HIGH FLYING WIND

Can This MIT Start-Up Challenge Google's High-Flying Plans for Wind Energy?

Maxx Chatsko, May 25, 2014 (The Motley Fool)

“…[A]n MIT start-up has its own plans for the future of tethered wind power. Altaeros Energies has developed the Buoyant Air Turbine, or BAT, to compete with the fixed-wing Airborne Wind Turbine, or AWT, from Google-owned Makani Power…[H]igher-altitude winds are faster and more consistent than those in lower altitudes, the costs associated with installment and production are greatly reduced, and the number of economical sites for wind energy increases substantially…Altaeros and Google are pursuing radically different commercialization strategies. The 30-kilowatt BAT is not designed to compete with or replace conventional tower turbines…Altaeros will commercialize its technology platform [at projected electricity costs of just $0.18 per kilowatt-hour] in pursuit of rapidly deployable applications in remote regions…The market opportunity is actually quite enormous, encompassing rural communities, agricultural operations, disaster relief, military efforts, offshore power applications, and more…Google, on the other hand, aims to disrupt tower-based turbines and steal power-generating customers…After successfully demonstrating a small 30-kilowatt AWT, the company is pursuing a utility-scale product with a capacity of 600 kilowatts…” click here for more

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