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Airborne Wind Energy 2019-2039

In-depth interviews, appraisals, technology roadmap, forecasts

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This report is for investors, developers, manufacturers and product and system integrators, potential operators, regulators and competitors. It covers over 40 organisations with thorough responses to developer interviews, some running to 35 detailed questions and previously unpublished presentations.
 
With the legendary IDTechEx thoroughness, the presentations at IDTechEx and other conferences on the subject and many other inputs are distilled into technology roadmaps and forecasts from a neutral point of view - there is good and bad here. Globe-trotting, multilingual IDTechEx analysts continuously research, appraise and benchmark what is going on and mistakes of the past such as over forecasting and promising to crush conventional wind power head on. Most IDTechEx analysts are PhD level and steeped in other next generation power such as wave, tidal stream and advanced solar which helps in technical interviews and reality checks.
 
Learn how AWE is a new wave, zero emission generator - mobile, no infrastructure and often capable of managing with little or no energy storage: it approaches base power if it can be made reliable. In 2018 AWE moved from mainly engineering-led projects seeking size and, on the other hand, modest sales of hobbyist systems to something in-between that is far more promising - first sales of 30-100kW systems into key verticals. Careful niche marketing of multiple benefits into farming, military, desalination and more now promises billion dollar sales. Learn how it will help to replace diesel gensets and leverage grid defection.
 
The Executive Summary and Conclusions gives definitions, players, regional differences, technology winners. Learn losers and trends, addressable markets and forecasts to 2029 with a view of 2039, for this is exponential. See it in easy-to-grasp infograms. For example, one shows the altitude vs kW output and target markets of most of the participants' systems today, where they will be in future and the considerable implications of that. Safety, wild life, real estate needs and more are analysed. The independent IDTechEx forecasts are compared with those of participants and their forecasting track record.
 
Chapter 2 Introduction puts it in context with emphasis more on needs, emerging competition from different technologies and other current issues rather than historical nostalgia. Understand the new world of off-grid, continuous zero emission power with rapid site approval and installation time but also how the new inventions do not directly compete with what went before. What are the societal and technological megatrends impacting all this?
 
