New Airship-Style Wind Turbine Can Find Gusts At Higher Altitudes For Constant, Cheaper Power

New Airship-Style Wind Turbine Can Find Gusts At Higher Altitudes For Constant, Cheaper Power

New Airship-Style Wind Turbine Can Find Gusts At Higher Altitudes For Constant, Cheaper Power The S1500 from Sawes – credit, handout A new form of wind energy is under development that promises more consistent power and lower deployment costs by adapting the design of a dirigible, or zeppelin. Suspended 1,000 feet up where the wind is always blowing, it presents as an ideal energy source for rural communities, disaster areas, or places where wind turbines aren’t feasible to build. The design has grown through multilateral innovation by dozens of engineers and scientists, but an MIT startup called Altaeros, and Beijing-based start-up Sawes Energy Technology have taken it to market. Both have already produced prototypes that boast some serious performance. In 2014, Altaeros’ Buoyant Air Turbine (or BAT) was ready for commercial deployment in rural Alaska, where diesel generators are still heavily relied on for power. Its 35-foot-long inflatable shell, made of the same materials as modern bli…