Cutting wind costs by another 75%

The LCOE (=cost per MW of output) for wind has fallen from $135/MWh to $50/MWh (~65%) since 2009.  It rose last year and the year before because of supply chain issues, but seems to have fallen again, though I won't have definitive data until Lazard re-does their estimates next year.

But what if we could cut costs again, by another 65%?

Conventional wind turbines are of two kinds:  those with vertical axes (Vertical Axis Wind Turbines, or VAWT) and horizontal axis wind turbines (obviously, HAWT)  The giant turbines of wind farms are HAWT, lots of small wind turbines are VAWT.  

The biggest reason for the steady fall in the LCOE of wind has been because turbines have got steadily bigger and bigger.  But we are surely approaching the size limits of HAWTs.

Windloom, a US wind energy start-up, has found a completely new way to create electricity from the wind.  And it claims that far from costing $50/MWh, its wind "turbines" (only they're not actually turbines) produce electricity at an LCOE of just $13/MWh, or 1.3 cents per kWh.   Compare this with the average US residential tariff of 23 cents/kWh.

How does their system work?   

There is an oval "track", supported by poles about 30 metres high, from which vanes (which they call "wings") are suspended, and as they move around this track, electricity is generated.  The entire device can fit on the back of a trailer.

Remember that this is a new technology, and there will be many wrinkles to iron out.   For example, will it only work in one wind direction?  At how low and how high a wind speed can it continue to operate?  What is the wear and tear on the elevated track and the "wings"?  Has maintenance been included in the estimated LCOE?

If it works, it will make wind once again (by far) the cheapest source of electricity.   What's more, this cheapness won't depend on size---even a quite small (2.5 MW) installation will be this cheap.  And because the Airlooms are small, they should be able to be distributed widely around the grid.  Each small town could have a few, allowing for microgrids, not just in developed countries but also in poor ones which don't have a national grid.   The size demonstrated is too large for a single house, but could work for factories, schools, hospitals, etc.   My town (population 27,000) would require 10 of these, ignoring existing roof-top solar, with a capital cost of under $10 million, or just $370 per inhabitant.   That is my electricity bill for one quarter! And unlike giant wind turbines, the Airlooms will be much less visible.

Renewables are already cheaper than fossil fuels in most places.   The Airloom wind "turbine" will make renewables irresistible, and will usher in an age of incredibly cheap energy.  Let's hope it's a goer!