The Spanish company named Vortex Bladeless recently unveiled their design for a wind turbine that generates electricity without the need of rotating blades.

In what one of the co-designers described as looking like “asparagus”, the turbine uses the force created by natural wind vortices to generate electricity. Basically, if you put an object in the path of wind, it will create an undulating vortex behind the barrier. Structural engineers have understood this for some time, and have designed tall-standing buildings and structures (like the Burj Khalifa) to either withstand or channel them. Vortex Bladeless, on the other hand, designed their turbine to take advantage of this effect.

There are many advantages to the Vortex design. For starters, it is cheaper to manufacture than current pinwheel turbines. It is also cheaper to maintain, seeing as how the design does not involve friction between moving parts. It is also completely silent, and birds can fly around them without fear of being sucked in or chopped to pieces by blades.