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  • December 13, 2012

Wind Turbines? Try a Wind Kite

by Dan Stone

Wind power might be clean and renewable energy, but is it efficient?

It turns out that modern wind turbines could use some innovation. The best wind—meaning the most powerful and constant wind—blows at high altitudes. To reach it, turbine manufacturers have tried to build wide, sturdy bases made of heavy steel. Then they’re shipped far distances to be assembled on rural land.

So why not get rid of the base? That’s the premise at work at Makani Power, a quirky wind power start-up in Alameda, California, trying to design the equivalent of a high tech kite. It flies at high altitudes, up to 1,900 feet, and sends electricity back to the ground through a tether. When it’s windy the super-light kite can launch itself, and when the breeze dies down, an on-board computer helps it automatically land.

The efficient turbine being developed by Makani can reduce the waste of conventional turbines.

When we visited Makani—which means “wind” in Hawaiian—just across the bay from San Francisco, we found a company full of self-proclaimed wind-o-philes, people drawn to the power of the air. Kite technology has been around for hundreds of years, Damon Vander Lind, the company’s head engineer, told us. “What’s new here is that we have the technology to harness electricity with it.”

Vander Lind gave us a tour of the concept, and engineer Kenny Jensen showed us how the kite works. Engineers are working on a model with a peak hourly capacity of 600 kilowatts, about enough to power the average refrigerator for a year. The wind wasn’t prime for a test flight the day we visited Makani, but seeing the device up close made it easy to imagine how behemoth steel turbines would eventually be replaced by sleeker, more efficient wind power generators.

The company, housed in an old airport hangar, conducts weekly tests in hopes of scaling the technology. Next up is partnering with nearby utilities. And further into the future, engineers hope, an inexpensive, light, and productive kite anywhere it’s windy.

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There are 6 Comments. Add Yours.

  1. gaurav
    December 15, 2012

    really nice innovation, just have to improve in generating more power.

  2. Joe Faust
    December 21, 2012

    Our kite energy community now stands at over 1000 persons. Open room for all methods is being forward in the growing KiteEnergy book that is AirborneWindEnergy at EnergyKiteSystems.net and KiteEnergy.org
    All are invited.

  3. Wind Turbine Manufacturers
    December 27, 2012

    Airier Natura is a leading manufacturer of Renewable energy products. Established in 1987, Airier Natura is an organization with values deeply rooted in customer satisfaction and ethical business practices.

    Our contributions to the renewable energy industry over the last 20 years, in the form of our high quality solar water heaters and our reliable and robust wind turbine ventilators have helped save thousands of rupees across homes and industries throughout India.

    For more details
    http://www.airier.com/

  4. Johanna
    February 17, 2013

    i still need more clarity on the operation of this kite and their related topics.

  5. Girish Iyer
    June 9, 2013

    With the skills and expertise to design and develop low rpm permanent magnet alternators from 200W – 50KW, my ambition is to provide a one stop solution to really affordable lowrpm radial fux permanent magnet alternators

  6. 行動電源
    June 30, 2013

    My brother recommended I would possibly like this internet website. He was totally correct. This post truly made my day. You cann’t consider just how a great deal time I had spent for this info! Thanks!

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Dan Stone and Spencer Millsap are multimedia journalists for National Geographic magazine. They’re on the move, looking for new ideas and good stories. Tweet them at @DanEnRoute and @Spono.

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