Dragons' Den star James Caan believes he has found the next big thing in home energy production.
The ‘Green Dragon’ invested £80,000 in British business Smart Power Products and the money has helped the company to develop the Secret Energy Turbine, an ingenious wind turbine that can be discreetly housed in a traditional chimney pot.
The energy generated from the vertical turbine could power lights and electrical appliances, saving the homeowner money on energy bills and reducing the carbon footprint of the house.
Caan, who joined the panel on the popular BBC Two show in 2007, said: “With the Government targeting a 34 percent cut in emissions by 2020, we need to find a way to make wind power practical, cost effective, efficient and visually attractive. The Secret Energy Turbine does exactly that.”
Great Britain supplies 60 percent of Europe’s wind energy, but the construction of wind farms can be controversial. Many people dislike the industrial-looking turbines being built in rural areas, including celebrity explorer Chris Bonington, who has publicly criticised the wind farms as an eyesore.
Rupert Sweet-Escott, the designer of the Secret Energy Turbine, said: “Wind power remains the most commercially viable and technically mature option for green energy - three times the amount of wind blows across our island than is needed to meet our electricity needs.
“The growth of wind farms has caused pressure groups to question the visual impact of large ‘industrial machinery’ on previously unspoiled countryside, and call for a more attractive and subtle solution. I believe the Secret Energy Turbine offers that.”
Caan’s investment for a 49 percent stake in Sweet-Escott’s company covers all of the inventor’s products, including Airbike, a pedal-driven power system for paragliders.
Chris Wakefield, Sutton coldfield around 1 month, 1 week ago