Introduction
Wind power is one of the most popular forms of renewable energy. The U.S. has increased its wind power capacity 30% year over year during the last decade. As of January 2022, the U.S. Wind Turbine Database contains more than 70,800 utility-scale turbines across at least 44 states.
Large utility-scale turbines aren’t a feasible solution for all areas, though. So a growing number of startups are creating smaller-scale wind turbines that are suitable for residential areas. Sirocco Energy designed a turbine for urban and suburban areas that is quiet, efficient, and affordable. KingsCrowd interviewed Sirocco Energy Chief Operating Officer Anna Pryimak to learn how the company sets its wind turbines apart and how it plans to tackle demand.
Note: This interview was conducted over phone and email. It has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau
In your own words, how would you describe your company?
Anna Pryimak
Sirocco Energy is a high-tech startup that creates a unique wind turbine with the highest efficiency rates in the world and the ability to operate in urban areas near people. Our mission is to give the world the opportunity to use clean wind energy wherever they are. Sirocco wind turbines should provide up to 80% savings in electricity costs compared to grid prices and take up significantly less space than traditional wind turbines or solar panels, making the technology accessible for a wider range of consumers.
Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau
What made Oleksandr Pryjmak and Taras Vodyanyy start the company and how did you join?
Anna Pryimak
They were able to see the great potential of the technology that will change the energy market in a small prototype wind turbine created by Oleksandr. Both Oleksandr and Taras are engineers by education and studied together. After graduation, Taras continued to develop in the direction of business administration and marketing and started a few businesses. Meanwhile Oleksandr gained extensive engineering experience, including working in a company that produced classic wind turbines. It was there that Oleksandr saw the shortcomings of classic wind turbines not only in usage and efficiency but also in production. As a solution to these shortcomings, Oleksandr created a unique wind turbine for cities, which is now known as the Sirocco Wind Turbine. I met them when they applied to the startup incubator I was managing. While we were working together, I just fell in love with the team, the big idea they had, and the product itself. So they invited me to join as a founder.
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Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau
What does the competitive landscape look like, and how do you differentiate?
Anna Pryimak
All wind turbines that are designed to operate near people should have low noise and vibration levels. I won’t go into detail about these points, except to say that such turbines are extremely rare. However, what sets us apart the most is efficiency and price. Efficiency is key, as the amount of energy generated directly affects the payback period of the wind turbine. Almost all turbines on the market are designed for high wind speeds, which works in their favor because to sell more, they indicate a high nominal power of the turbine, and it may seem that the price per 1 kilowatt (kW) of power is low. However, in real-world conditions, with daily wind speeds, these turbines generate significantly less energy than a Sirocco Wind Turbine with lower power output.
Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau
Getting businesses to adopt small wind turbines is a tough challenge. How will you convince them?
Anna Pryimak
On the one hand, this is true. It may seem that the business-to-business (B2B) market is very conservative in its decisions and will have a difficult time accepting something new. However, at the same time, we see incredible businesses that are ready for major innovations, have a deep social position, and want to be the first among those who will change the world. At the same time, they all know how to count money well, so our value proposition for B2B clients is primarily based on savings of up to 80% on electricity costs.The price of electricity varies in different states, ranging from $0.0962 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in North Dakota to $0.4478 cents per kWh in Hawaii. In fact, nine states have a price per kilowatt higher than $0.20. With typical electricity consumption of 620 megawatts per month in factories, this translates into savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars per month. Extra benefits will be positive climate impact, company brand improvement, and tax incentives.
Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau
You already have $80 million in pre-orders. How can you fulfill the demand and how long will it take?
Anna Pryimak
First of all, these pre-orders show a great interest and demand in our product on the market. The key reason for this round is to get funds for production launch. We plan that it will take up to three years to fulfill the pre-orders we have received.
Wall Street has Morningstar, S&P, and Bloomberg
The equity crowdfunding market has KingsCrowd.
Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau
What milestones do you want to achieve in the next 18 months?
Anna Pryimak
The main goal is to launch production and deliver the first orders for our B2B customers. We are also working on our strategic partnerships so that we can reach our goal of giving the world the opportunity to use clean wind energy wherever they are as soon as possible. Additionally, we are expanding our team with top industry professionals and expanding the patent portfolio.
We look forward to seeing where Anna and her team take the company.
About: Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau
Léa is passionate about impact investing and sustainability. Prior to KingsCrowd, she worked for Stanford’s accelerator, StartX, helping to select the most promising entrepreneurs. She also led the first award-winning study on the Malawian startup ecosystem. In her free-time, she volunteers to help entrepreneurs in Cameroon, Brazil and Colombia. Léa holds a degree in Anthropology from France and is currently enrolled in the UC Davis MBA program.