Kite powered power stations

[Lou]

I have just read this article about a kite power station coming to Scotland next year.

Apparently the kites will fly 750m high and turn a turbine.

I'm all for new energy sources as we can't last without them but kites is something I'd never thought of.

What do you guys think on the subject?

Kite power to take flight in Scotland next year - https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/business/2016/oct/07/kite-power-solutions-scotland-green-energy

 

[SparkySy]

Where will it end! I like the idea of green energy but it has its drawbacks it will need so much more investment to make it viable for everyone, and provide enough for our needs. Should we be using coal and gas? I think yes but with cleaner more efficient plants and carbon capture and We should be investing in nuclear power and not letting China and France get fat off our money, but that's another story!

 

[Deleted member 26818]

A new meaning for the term 'go fly a kite'.

 

[1Justin]

A great concept provided it can work in the fully automatic way it needs to without supervision.
Launching and re-furling to cater for the low wind or excess wind conditions is a huge challenge. Also I'd say, the physical strength of these kites once the wind exceeds a certain point. They are basically paragliders, but providing a paraglider with the high performance needed, coupled with very good and quite special sort of handling for inflating, launching and furling, combined with enormous strength needed for high winds will be a really tricky thing to get right.
I'd have some doubts that an onshore one could be as reliable as they hope due to turbulence and thermals, and a bigger wind gradient making flying the kites without interruption more of an issue. They also need significant airspace no-go areas, and on a small island with very congested airspace already, that could be the downfall.
Personally, with those hurdles, for onshore I'd say that conventional wind would win the day, provided our blinkered government pulls it's finger out. 70% of UK backs onshore wind - http://renews.biz/65735/70-of-uk-backs-onshore-wind/

 

[sparkdog]

It should go well with the haggis powered dynamos.

 

[PEG]

...Nobody who has took their kids,and a kite,on holiday in this country...will want their own freezer/life-support machine hooking up to this gimcrack excursion

 

[Silly Sausage]

It should go well with the haggis powered dynamos.

They could just point Sturgeon's gob upwards, she spouts enough hot air to keep a whole fleet of them kites going and they'll meet their 100% renewables target pledge years in advance.