The American startup AirLoom Energy plans to implement a fundamentally new approach to wind energy. Contrary to the common practice of placing massive turbines on top of 100-meter towers, the company plans to develop an oval-shaped structure with a height of only 25 meters.
This was reported by TechCrunch.
The idea of the "race track" configuration came from kitesurfing, which the company's founder Robert Lumley is fond of. He first sketched the concept on a napkin during a wind energy conference in Berlin.
According to the idea, instead of placing massive turbines on top of 100-meter towers, the company plans to attach vertical blades to cables that run along an oval track only 25 meters above the ground.
Source: AirLoom Energy.
This concept has already attracted $12.7 million from 21 investors, including Bill Gates.
AirLoom Energy expects that 1 megawatt-hour of generated electricity will cost $13. It is more than 50% cheaper than traditional wind energy.
The new concept will help solve problems with transportation, because the huge towers and blades of traditional wind generators are quite difficult to move from manufacturing sites to installation sites.
The company plans to implement a pilot project with a capacity of 1 MW already in 2026.
Previously, EcoPolitic told how in Taiwan they found a way to recycle used wind turbine blades and reuse the carbon fibers contained in them.
