WINDLIFT ENERGY 1/2
KITE SURFING FOR AS A MISSION
A cringy-worthy moment of last week came with a big storm along the east coast of the US and Canada. No one even knew what to call it because a storm that formed in the Gulf of Mexico in December was ahead-scratcher. Digging deep to hype it, a news forecaster commented about how much snow the northern tier would get, ‘if not for global warming.’
Anyway, while we were supposed to be “bracing” for high winds, flooding, and power outages, I was thinking about my recent conversation with Rob Creighton, CEO at Windlift. I was imagining their tethered, airplane-shaped drones, whirling propellers scooping up masses of energy from offshore wind, then suddenly reeled into their floating platforms to ride out the storm. It would all happen automatically; sensors and software efficiently do their jobs.
I shouldn’t be saying anything about this yet, because the North Carolina-based company will be the startup profile in the upcoming AIR issue of OwlVoices magazine. But we couldn’t resist offering a sneak peek. Their story is incredibly inspiring for two reasons – a remarkable innovation that takes a relatively simple approach to new levels with a diligently developed “upgrade,” and sustainability that meshes perfectly with user-friendliness.
The tethered system replaces a foundation and tower used by traditional wind turbines, using 90% less steel, 93% less carbon fiber, and 96% less rare-earth elements.
It eliminates the need for the specialized ports and ships needed to get typical equipment offshore and can be used on land. Windlift had the forethought to design a complete setup that fits into one 40-foot shipping container so that it can be transported just about anywhere in the world. That all translates to about a 30% reduction in upfront costs.
Tethered wind systems use lightweight, aerodynamic, flow-concentrating devices, “kites” or parachute-like wings that ride the wind. Energy is generated by regenerative braking – created when a tug activates a brake on the tether’s winch.
Here is Windlift’s exciting difference.
Instead of being at the mercy of the wind, its drones optimize it using autonomous flight control software. Extensive testing and machine learning translate into patterns that capture the maximum energy in a given situation.
Instead of relying on random tugs, their tethers are conductive, sending all that gathered energy directly to a collection point, with a tiny portion used to power the system.
It has the same power density as the traditional wind but with a 50% reduction in the levelized cost of energy.
Windlift sums it up as “terawatt-scale potential, gigaton-scale impact.”
We have seen it time and again when talking with innovators for our pages. Why did Hydraloop catch the attention of the Bowersox Innovation Group, which will now include their water recycling systems in every home they build? For great tech combined with an awesome phone app, of course. Companies like SoMaxHTC and Wildfire Energy take the consumer out of the equation and create revenue streams for municipalities, at wastewater plants and landfills. No matter how amazing a product is, what is it worth if no one wants or can afford to use it?
Creighton and his team are also inspiring for sticking with it for an off-again, on-again decade of development. Eventually, they connected with the US Department of Defense, which fully funded a prototype with a total of $22 million, The military is anxious for that easily-deployed, localized, budget-conscious power system. Windlift is targeting late 2024 for demonstrations, and at-scale deployment by 2030.
