Diffuse Energy

About

Diffuse Energy manufactures compact diffuser-enclosed 500W wind turbines under one metre diameter, designed for rapid tower installation and integration with existing telecom infrastructure to replace diesel at off-grid sites.

Mission

Diffuse Energy is a Newcastle-based startup founded in 2018 out of the University of Newcastle that has developed a novel 500W small wind turbine. The turbine is designed to address prior technical issues of small wind systems, including low energy efficiency, maintenance problems, and poor commercial outcomes. Its micro wind technology is complementary to solar PV and batteries and is aimed at off-grid telecommunications towers and other remote applications such as mining, small microgrids, and farming. The company plans to validate its technology through a demonstration installing turbines at 10 off-grid telecommunications towers across Australia as part of a $922,307 project. Diffuse projects that a nationwide rollout to these sites could displace 17 GWh and 33,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, and estimate diesel and maintenance savings equivalent to $43.9 million. ARENA’s funding support is intended to help scale the operation and prove effectiveness for the global telecommunications market. Diffuse Energy develops compact wind turbines that enclose blades within a diffuser to draw more air through the turbine and boost power while occupying less than one metre in diameter. The technology originated from PhD research by engineers Dr Joss Kesby, Dr Sam Evans and James Bradley, who are now co-founders of the company. CEO Dr Joss Kesby says the company targets telecommunications customers by enabling rapid turbine setup onto towers in hard-to-service, off-grid and emergency locations. Their commercial model removes upfront hardware costs in favour of a monthly subscription to lower barriers to deployment. Diffuse Energy's scaled-down, lightweight turbines are designed to plug into existing telecom infrastructure and replace diesel generation with cheaper, cleaner wind power. The company has secured $400,000 in seed funding to scale production.

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