About us

Norhybrid Renewables AS is a distributed energy solutions provider, dedicated to delivering renewable energy solutions to customers around the world.

We develop our own Wind Turbines, and provide complete Wind, Solar and Energy Storage solutions.

With our engineering and customer centric approach, we are here to help you make the most of your energy production. Regardless of your own consumption, budget and location.

Get in touch today to learn more about what Norhybrid Renewables AS can do for you.

The little wind

The whole world is in the midst of an energy crisis. People, and many companies, are in urgent need of tools to handle it. The fastest solution could be to let the wind and the sun “hold hands”, in order to rely on a predictable green shift.

Once upon a time, Earth was a place without music. No conversations, no people. Just sounds from birds and trees breaking in the storms of autumn. There were mountain slopes, deserts and open seas. The wind howled during the nights, and whispered during the day. The sun sparkled at the peak of the sky during summertime, while it lurked low and teased silently with its natural light during wintertime.

The sun and the wind ruled the world.

Then – humans came along.

We built cities, towers and factories – and we blocked the free wind, and rerouted it. We gave shadows to the landscape, but also figured out how to take advantage of the enormous power that lies within all things natural, and use it to our own benefit. Because the wind pushed sailboats along. The sun made sure vegetables grew from the soil.

But only now and then.

Even though humans became God, and created both flames and spaceships to the moon, it was impossible to use a remote control on the yellow ball of fire that each and every day said “hello and goodbye” once every 24 hours. It was also useless to imagine one could point a gun at the wind and say: “Hurry up!”.

This is still our reality.

Even with all the gadgets, weapons or money in the world, people will never be able to control the sun and wind, or the rain or moon for that matter.

Nature is, and always will be, wild.

But its power is still here. So is its unstable and moody condition. We never know what nature wants or what it will do.

The two biggest questions in 2023 – when the world is reaching a shortage of power and we are no longer able to continue to burn gas and pump oil – are therefore: How can we force the power of nature to become stable and predictable? And how to do it within two, or three years?

Many good solutions, but most take too long

All over the world, factory owners, mall owners, CEOs of hotels or apartment buildings and so many others still use fossil fuels. Maybe they are ashamed, the people who run these operations and companies. Maybe they really want to change to take advantage of cheap, renewable energy. They just do not know where to look. Many might also think nature's power still can't be trusted.

So, is it possible to get access to stable, renewable energy which can both give a predictable energy bill, as well as energy price in general?

Yes. Because there is a very alive and growing underworld of engineers, developers, tech people, and very interesting companies that work hard every day to make a new piece of pastry from old recipes, or who are figuring out completely new solutions to tackle the energy crisis.

The solutions can be diverse and plentiful.

People talk about hydrogen, in all the colors of the rainbow. That's great. But implementing hydrogen for most power stations, airports, factories, apartment buildings and bakeries, will go too slowly. People talk about building safe nuclear power plants to make crystal-clean energy. That's great – but it will go too slowly. People talk about collecting carbon to store it. That's great – but it will go too slowly.

Because all of this is extremely expensive and complicated.

If in any case, we were to produce lots of green energy tomorrow, most of the cables and the grid itself would be unable to carry all that power. In short, there’s not enough space in there for more energy, regardless of whether it originates from grumpy gas or wonderful wind.

– The lack of high capacity on the grid is the bottleneck in today's energy system. That is why it's about time to introduce distributed energy for real. The world needs more “energy behind the meter” as in the use of smaller, local power stations, says Carl Ivar Holmen, CEO of the young, renewable energy company: Norhybrid Renewables.

They make small, vertical wind turbines, meant to support solar panels and batteries to store green energy for a maximum outtake.

Sun and wind, hand in hand.

Sun and wind, together in a hybrid solution

Sun + Wind + Battery = A mini hybrid power plant. One that can provide energy directly where it's needed. Like for a range of commercial buildings, farms or anyone who needs a lot of energy. Anyone can create their own local grid.

– How would such a mini power plant work?

