Wind speeds at 1,000 feet are 5-8x stronger than on the ground. Altaeros will test their Buoyant Airborne Turbine for 18 months in Fairbanks AK at 1,000 feet. If successful, BAT could provide power for disaster relief, remote areas, military operations, and more. It produces power at 18 cents per kilowatt-hour, much more than land turbines. However, it provides power when other technologies can’t and is an alternative to noisy, polluting diesel generators.
The Alaska project will deploy the BAT at a height of 1,000 feet above ground, a height that will break the world record for the highest wind turbine in the world. Altaeros has designed the BAT to generate consistent, low cost energy for the remote power and microgrid market, including remote and island communities; oil & gas, mining, agriculture, and telecommunication firms; disaster relief organizations; and military bases. The BAT uses a helium-filled, inflatable shell to lift to high altitudes where winds are stronger and more consistent than those reached by traditional tower-mounted turbines. High strength tethers hold the BAT steady and send electricity down to the ground.