Skip to main content

Smart startup has a new idea for renewable energy, and it involves giant kites

Kite Power Systems provide renewable energy.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
“Let’s go fly a kite” used to be a cheerful refrain from the end of Disney’s Mary Poppins. As it turns out, it could be a crucially important idea in the drive toward efficient use of renewable energy. That’s based on the work of a United Kingdom company called Kite Power Systems. They’ve developed smart technology for obtaining power from the wind with the aid of custom-built giant kites that fly in pairs, hundreds of feet up in the sky, with their movements powering a generator on the ground.

“The KPS system has two hybrid kites that are flown as high as 1,500 feet,” David Ainsworth, Kite Power Systems’ business development director, told Digital Trends. “Their tethers are attached to a winch system that generates electricity as it spools out. By achieving flight speeds of up to 100mph in 20mph winds, the kite’s tether tension causes the line to rapidly spool out from a drum, which turns a generator producing electricity. The two kites fly in the same airspace, and are fully automated so energy production is therefore constant and energy yield can be maximized.”

The Future of Wind Power? - Kite Power Systems

The big advantage over traditional wind turbines is the lower cost in terms of the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCoE). According to Ainsworth, Kite Power Systems’ technology can reduce the capex of conventional offshore turbines by as much as 50 percent, due to the fact that the system doesn’t require large quantities of steel or specialist installation vessels.

Recommended Videos

Thus far, the technology has been successfully trialed and tested in the United Kingdom. A 40kW system is currently being tested at an airfield in Scotland, while a larger 500kW system is also in the works. The company aims to achieve commercialization within the next 3-5 years.

“Before we consider venturing into overseas markets, we first intend to develop a kite farm in Scotland — but rest assured we have our eye on the U.S. market and indeed other countries around the world,” Ainsworth said. “Given that our system can be deployed in onshore and offshore locations, we see fantastic opportunities in the U.S. for kite power. For example, off the West Coast where it’s difficult for conventional wind turbines to be installed.”

Between this, kite-shaped drones, and Google X’s not-dissimilar Makani Power project, kites have never been cooler. Or more useful.

Luke Dormehl
Former Digital Trends Contributor
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
Jeep, Ram EREVs will get 690-mile range with new Stellantis platform
A 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger sits in a vineyard.

Stellantis, the giant automotive group, is betting big on extending the range of both its hybrid and fully electric vehicles (EVs).

Last month, the company, which owns the Jeep, Dodge, and Ram brands in the U.S., invested nearly $30 million into an advanced wind tunnel at its research center in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The goal is to study airflow around a vehicle’s wheels and tires to further optimize its EVs and boost their range.

Read more
Self-driving vehicle rules set to loosen under Trump, report says
self driving looser rules trump screenshot 2024 10 at 54 56 pm 6708947b14810

Tesla “has been very clear the future is autonomous,” CEO Elon Musk said in October, shortly after unveiling the Cybercab, Tesla’s self-driving robotaxi.

It now seems that Musk, who was recently nominated to lead a newly-created "Department of Government Efficiency," is sharing his crystal ball with the incoming Trump administration.

Read more
Honda doubles down on ‘holy grail’ of EV batteries
honda solid state battery production first electric suv 3

While some automakers are scaling back their production of electric vehicles, Honda is basking in the glow of a successful launch of its Prologue EV in the U.S., and was recently dubbed “North America’s most committed automaker.”

And now, Japan’s third-largest automaker is showing a similar commitment to making EVs more efficient and affordable, zeroing in on the production of its own in-house solid-state batteries, also known as the ‘holy grail’ of EV batteries.

Read more