Chapter 3 is the most detailed of all, with profiles and extensive responses and thorough appraisal of the 19 most interesting projects. Compare technologies, plans, impediments to progress and predictions of all of them. New infograms and photographs detail latest achievements and learning. Many choices are appraised: fit-and-forget supercapacitors or batteries, airgen or groundgen, helical trajectory or figure of eight, wind farm sold to huge companies or single systems sold to others, LIDAR, present and future materials. Autonomy is important but for how much of the market and precisely what autonomy? Based on facts and expert opinions, choose no fly zones with flights up to 2000 meters, sharing air space under air traffic control or low inefficient flights. Are two drones on a Y tether a realistic breakthrough to come or groundgen rotating reel? What are the many user propositions that can be more important than the cost of electricity produced? What other purposes can AWE systems serve for multiple paybacks? Is killing bats and birds an issue? Will lightning kill people at AWE? Will storms and weaknesses cause unacceptable down time? How should you electrically drive drone actuators and lighting? It is all here in the voices of both IDTechEx and the participants.
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1.EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
1.1.Purpose of this report
1.2.Definition and primary features of AWE
1.3.Justification
1.4.Researchers and developers
1.4.1.Global spread
1.4.2.Most admired/ likely to succeed and cited impediments
1.4.3.Patents 2017-8
1.5.Next generation zero emission electricity : goodbye intermittency, batteries, infrastructure
1.6.Technical options
1.6.1.How to fly and where to generate
1.6.2.AWE leverages proven technologies which provide lessons and roadmap
1.6.3.AWE uniquely compact and mobile
1.6.4.Main AWE options
1.7.Choosing between kite, drone and other options
1.8.Some benefits and challenges of AWE
1.9.The altitude conundrum
1.9.1.Choice of altitude
1.9.2.Choice of wind speed
1.9.3.Choice of region to get the desired wind power
1.9.4.Where AWE can be better than a conventional wind turbine
1.9.5.Altitude of AWE vs power over cycle: approximate for clarity of images
1.9.6.AWE autonomy essential for over 90% of the market
1.10.Choice of marketing
1.10.1.Engineering led approach
1.10.2.Marketing led approach making new things possible:
1.10.3.Two very different needs for AWE
1.10.4.At high grid power, a solution looking for a problem
1.11.Assessment of 25 non-academic AWE developers on 13 criteria
1.12.Forecasting methodology and lessons from benchmarking
1.12.1.Overview
1.12.2.Benchmarking: zero emission electricity production using tethers Wave vs AWE
1.12.3.Wave power experience today will be followed by AWE
1.12.4.Solar wins for most on and off grid
1.13.Forecast: AWE systems 10kW and above 2019-2039
1.13.1.Changing attitudes
1.13.2.Forecast: AWE systems 10kW and above
1.13.3.Technology and applications timeline: AWE systems 10kW and above 2019-2039
2.INTRODUCTION
2.1.Definition and market drivers of energy harvesting
2.2.Energy harvesting systems
2.3.Features of energy harvesting
2.3.1.Characteristics
2.3.2.Low power vs high power EH features
2.3.3.EH transducer principles and materials
2.3.4.EH technologies by actual and potential usefulness
2.3.5.Challenges of EH technologies
2.3.6.EH technology choice by intermittent power generated
2.3.7.EH conclusions: low and high power
2.3.8.Harvesting conclusions: low and high power
2.3.9.Conclusions: high power
2.4.Challenge for AWE: Photovoltaics becomes cheaper than large onshore wind in 2020
2.5.Challenge: Ground turbine and AWE wind power downsizes badly: physics and poorer wind
2.5.1.Efficiency vs power
2.5.2.Below 100kW AWE and wind turbines get niche
2.6.Wind turbine choices
2.7.AWE choices
2.7.1.Overview
2.7.2.Detailed AWE choices
2.8.Examples of opportunities for AWE
2.9.New water power (tide, wave) mimics new and old wind power
2.10.Ozymandias syndrome
2.11.AWE patents and interest 1980-2018
3.COMPANY PROFILES AND DETAILED INTERVIEWS
3.1.Universities often laggards
3.2.Altaeros Energies USA
3.2.1.Overview
3.2.2.Advantages and challenges
3.3.Ampyx Power Netherlands
3.3.1.Overview
3.3.2.Business plan late 2015 left, late 2017 right
3.3.3.Mocean Offshore BV August 2017
3.3.4.Ampyx at IDTechEx "Off Grid Energy Independence" conference April 2018
3.3.5.Ampyx technical report 2018
3.3.6.In-depth interviews
3.3.7.Advantages and challenges
3.4.Bladetips Energy France
3.4.1.Overview
3.4.2.Interview
3.4.3.Presentation at IDTechEx "Off Grid Energy Independence" conference April 2018
3.4.4.Advantages and challenges
3.5.E-kite Netherlands
3.5.1.Overview
3.5.2.Advantages and challenges
3.6.Enerkite Germany
3.6.1.Overview
3.6.2.Profile
3.6.3.Advantages and challenges
3.7.e-Wind Solutions USA
3.7.1.Overview
3.7.2.Interview
3.7.3.Presentations and website
3.7.4.Advantages and challenges
3.8.Kite Power Systems UK
3.8.1.Overview
3.8.2.Interviews
3.8.3.Advantages and challenges
3.9.Kitemill Norway
3.9.1.Overview
3.9.2.Kitemill presentation at IDTechEx Energy Independent Electric Vehicle event
3.9.3.Interviews
3.9.4.Advantages and challenges
3.10.Kitenergy Italy
3.10.1.Kitenergy presentation extracts at IDTechEx Energy Independent Electric Vehicle event
3.10.2.Interview Sept 28 2017
3.10.3.Advantages and challenges
3.11.Kitepower Netherlands
3.11.1.Latest situation
3.11.2.One target is farmers
3.11.3.Kitepower presentation extracts at IDTechEx Energy Independent Electric Vehicle event
3.11.4.Interviews
3.11.5.Advantages and challenges
3.12.Kiteswarms UK, Germany
3.13.KiteX Denmark
3.13.1.Overview
3.13.2.Progress
3.13.3.Technical description
3.13.4.Advantages and challenges
3.14.Makani-x
3.14.1.Overview and interviews
3.14.2.Felker presentation at AWE Freiburg
3.14.3.Other characteristics
3.14.4.Google ship power patents
3.14.5.Patents and future plans
3.14.6.Advantages and challenges
3.15.Rotokite Italy
3.15.1.Overview
3.15.2.Validation and interviews
3.15.3.Advantages and challenges
3.16.Skypull Switzerland
3.16.1.Overview
3.16.2.Advantages and challenges
3.17.SkySails Power Germany
3.17.1.Overview
3.17.2.EnBW and Leibnitz University Hanover collaboration
3.17.3.Advantages and challenges
3.18.Superturbine ™ USA and Pierre Benhaïem France
3.18.1.Interviews
3.18.2.Advantages and challenges
3.19.TwingTec Switzerland
3.19.1.Overview
3.19.2.Next system specification
3.19.3.Market positioning and 2018 presentation
3.19.4.Interviews
3.19.5.Advantages and challenges
3.20.Windlift USA
3.20.1.Overview
3.20.2.Interview Aug 2018
3.20.3.Advantages and challenges
3.21.Devices up to 1kW: Windswept and Interesting UK, Kitewinder France
3.21.1.Windswept and Interesting overview
3.21.2.Interview Aug 2018
3.21.3.Advantages and challenges for Windswept and Interesting
3.21.4.Kitewinder France
3.22.Robert Freda - V2Wind
 

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AWE will be a multi-billion dollar business in 20 years with scope for more

Report Statistics

Slides 237
Forecasts to 2039
 

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