Bill Gates has chosen to support an innovative wind power initiative by investing in Airloom Energy, a company at the forefront of developing a unique carousel-style wind turbine. The Breakthrough Energy Ventures, led by the Microsoft billionaire, spearheaded a funding round that injected $4 million in seed capital to propel the growth of this groundbreaking technology. The key promise of this innovation lies in its potential to dramatically reduce the production cost of wind energy by half.
In comparison to conventional horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs), which can reach towering heights of 500 feet with 180-foot blades rotating on a 300-foot tower, the Airloom device operates on an entirely different scale. Despite utilizing the same fundamental principles of physics, the typical Airloom design features 30-foot blades running along a lightweight track at a modest height of 80 feet. This stark contrast in dimensions holds the promise of achieving the same power output as a traditional HAWT but at a fraction of the mass and cost.
As of now, Airloom Energy, established in 2020 and headquartered in Wyoming, has successfully deployed a 50-kilowatt test device. Looking ahead, the company envisions scaling up its systems to impressive lengths of up to 1,300 feet (400 meters), capable of producing hundreds of megawatts. These future iterations aim to cater to utility-scale wind farms, maintaining parity with the power generation of HAWTs while offering significant advantages in terms of reduced mass and cost. The investment led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures underscores the confidence in Airloom’s potential to revolutionize the landscape of wind energy production.
“Cost and environmental advantages extend over the Airloom’s entire lifecycle,” the company had shared in a media release. “It uses readily sourced materials to ensure rapid manufacturing, and an entire 2.5 MW Airloom could be transported in one standard tractor trailer.”
“It can be configured high or low, short or long, to optimize siting and viewplane, and does not require large concrete foundations in commissioning.”
Carmichael Roberts of Breakthrough Energy Ventures also added, “For decades, the wind industry has lowered the cost of energy production by scaling ever larger turbines.”
“Although this has been extremely successful in driving down overall costs, the approach now faces challenges in terms of both siting and cost of materials. Airloom’s unique approach can solve both these problems, opening new market opportunities for wind energy that will further drive down costs.”
The reduction in both weight and materials results in significantly diminished environmental impacts in landfills at the conclusion of its usage.
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