– A hybrid power plant would have small, vertical wind turbines measuring 3.5 meters in height, which work hard at night when the sun is gone and it's dark. Or in the winter, when the sun lies lower in the sky and it's often windier. The solar panels, on the other hand, work harder in the summer and during the daytime. Add a battery that stores the power for use when needed, and you've secured your own, stable and eventually, free energy system, says Holmen.

It's important for those who operate commercial buildings of all kinds, or installations with pumps and fans, or perhaps factories with compressed air and heat, to know how much of the budget goes towards the electricity bill.

It's important to know. The worst feeling in the world is to be left in the dark.

It's all about predictability. Stability is extremely important. One can't go around wondering if all the light bulbs would suddenly go dark in fifteen minutes, the freezer would stop working, or the steam cools off around lunchtime.

– Has no one managed to make green energy stable so far?

– No, but by balancing out the power supply and storing it in a battery, we would like to challenge that claim, Holmen says.

– When can these hybrid parks be ready?

– We already have solar panels and batteries ready for delivery. By early 2024, we will be able to deliver a full-scale hybrid park with wind turbines.

Meet sustainability requirements and boost reputation

"It must be profitable to consider caring about the environment, otherwise it won't be done. If there is money to be saved by engaging in the green shift, it will happen extremely quickly. It would solve itself."

This might be the stand many small or medium-sized business owners have on the issue of sustainability. People who may not consider themselves "environmental activists", but who have discovered that the tiny solar cell they received as a Christmas gift, and later placed on the roof of their private boat, could boil coffee for free. And thus, understood the effect of what even more and larger solar panels possibly could do for larger commercial buildings. The problem for many managers is that they simply do not have extra margins in their budget to take on the big one-time cost of installing many acres of solar cells or a collection of smart mini-turbines.

But! With some official subsidies, and a clear understanding that reduced electricity bills have a positive impact on the end results and budgets from day one, many smaller businesses will also press the green button.

Surely, that must be better than being a hostage to the increasingly fluctuating and unpredictable electricity prices. With the production of your own power, you have a weapon to use against the hostage situation that the energy price can lead you into, or has already.

At the same time, it gives you a license to continue your business. Because every company has some sort of environmental certification or CO2 reporting on their hands. So to be allowed to do your business, these must be met. After all, to drive a car, you need a driver's license. It's the law.

It is all about trying to make the “environmental account” look good and attractive. Show that you have done something. And build a positive reputation.

Also, if enough small businesses help themselves, they also help everyone else. As the power grid is not expanding fast enough, and thus does not have the capacity to carry all the green power that comes rushing in. All small companies can contribute to relieving the power grid by producing and using their own solar and wind energy. Right outside your office door, without the need for huge areas.

Norhybrid under the wings of Hydro Rein

Norsk Hydro is a large global energy and aluminium company that aims to use as much green energy as possible. Hydro Rein, its renewable energy division, was created in 2021. As the name suggests, they will focus on delivering "clean" energy - focusing entirely on renewable power - and are therefore being called up by customers who want help ensuring their own energy supply comes from self-generated electricity, or who want to quickly adopt green power.

– There has been an explosion! The world is embracing the green shift with open arms. We can't move quickly enough if we are to keep track with the Paris Agreement, says Nicholas Martin, Head of Business Development at Hydro Rein.

– The problem is the amount of time it takes to extract new minerals, build new factories, and obtain good producers of batteries and solar panels for anyone eager to be at the forefront of the green shift. We need solar panels wherever it would be appropriate to place them, but unfortunately, a lot of the material still comes from China, Martin says.

So, there is no shortage of new ideas, and many small energy companies would like to grow quickly with the help of Hydro Rein.

– We're only opening up for a handful of pilot projects. Norhybrid has a concept we believe in and they have therefore made it through with us, says Martin.

– Why would you like to collaborate with them?

– The idea that the sun and wind can work together and help each other out is quite brilliant. Such a hybrid solution can be suitable for many of the industrial players we speak with daily. It's Norhybrid's very special technology and small turbines that make this possible. Small wind turbines don't create much conflict, Martin says, adding that it bodes well for the small turbine market, as Germany recently decided that wind turbines under 12 meters will be exempt from needing a permit to be developed.

