Paris' underground system count more than 1.7 billion commuters per year. The system modernises itself but the turnstiles remain the same since their first use in 1916.

We transformed this object to make it able to empower the commuters, turning them into a new source of energy.

Innovation is also the ability to see change as an opportunity not a threat, so in the middle of the energy crisis we wanted to show people renewable energy can be found everywhere.

The result is a positive innovation : transforming the subway crowd every Parisians hate into something they need: renewable energy.

Iberdrola was launched in France in 2019, it’s a Spanish company and European leader of wind energy. As a newcomer they were facing a very low level of awareness. Our mission was to make people know the brand but more importantly know what the brand is here for: provide a 100% renewable energy made with wind energy.

At a time when energy independence is one of the most needed things in France we wanted to show that green and local energy can be found everywhere, and non-renewable energy (providing by competitors) has now a smart challenger.

Iberdrola also wanted to highlight that they are not only an energy provider but also an energy producer, at the edge of wind energy tech.

Since last year in France, the main media topic and concern was the energy crisis with government asking people to make efforts to avoid power cuts and the bills raising for everyone.

It generated a national debate around the energy independence: how to create a local and independent energy production. In this debate actors like Iberdrola must defend the solution they are providing, and wind energy deserved to be presented as a prior option.

In France, we have a saying: we don't have gas, but we have idea. Turnstile Turbines showed people that with a bit an ingenuity and creativity we can produce our own green energy (even in the middle of Paris).

Europe is going through an unprecedented energy crisis with governments asking people to make efforts to avoid power cuts. Crisis are always opportunities to rethink existing things. Iberdrola, the European leading wind energy had a role to play, by reminding people and stakeholders the importance of green and local solutions.

We turned an effort people are already doing into a new source of energy: reinventing the turnstile 4.5 million commuters are crossing every day, by the world first underground wind turbines: the Turnstile Turbines. 14 engineer students built a functional prototype able to generate energy hand in hand with Iberdrola engineers.

The mechanism is directly inspired by real wind turbines system and automatic watch. The design was thought to remind people of wind turbines, to make them understand the new purpose of the object. Prototypes were installed in the subway station Miromesnil, in the heart of Paris.

2 February 2022 - briefing students and teachers.

7 February - students sent the budget and scope of work summary.

8 February - delivering of the 6 real subway turnstiles.

18 February - research and development : weight calculations and dimensions of the flywheel / verification of the determination of the generator / 3D plans of the blades / study of the gear between the turnstile and the flywheel.

24 February - ordering of the main components and printing of the 3D blades in a biomaterial (polylactic acid) and divert resistance tests.

24 Feb to 15 March - divert test and change of components.

16 March - soldering of components in a test turnstile.

16 March - 25 April - many problems to solve, mechanism was broken after several pass, involvement of a constructional ironwork fitter-machinist to produce custom made flywheel in steel and strengthen divert components.

16 March - 19 May - duplication of the system on the 5 other turnstiles.

6 May - 23 May - creation of the program to report live the watts created on the DOOH around the operation.

23 May - real test in situation with turnstiles connected to each others and connected to screens.

13 June 2022 - night installation of the prototypes in the Miromesnil station during the closed hours.

July 2022 - July 2023 - divert PR and influence program.

January 2023 - turnstiles sent to Madrid.

July 2023 - World Economic Forum shared and praised the initiative.

July 2023 - Starting discussions with Mall and stadiums in UK.

September 2023 - new collaboration with the engineer school Junia to build new and upgraded turnstile + a manual to implement it easily in other places.

The system is inspired by automatic watches and real wind turbine mechanisms. The commuters operate the blades as a usual turnstile. It drives a series of multiply gears which rotates a flywheel powering a direct current motor.

- The project was shared and praised by the World Economic Forum.

- It drove the attention of companies all around the world who want to implement the turnstiles : Stadiums in UK, Malls in USA, subway in several other cities around the world.

- A futur installation is planned in Madrid.

- We've made a second year partnership with Junia engineer school to upgrade the turnstile and create a simple open source guide to make people able to build it directly on place.

- The project was awarded in multiple festivals around the world for innovation & creativity.