Energy in mid-air

By: Lou Del Bello

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<h1>Energy in mid-air</h1>
<h4>By: Lou Del Bello</h4>
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<p>Harvesting wind at high altitude may be the next big thing in the field of renewables because it is a more efficient and flexible alternative to conventional wind turbines. And according to researchers at the Technology University of Delft, in the Netherlands, it can work for African countries, providing remote communities, still not connected to the main electricity grid, with their energy needs.</p>
<p>In Delft, researchers are studying kite power generators as a way to harvest the strong, more constant wind currents blowing at an altitude of thousands of meters above the ground. On a windy summer's day, Lou del Bello visited an open field next to the faculty of Aerospace Engineering, where a new launching method for the kites was being tested.</p>

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<p>This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.scidev.net" target="_blank">SciDev.Net</a>. Read the <a href="https://www.scidev.net/global/multimedia/energy-in-mid-air/" target="_blank">original article</a>.</p>
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Harvesting wind at high altitude may be the next big thing in the field of renewables because it is a more efficient and flexible alternative to conventional wind turbines. And according to researchers at the Technology University of Delft, in the Netherlands, it can work for African countries, providing remote communities, still not connected to the main electricity grid, with their energy needs.

In Delft, researchers are studying kite power generators as a way to harvest the strong, more constant wind currents blowing at an altitude of thousands of meters above the ground. On a windy summer's day, Lou del Bello visited an open field next to the faculty of Aerospace Engineering, where a new launching method for the kites was being tested.