Wind turbines are great, but it’s also expensive to put the machines where they generate most energy: offshore, where they can make use of the strong, consistent winds that are found over the oceans and seas. This is why several teams around the world are currently looking at replacing the turbine with a cheaper alternative: a kite. On of these companies is the British Kite Power Solutions, currently testing 40m wide high technology kites with 2-3MW capacity, about the same as a 100m-tall conventional turbine. Another company, Altaeros Energies, founded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, aims to use a tube-shaped helium balloon to suspend a wind turbine in the air. Experts say it won’t take long before these kites will be put to good use, bringing energy to us all.
Wind kites show potential as cheap and efficient way to generate energy from the skies
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