Renewable Devices SWIFT Turbines Ltd
Winner of SMART and SPUR Awards
"Without the support that the SMART and SPUR Awards have given Renewable Devices when it needed this most, the company would not be in the position that it finds itself in today."
The Way They Were
Dr Charles Silverton had completed a PhD at the University of Edinburgh's Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and was working as a freelance consultant engineer on a variety of projects around the world when he met Dr David Anderson a chartered design engineer with many years experience in various industries including the defence, offshore and energy industries.
Both Dr Anderson and Dr Silverton had seen a large number of opportunities to develop accessible, easily installed and operated renewable energy solutions to a wide range of energy consumers including the domestic and business sectors worldwide.
Dr Silverton explained that "although we were entering into a relatively untapped market, it was clear that this was going to be fast moving and we needed to get ahead of the competition. Early in 2002 we took the decision to apply for a SMART Award and to form a company by the name of Renewable Devices to fast-track our technology to the market".
Using the SMART and SPUR Awards
Renewable Devices were successful in winning a SMART Award in 2002 that enabled it to undertake the early stage development of SWIFT, the worlds first truly silent rooftop wind turbine. SWIFT was intended for residential and small business customers offering reduced-energy costs and the need to burn fossil fuels.
Having successfully completed its SMART project, the company then secured follow on SPUR funding in 2004 to progress SWIFT to a pre-production prototype stage and allow field trials of the system.
Dr Silverton explained that "even before completing our SMART project, we realised that we would require further investment to move our early research and development findings through to a pre-production prototype stage. SPUR was an ideal vehicle for this".
The Effect of the SMART and SPUR Awards
The concept of rooftop wind energy generation was deemed impossible before Renewable Devices won its 2002 SMART award to test the feasibility of the concept. The SWIFT has now passed a rigorous independent technical due diligence and the turbine has achieved international acclaim as the safest, quietest and most efficient rooftop wind generation system available today.
Today the Company can boast a workforce of 18 with additional employment benefits to Scotland through its use of local supply chains. Through this strategy it is estimated that Renewable Devices is providing guaranteed work for at least 50 additional people in Scotland.
Dr Anderson said:
"More than 50 companies are chasing Renewable Devices and we are now considered the market leader.
"SWIFT has been adopted by Scottish and Southern Energy to help provide renewable energy to communities across the UK and the Irish Republic and this partnership with the UK's largest renewable energy provider means that the SWIFT rooftop wind energy system is destined for an even larger market enabling lower prices and greater accessibility.
"The results for the environment are also considerable where we have orders that will reduce CO2 emissions in the UK by some 160,000 tonnes.
"Without the support that the SMART and SPUR Awards have given Renewable Devices when it needed this most, the company would not be in the position that it finds itself in today."
Contact Details
Renewable Devices SWIFT Turbines Ltd
Bush Estate
Edinburgh
EH26 0PH
Contact: Dr Dave Anderson
Director
Tel: 0131 535 3303
Fax: 0131 535 3303
E-mail:
dave@renewabledevices.com
Website:
www.renewabledevices.com
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Scottish Enterprise 