Norbybrids' mini-turbine is called "Wind 2.0" and is 3.5 meters tall. It is white and sleek and will be placed on poles around 10 meters at uneven heights on top of, or in-between, a solar power plant.

Low enough not to ruin anyone's view of any landscape or sunsets.

High enough to catch “the wind below”.

The “small” wind can also be harnessed

Fossil fuel - in other words, crushed ancient dinosaurs or algae under the bottom of the sea, has been beneficial for many decades. We have simply been able to "plug" these compressed, prehistoric animals and plants into alarm clocks, cars, dishwashers, 737 planes, railways, printing presses - you name it. Simple, fast, and efficient, but it's no longer cheap.

Not for individuals and not for industry.

And even if gas and oil prices were to chill a bit in the future, we can all agree that the price - and the temperature - has become too high for the world to tolerate.

There will be a total green transition. It’s not if, but when.

It has actually already started.

And you don't want to be left behind.

There was talk about the green shift yesterday, so there should be a number of alternative solutions on the table today. If not, we all might just pack up our things and leave tomorrow.

One of the solutions, one of the newest and perhaps most exciting, is called "Nærvind" in Norwegian, which could be translated to “urban wind” or “the small wind”.

Wind power does not have to mean ruined sunsets, dead eagles, and constant noise. Utilizing “nærvind” means using smaller turbines - the size of a street lamp - to capture the breeze. Not just the heavy gusts on the mountain tops or at sea.

“Nærvind” means harnessing energy from the little wind much closer to the ground.

Renewable energy – without needing much space

When we imagine a wind turbine, we imagine the giant one. With three blades, right? Most of those have to reach high up in the wind layers to find stable airflow. This means large wind turbines sometimes stand completely still because there must be a certain kick in the gusts for the big ones to be useful at all.

The lower wind on the other hand is captured by smaller, vertical wind turbines that can be "hidden" in already existing neighborhoods or industrial areas.

Of course, the world also needs a lot of new power from the large wind turbines in mountain areas or at sea. But, there is a but here.

– Rather than building too many wind turbines in pristine nature, along beautiful horizons or on snow-covered mountain tops, we can balance the rollout of large turbines by placing the small ones closer to people, says Carl Ivar Holmen at Norbybrid.

– Wow, closer to people? But "Not in my backyard”, they often say?

– Exactly! The thing is though, a hybrid park will not be visible from your garden or doorstep. This will happen in the 'middle ground.' Where there are already gray, non-controversial industrial areas on the outskirts of towns and cities. The place in-between, where flat industrial buildings and highways are located, says Holmen.

– And here's the genius part. If the turbines are connected to a solar panel system, they can use each other's weaknesses to become strong and more stable together. Anyone in need of power could cover their infrastructure, like the concrete walls or roofs, with power-generating panels, says Holmen.

Norway's minister of energy was recently so inspired by Norhybrid's small wind turbine that he went public with the idea of placing such vertical wind turbines on top of all street lights along highways and heavily trafficked roads "that have little to no conflict”.

If Norhybrids turbine, Wind 2.0, stood and regularly spun on top of street lights along a 320-kilometer highway, it could provide electricity to 7,000 homes per year - or an entire small city.

– This is an exciting technology that I support, said the minister.

But why stop there?

A year of self-produced electricity supply

You ask: Is it possible to become 100 percent self-sufficient for a factory or commercial building? Yes, it's possible.

Lighting up the Eiffel Tower non-stop for a year? No problem.

Mini power parks with 200 turbines, about 12 acres of solar panels, and a battery can provide an output of around 5,000 MWh per year. Exactly what the Eiffel Tower needs. The parks can be connected virtually anywhere and anything precisely because the park is small-scale. But still large enough to meet an institution's energy needs.

– What kind of company can a mini hybrid park make self-sufficient at 5,000 MWh per year?

