Metropolis Magazine’s 2009 Next Generation contest challenged designers to “fix our energy addiction.” The winning entry is such a brilliantly simple design that it’s amazing we haven’t implemented it alreadyCalled Wind-it, French designers Nicola Delon, Julien Choppin and

Raphael Menard have drummed up plans to install wind turbines on — and

inside of — derelict electrical transmission towers.

The new additions would pump wind energy right into the grid without

having to develop an extensive infrastructure. If a third of France’s

towers were installed with turbines, the team says, they could crank

out as much as two nuclear reactors — about 5% of the country’s power

needs. That may not sound like much, but it’s a steady stream of clean

energy, and it places the turbines — which are usually considered to be

eyesores — out of the way and, really, makes the transmission towers

look a little better.

Check out more variations of Wind-it down below or to read more on the winning design, jump here.