Sustainability Problem: how to better harness wind as a renewable energy

While wind is among the top sources of renewable energy, it is also one of the most unpredictable as the behavior of winds near the ground is highly variable. Meanwhile, winds are much stronger and steadier at higher altitudes and are ideal for power generation.

Sustainability Technology: Kite Power Systems to capture wind energy

Kite Power Systems has developed specially-designed kites that can capture winds at high altitude where conventional wind turbines cannot reach. The technology has the potential to provide stable and constant power, eliminating the biggest disadvantage of renewable energy.

• How it works: the kites will fly in pairs hundreds of feet above the ground, such that while one is generating power the other is being retracted. The motion powers a generator on the ground and the energy production is constant.

• Not only it can access winds at high altitude that traditional turbines cannot, the technology is also cheaper and easier to build and set up. In addition, the system is more durable and require less maintenance compare with traditional wind turbines.
• Currently the system is capable of generating around 500 kilowatts of energy, enough to supply electricity for 430 home. The company is on the course to commercialize the technology with a backing from Shell Technology Ventures.

Organizational Stakeholders that Will Use the Technology:

• Utility companies
• Energy companies
• Department of Energy

First 3 Steps in Deploying the Technology:

1. Conduct more trial tests and fine tune the technology with fundings from government energy agencies and VCs.
2. Partner with existing power companies to scale the technology.
3. Identify markets/countries that are prime to first deploy the technology.

Sources:

Kites Could Be the Future of Wind Power

Kite Power Systems

Kite Power: No Longer a Flight of Fancy

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