Floating turbine towers above — the S1500 hovers to harvest wind at 131 feet
Floating turbine towers above — the S1500 hovers to harvest wind at 131 feet
Floating turbine towers above — China’s S1500 hovers to harvest wind at 131 feet
China's S1500 floating turbine hovers at a 4,921 feet to harvest high-altitude winds, generating 1MW power equivalent to 328-foot ground turbines.
The S1500 floating turbine’s operating altitude is 4,921 feet above ground level, where wind speed moves about three times faster than at the surface. The advantage of this altitude (also referred to as vertical slice) can result in a power output up to 27 times higher than a conventional ground-based wind turbine of similar capacity.
The capacity to generate one megawatt of electrical power (MW) with the S1500 system is comparable in size to what small wind power turbines normally generate (a conventional 328-foot-tall wind turbine), while the footprint of the S1500 system is significantly smaller. This amazing power density shows the efficiency benefits of being able to access high altitude wind power resources by new and innovative airborne platforms.