– A large university center with laboratories, offices, and common buildings. Or a medium-sized amusement park with roller coasters and restaurants. You can provide energy to an entire small village or light up the Eiffel Tower for a year, says Carl Ivar Holmen.

And when does it get cost-effective? The math is simple.

– Let's say you run a large shopping center - such as the average American Walmart Supercenter at 17,000 square meters - with lots of stores that need lighting, heating, and cooling. To be 100 percent self-sufficient with energy year-round, you need just under 5,000 MWh per year, he says.

To achieve this, you need 200 small wind turbines, raised at different levels about 10 meters above, and 50 acres of solar cells, an area about the size of five football fields. The 50 acres can be the building's roofs, all of its walls, or panels covering the parking lots. Solar cells need daylight more than anything else, so only your imagination sets the limits here.

To receive this green "hybrid package" including installation, it would cost 40 million NOK. The investment is earned back in seven to nine years.

After that, you're free.

If you don't have access to five football fields, a smaller hybrid park can still help ensure that you never pay the maximum energy price. Maybe you won't be completely disconnected from the grid, but you can ensure that the price of power is low even when there's no wind, no sunshine and even when nations are in conflict with each other.

Complicated, but someone has to take the lead

The industries are not only concerned about getting hold of stable and green energy. They also want to meet sustainability requirements.

Everyone knows they should buy "green", but do they actually do it?

– There are probably some players out there who engage in greenwashing. There are multiple views on how to deal with this new market. But we have seen that the vast majority have a genuine attitude to stop using oil and gas, says Nicholas Martin in Hydro Rein.

– But that can't be easy, can it?

– No, it's expensive and complicated. But I think the growing conscience of regular people outweighs many of the international top-level political discussions at the moment. You see it with the increasing sales of electric cars, for example. Initially, most drivers were probably just happy to access the bus lane and enjoy the fast acceleration, not offering nature and the climate a thought. But now people pinch their noses when a neighbor with a diesel car drives by, says Martin.

– You can also see it within the major grocery chains in the Nordic countries and in Europe, or with the tech giants in the US, who have all taken the lead and installed solar panels on their warehouse buildings and started using electric transport for long distances. Because they can afford it! This forces more and more people to follow suit and think the same way, says Martin.

– Those who are at the forefront of the green shift may have to pay a little bit more because it is all so new, untested, and technically complex. But in ten years' time, prices may have dropped significantly, and then both you and I could have a mini wind turbine on our roof!

Sunlight at the end of the tunnel

When the sun is weak, the wind is strong. And vice versa. Winter is often windy, summer is bright. Daytime means daylight and nighttime often means gusts. Humans have figured out how to capture both sunshine and storms, and even store energy for later use in batteries.

This way, you can secure your own stable, and eventually even free, energy flow.

This way, you can avoid becoming a hostage of energy prices, sleep peacefully at night, and know the sun will be shining again in your life.

For sure.

Our management team

Experienced entrepreneurs with multiple successful exits, with an accumulated market cap >€300m. The team have had overlapping projects in the past and are now seeking together in Norhybrid.

The team has solid start-up experience with a broad and relevant background in sectors ranging from leadership, international sales, sustainable technologies, supply chain management, energy storage and infrastructure projects.

Carl Ivar Holmen

Chief Executive Officer

Experienced entrepreneur and business developer with MBA from Norwegian School of Management and ESCP-EAP.

Founder and CEO of several start-ups, typically as an early mover in its segment.

Trond Sorensen

Chief Commercial Officer

BSc in Electrical Engineering with 20+ years of experience in building international sales organizations.

Seasoned entrepreneur with solid commercial and strategic background from international growth companies.

Roman Stoiber

Chief Technology Officer

Studied applied physics and business development.

Strong automotive, maritime and battery engineering background.

Co-founder and former CEO of Grenland Energy, acquired by Corvus Energy.

Peder Thysted

Chief Operating Officer

Mechanical engineer with maritime and battery
background.

Various CEO positions in the past, mainly in mechanical manufacturing companies.

Co-founder of Grenland Energy, acquired by Corvus Energy.