Norway forgets about wind turbines for a while, and remembers a wind project with origins in the United States that had made promises of a flying kite producing 600 kW, so as to rewrite the clean energy game. The Makani remains the wind energy project that had the intention of reassessing how humanity captured wind power. Even though Google shut down its Makani project in 2020, the project tends to be remembered as one that promised renewable energy at a mere fraction of the cost.
The Makani Project demonstrated a way to capture wind from California to Norway
Founded in 2006 by a group of surfers, the Makani Project has its roots in sunny California. The kitesurfers felt that kites had a greater purpose than just blowing in the breeze, and this is what led to the concept of kites flying through the skies and providing power to the world. As ambitious as the idea was to replace wind turbines with flying kites, the idea was taken forward specifically because electricity could be generated via rotors that sent energy back to the ground.
The physics behind kites flying at higher altitudes to generate clean energy must be remembered and noted. Using the principles of physics, the technology was carried to Norway’s coast, where an airborne wind turbine started flying, all thanks to Shell. In this way, tests proved the Makani Project was able to unlock stronger winds than traditional turbines. The fact that these kites could be deployed in areas where traditional wind turbines could not was an added perk.
Transforming a kite into a solution to replace wind turbines
Although the Makani Project has been shut down, it remains one of the most noteworthy projects, particularly because the M600 looked much like a toy. The M600 was launched vertically, relying on rotors. Once at 1,000 feet, it changed to crosswind flight. It was the rotors that acted similarly to wind turbines, powering a generator and sending electricity to the ground station below. The system was guided by sensors and advanced software that enabled the kite’s path to be adjusted constantly.
The project’s kite was so hard to forget because few materials and minimal maintenance were required. At the same time, the kite was able to gain access to stronger winds. Despite all the promises offered by the kite, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, pulled the strings and did away with the Makani Project.
The reason behind the fall of the Makani Project
The route to commercialization seemed to be long and daunting. Alphabet shut down the project on the basis that the technology required more time and resources than could be justified. Makani Project’s closure did not signify failure in terms of the project, but rather a step for others to emulate the principles considered by the Makani Project. The team released literature called The Energy Kite Collection, which contains flight data as well as design blueprints for engineers interested in studying the findings further. While we are rather interested in some of Google’s more recent projects, we need to revisit Google’s legendary projects to be reminded that the potential to generate energy lies everywhere, even with the M600 kite.
A flying kite producing 600 kW of clean energy remains legendary
From time to time, we revisit the Makani Project and note the promise and potential once held by this project. Makani was a legendary project in its own right. Google’s energy kite may no longer fly the skies generating power, but it remains a legendary project that ought to be revisited from time to time so that we realize and remember that it does not take too many resources to succeed in generating clean energy. Google’s secret project has been uncovered, and it provides us with a way to generate 600 kW of energy to date.
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