Makani Power

Makani Power
Type Private
Industry Wind Energy
Founded 2006
Key people Saul Griffith, Corwin Hardham, Don Montague
Employees 20+
Website makanipower.com

Makani Power is an Alameda, California-based company that develops airborne wind turbines with the support of Google and the U.S. Department of Energy office of ARPA-E. According to some experts in the field, Makani is currently the world leader in the development of airborne wind power extraction systems.[1]

Makani was founded in 2006 as a key element of Google.org's Renewable Energy cheaper than Coal (RE<C) initiative.[2] In order to meet its goal of producing low-cost renewable energy, the Makani system uses tethered aircraft that fly a circular path similar to that of the tip of the blade of a conventional Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine, its most aerodynamically efficient part.[3]

References

  1. ^ Kirsner, Scott. "A generator that’s lighter than air — and relatively light on the wallet". Boston Globe. http://articles.boston.com/2011-04-17/business/29428335_1_wind-turbines-cape-wind-project-wind-power. 
  2. ^ "Investing in a cleaner energy revolution". Google.org. http://blog.google.org/2007/11/investing-in-cleaner-energy-revolution.html. 
  3. ^ Harper, Ben (21 March 2011). "Start-ups are devising kites to turn wind power into a cheap source of power". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/start-ups-are-devising-kites-to-turn-wind-power-into-a-cheap-source-of-power/2011/03/14/AB13377_story.html. Retrieved 27 July 2011. 

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