Makani set out to unlock access to new sources of clean, affordable wind power by developing novel energy kite technology. Over 13 years, the team developed kites that flew in loops to generate electricity, sending power down a tether to the grid.

In order to meet its goal of producing low-cost renewable energy, the Makani kite-energy system used autonomous tethered wings which flew in a circular path and generated electricity via wind turbines mounted upon the main wing, a method known as crosswind kite power, originally envisioned by Miles Loyd in a 1980 paper.

2 days ago · After many replications for years, the M600 was produced. The M600 was a utility-scale, carbon-fiber kite with the wingspan of a small jet, which produced enough energy to power about 300 homes. Why won’t we ever see the wind kite more powerful than a wind turbine? Up until 2020, Makani Energy was funded by Alphabet, the parent company of Google.

May 16, 2017 · In our first flight, the kite produced electricity on the downstroke and consumed energy on the upstroke. In the coming months, we’ll be testing new rotors and other system changes that are designed to increase power generation and enable the kite to generate more electricity than it uses.

With its 26-meter wingspan and eight rotors, the Makani Energy Kite is designed to transfer up to 600 kilowatts of electrical power, which can power about 300 homes. Through onboard computers running custom flight controller software, the kite is able …

Feb 13, 2019 · It’s the brainchild of experimental wind power tech firm Makani Power (Makani), acquired by Google‘s parent Alphabet six years ago, which believes using specially-designed energy kites is the answer to unlocking wind’s full generation capabilities.

Dec 4, 2018 · Makani, a company owned by Google's parent, Alphabet, is developing a renewable energy kite that can harness wind power to produce electrical energy.

Feb 19, 2020 · Google's parent company Alphabet is shutting down Makani, the company that pitched "energy kites" as an alternative to wind turbines, Makani CEO Fort Felker announced in a blog post Tuesday.

Oct 25, 2019 · In August, Alameda, Calif.-based Makani Technologies ran demonstration flights of its airborne wind turbines—which the company calls energy kites—in the North Sea, some 10 kilometers off the coast of Norway.

Oct 1, 2019 · Makani's energy kite launches from a floating platform in the North Sea off the coast of Norway. When the company’s co-founders, who were fond of kiteboarding, realized deep-sea winds were...