WHY AIRBORNE WIND ENERGY?

1.2 Billion People Are Without Access To Electricity.  That’s a staggering number.

In response to this problem, many countries, including the US, are forming energy policies that will focus on the increased development of renewable energy technologies.  AWE, known as Airborne Wind Energy, is one such technology that is gaining recognition as an alternative renewable source for power generation because winds at altitude are consistent and accessible across the globe.

AWE allows us to tap into wind resources that are not feasible for traditional systems. Airborne wind has an advantage over those traditional wind turbines because the AWE system can reach higher altitudes thus accessing more reliable winds and producing up to 4X more power.  AWE technology can be portable which alleviates the need for a concrete base, a tower, and a significant capital investment in the overall traditional system.  AWE isn’t a new concept but is now feasible due to advancements in composite materials and GPS guided instrumentation.

HOW IT WORKS?

eWind has developed a cost-effective airborne wind energy system (AWES) called TED (Tethered Energy Device). Our wind energy generation system uses a TED to access more consistent, reliable winds at higher altitudes than those reached by traditional wind turbines. TED flies crosswind in a reel in/out path, which causes the tether to turn a generator on the ground to produce electricity.

Our first generation system is scaled for use on farms and will produce 12kW (peak) and 40,000 kWh annually (average).  That’s enough for an entire farming operation or about 5 American homes all from one device that fits on the back of a pickup truck! We are currently in the testing stage, improving our TED’s design.