Ministry, Bangladesh

Rural Electrification Board, Bangladesh

Telecom companies in BD

Bangladesh Army Welfare Trust (Shena Kalyan)

We would like to partner with organizations through commercial agreements and MOUs. Sales should be generated from these partnerships.