Windcredible is a Portuguese startup focused on developing a solution to the need for decentralised energy generation in urban environments with the use of wind energy. The Windcredible founding team is made up of Filipe Fernandes, CEO, António Santos, COO, and Nelson Batista, CTO.

Filipe explained: “We are doing this at a very different scale than most people are used to seeing. We're building something that can be installed at your place, in your office, in your show building, or right down the street. It is something that is near to you, producing energy where you need it and where you consume it.

“We are developing three different models, two of them are already prototyped. The goal is to have an additional third model with even more capacity, not only focusing on urban areas, but also industrial areas.”

Windcredible have three sizes of wind turbine, the Nano, Urban, and Farm:

• Nano: the Nano generates 100W of power, and it stands at 1.2 metres. This size is designed for off-grid use, like camping and outdoor activities
• Urban: the Urban model generates 1kW of power, and it stands at
• 2.4 metres. The Urban model has been designed to service homes, hotels, offices, storehouses, and service stations. On average, this turbine creates 20-50% of the average household energy demand
• Farm: the Farm model generates 10kW, and it stands at eight metres. This size model is designed for use in solar farms, industry settings, and within critical infrastructure

CTO, Nelson, discussed the design process of this unique innovation: “When I started on these new designs, the goal was to develop a wind turbine for the urban environment. It is completely silent, it rotates at a very low rotation compared to competitors, which reduces the vibration, and it’s efficient at low, medium, and high wind speeds. It self-starts at 2m/s, which is unique.”

António spoke about the founding days of the company: “We were working in our HQ on solutions to complement the solar installation we already had. We started building some sort of wind turbines with scrap from our HQ. Nelson had this beautiful design that he developed, and from that, we scaled up the design.”

“The shape has been a long time in the making, and that’s been the subject of study for Nelson,” Filipe mentioned. “Nelson has been optimising every shape, every corner, and every angle, to make the design fulfil what was needed, mostly being silent and efficient.

“We already had solar heating panels, and we were trying to find an additional component, because it was very windy, and in Portugal, no one was making, selling, or distributing small wind turbines. That was when we clicked, why don’t we do it ourselves?”

And this questioning led to the founding of Windcredible.

The challenges so far

Creating a piece of hardware comes with plenty of challenges.

Filipe explained: “The biggest challenge so far is the challenge of the scale. It’s very different developing the smaller model to developing the larger ones.

“Building a physical product has direct implications with everything that is around it. So, building and designing a turbine that can withstand the winds that we've seen, that was a challenge.”

The supply chain and the costs surrounding the development of a hardware product can also be a challenge, especially when still in the early stages. Filipe discussed: “Everything is expensive and takes longer than expected.

“We are ordering very small batches, and most producers want to have a steady workflow and not work in small quantities. So, there is a challenge facing scale. The cost of the technology, that we need to reduce, is connected not only with scale, but also the manufacturing process. Moving from a prototype to a full-fledged product with an industrial supply chain, that is the challenge that we are facing today and are currently finding solutions to.”

Flying high

“I think one of the biggest highlights was its maiden voyage. When we first saw it spin, assembled it fully, and let it out into the world. That’s one of the most amazing feelings,” Filipe beamed.

“Today we already have a model installed in Nestlé headquarters, and in the Port of Lisbon. It really makes us proud to see the equipment that was all made by our team installed. The design was all made internally. With a small team being able to make this happen, that fills me with pride.”

Where the wind blows

Windcredible’s goals for the next year are well defined, and its goal is to bring these wind turbines to the market officially.

Filipe said: “We’ll start with increased sales and piloting the smaller model. We will also finalise the design of the mid-sized model, in terms of the electrical components, advanced certification, and operating in Portugal.

“So, the big goal is to certify the products and start selling them, and not only in Portugal. We also have this big goal of developing the bigger size model that will be very useful in the future for communities, and the economy as a whole. So, the challenge is not only going to market with one of the models that we have but also to develop the bigger models for future applications.”

Windcredible is set on blowing away the wind energy market with its innovative wind turbine models, and we look forward to seeing its turbines popping up across the world.

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2025 issue of Startups Magazine. Click here to subscribe