We envision a world where Kitepower systems are deployed globally, delivering clean, affordable and sustainable energy to everyone.
About the company

Kitepower is a leading start-up in Airborne Wind Energy (AWE), developing innovative and cost-effective alternatives to existing wind turbines. Kitepower’s patented technology is a game-changer in the wind energy sector: Kitepower uses up to 90% less material with the potential of being twice as efficient than conventional wind turbines with the same power output. Unlike conventional wind turbines, Kitepower systems do not require resource-intensive towers nor heavy foundations and are thus highly mobile and easy to deploy. The system is able to harness stronger and more persistent winds at higher altitudes, allowing for capacity factors greater than 0.5 and cost-effective electricity generation in return. Kitepower’s leading product, the Kitepower Falcon, is specially designed to allow remote communities worldwide to mitigate dependency on polluting and expensive diesel supply.

The origin of Kitepower

Kitepower is a registered trademark of Enevate BV. Kitepower was founded by Johannes Peschel and Roland Schmehl in January 2016 as a result of the work done by TU Delft’s pioneering kite power research group of the former astronaut Wubbo Ockels. Research in kite power generation was initiated by Wubbo Ockels in 1993, followed by a patent application for the Laddermill technology in 1997. Already in 2007, the first 20kW Kitepower system demonstrated the proof of concept. Currently, Kitepower is developing one of the first containerised on-shore AWES to enter the market.

All we need to do is harness that power!

Johannes Peschel
Kitepower Founder CEO

Kitepower’s Airborne Wind Energy is incredibly flexible and unbelievably powerful. For me, the transition to a sustainable future requires moving away from centralized fossil or nuclear power plants towards decentralized renewable energy farms. There are few energy sources out there that can provide electricity in a sustainable way while also becoming large-scale contributors to the energy mix of the future: solar and wind. For the lack of efficient solar energy collectors, we got used to burn fossil fuels to “fire” our economy. But those times are coming to an end and we have to find methods to convert the power of the sun directly. Solar panels are a valid option but their material and space efficiency is low compared to airborne wind energy. To power 150 households, PV panels need 109 t of material and 3140 m2 of ground space, compared to 15 t and 49 m2 for Kitepower.

Wind power uses the whole world as an engine. Every tree that heats up, every snowy peak and every ocean that reflects the sun, and even the hot vibrating desert dust causes temperature differences that generate wind. The whole planet is like a huge boiler that constantly creates steam. All we need to do is harness that power!

What I love about Kitepower is that it is by far the most efficient way to do so. It reduces wind energy harvesting to its essence: Almost every component contributes directly to the electricity generation and little material is used. This simplicity also makes Kitepower almost invisible and very cost-effective. This is my path to a sustainable future and I invite you to join me and make this our path.

Embracing AWE to disrupt the global energy economy

Roland Schmehl
Kitepower Co-Founder & Advisor

Airborne wind energy is an innovative renewable energy technology which, on small scale, is perfectly suited for remote off-grid electricity generation and, on a larger scale, will have the potential to disrupt the global energy economy. Based on proven working principles, the commercial technology development focuses on improving and demonstrating the reliability and robustness of prototype installations in the power range of up to several hundred kilowatts. At the same time, current industry trends in robotics, artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial vehicles and electrification of transport provide a larger technology context with overlaps and synergies in many areas.

TU Delft is one of the pioneering institutions in airborne wind energy, with Dutch astronaut and aerospace engineering professor Wubbo Ockels laying the foundations. In 2012 the research group automated the operation with a unique 20 kW pumping airborne wind energy system based on soft wing technology. In 2015, Kitepower started using the technology, while maintaining a close link with the TU Delft through joint research.

Based on a “Fast Track to Innovation” grant by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 framework program, the company, along with several supplier companies, have developed a 100 kW mobile energy system. The international multidisciplinary team of engineers and business developers has an exciting and challenging mission ahead and I am proud to be involved as an advisor.

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for a smarter energy future

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The Team

We are an international team with a multi-disciplinary background. Our crew comprises mechanical, aerospace, electrical and software engineers, sustainable energy and natural sciences professionals, business developers, commercials and designers. What brings us together is the passion for wind, engineering and technology, but most essentially it is the genuine desire to contribute to a sustainable future by unlocking the potential of Airborne Wind Energy.

We are crowdfunding!