Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) 2018-2028

This report is intended for CEO, business planners, marketing VPs, academics, legislators, commentators, investors and others seeking a balanced, easily read, latest analysis of this newly credible form of high-power energy harvesting. Its emphasis is on commercialisation and the future. Airborne Wind Energy AWE is disruptive because it is much less damaging and intrusive than the traditional wind turbine. Indeed, it is capable of much more with its uniquely low capital cost and easy transportability. That means it is more than a replacement: it is intended to creates new markets, including forming a part of modern forms of standby generator that meet impending emissions directives.

 

AWE has moved from a hobbyist curiosity to attracting around $200 million investment from giants Google, EON, Shell, Schlumberger, Tata, Softbank and others. Two years ago it was widely seen as a solution looking for a problem. However, today, aviation authorities are adapting to accommodate the needs of these kites, tethered wings, aerostats and drones whether they are intended to power a ship, a small farm or - as GW offshore arrays - supplying a national grid. Potentially, AWE will do all that with no emissions and at a fraction of the cost of the conventional wind turbines, down where wind is weaker and more fitful. Clearly things are changing and IDTechEx, after two years of interviews, visits and analysis by PhD level, multi-lingual researchers, can now make sense of it all, including giving profiles of 25 winners and losers. The report appraises what remains between the proponents and commercial success, including attracting the necessary level of next-stage finance and technical assistance. How much? When?

 

This 300+ page report is replete with infographics, tables and graphs clarifying the variety of opportunity and technology grouped under the term AWE. It takes a strictly analytical rather than evangelical approach, pointing out that turbines lifted aloft by helium-filled aerostats make sense in Alaska, where solar cells are pretty useless and wind is sometimes weak. However, we counsel that those targeting cheap electricity for farmers with limited resources will have difficulty competing with diesel unless the law tips the playing field or obtaining fuel is problematic.

 

The IDTechEx approach is creative. We believe the new solar roads have a place on commercial ships polluting as much as 30,000 cars and, in tandem with AWE, we believe an electric ship could even become energy independent with zero emissions. We distinguish between AWE applications where the price of grid electricity is critical and where it is irrelevant. Learn the challenges of convincing all interested parties of the safety of these systems. Realistic and improving figures for maintenance, availability and life are crucial.

 

Impediments are appraised such an electrically launched AWE system using significant energy part of the time. We report ways of reducing the intermittency and therefore energy storage needed in an AWE system and we reveal the near-consensus concerning which designs are most predictable and controllable and we assess which proponents are the most promising investments, providing certain limitations are overcome. Learn how the technologies can be leveraged with extending solar panels on the generator and wave power in the offshore support. Could the flying device produce useful solar and wind energy? How realistic is flying much higher? What are the lessons from the proponents that have gone under? What has been said in recent conferences and interviews on the subject? Only here will you access these unique inputs: there are even a number of other IDTechEx reports and consultancy services available if you wish to drill deeper.

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