Super-economical wind turbines also financed by Bil Gates:what is the Airloom project

The Wyoming startup received funding from the American billionaire's fund.And now it promises to revolutionize the renewables market by lowering costs

More than wind turbines, they remind some people of clotheslines.According to some experts, however, it could revolutionize the renewables market.In the United States, the startup Airloom Energy – based in Wyoming and also financed by the Breakthrough Energy Ventures fund of Bill Gates – presented a new turbine model for the production of wind energy.The appearance of the turbines is profoundly different to what we are used to, with pylons only 25 meters high.And the advantage is above all economic.The new system developed by Airloom Energy promises to reduce the production and installation costs of plants, both onshore and offshore.

How it works

The technology presented by the American startup involves a sort of "flying ring":a series of pylons arranged on the ground and forming an oval perimeter.At the end of this perimeter a rail is attached on which some wing blades, ten meters high and mounted vertically, slide.When moved by the wind, these blades slide horizontally, generating energy.All in all, a system similar to the operation of traditional wind turbines, but less expensive and aesthetically less cumbersome.Airloom has just received a loan that will allow it to start the first projects and promises that the costs of building a wind farm correspond to around 25% of the current ones.

The doubts of the experts

It should be remembered, however, that the technology is still in the early stages of development and its actual applicability remains to be demonstrated.In fact, there are some details that are making experts turn up their noses.For example, the location of the plant on the ground, which has the advantage of reducing the impact on the landscape but makes energy production less efficient.Or the process of installing the "wing track", which currently requires 40 trucks of cement to be fixed to the ground.In short, the alternative presented by Airloom seems to have captured attention above all for its economic advantages.But there is still a long way to go to understand if it will truly become an alternative to traditional wind turbines.