High Altitude
Wind Energy
for Remote Sites
Contact: Adam Rein, Co-Founder and CFO
Phone: +1 (857) 244 1560
Email: adam.rein@altaerosenergies.com
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Off-grid Energy Challenge
$18 billion market for off-grid generator fuel (2010)
Diesel Generators
Fuel Transport – Afghanistan
Key Market Segments
•US Army – 6,600 large gensets
•Industrial – 2,700 oil & gas sites, mining
•Villages
– island, arctic, post-disaster
25,000 gallons of annual fuel per 100kW
Diesel for generator costs up to 10x grid power
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Current Wind Turbine Limitations
Wind Farms
Wind Resource (80m)
Limited sites with strong
ground winds
Steel towers too expensive
or permanent at remote sites
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Team Formed at MIT
Leadership Team
Ben Glass, Technology
• Inventor, Altaeros AWT
• MIT Aero / Astro, S.M.
Board of Advisors
Prof. Sheila Widnall, Wind & Aero
MIT Aero / Astro Institute Professor
18th U.S. Secretary of the Air Force
Julian Nott, Aero
C. Vermillion, PhD Controls
•Toyota Technical Center
•Michigan EE PHD
Secretary, AIAA Balloon Technical Committee
Airship Expert, 81 World Balloon Records
Mauricio Quintana, Wind Turbine OEM
Alain Goubau, Operations
• Air Liquide
•Harvard JD
Former President & CEO, Clipper Windpower
Former Director, Corporate Strategy, UTC
Scott Fisher, Customers & Policy
Director of Policy Coordination, NRG Energy
Adam Rein, Business Dev.
•Bain & Co
•MIT MBA / Harvard MPA
Peter Steenland, FAA & Permitting
Counsel, FAA & Environment, Sidley Austin
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Strong High Altitude Winds
Wind Power Density
5-8x
Wind Power Maps
2,000 ft - High altitude
350ft - Tower-mounted
2.2x
1x
Source: Joby, Archer, Stanford, 2009
100ft
Source: NOAA
350ft
1,000ft+
Average power density in kW/m2
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0
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Tethered Aerostat Technology
Safe & Reliable
Rapid Deployment, FAA regulation applies
Builds on proven aerospace technology
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Altaeros Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT)
 Access strong, high
winds
 Rapid, low cost
deployment
 Passively aligns into wind
 Shell accelerates wind flow
through rotor
 Automated altitude change
to optimize power,
docks in poor weather
 Deploy from container
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Technical Milestones
35-foot Prototype – Loring, Maine (2012)
Ascended to 350 feet, produced power at altitude, and landed in automated cycle
Generate over 2x power from top-selling Southwest turbine when lifted to high altitude
Test Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsHUALU--Wc
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4 Patents Pending
Patent 1 (2009)
Patent 2&3 (2011)
Patent 4 (2012)
Novel Shell and
Overall Design
Automated controls
& docking trailer
System
integration
Future IP
Lightweight turbine,
optimized power
production & controls
2011 Technology Validation
 Winner ConocoPhillips Energy Prize
 USDA SBIR Phase I grant
 DOE ARPA-E Innovation Showcase
 California Energy Commission grant
IP protection through shell, trailer & automation innovation
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Off-grid Value Proposition
Off-Grid Customer Benefits
100kW AWT - Cost per kWh
Wind
(Tower)
Solar
PV
0.6
$6-7
$6-12
$6-10
0.4
Cap. Factor
50-60%
15-30%
15-20%
Install (days)
<1
30
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Payback
(no subsidy)
6month2 years
4-8
years
4-8
years
100kW
Cost/Watt
Altaeros
$.35-3.00
$.25-.50
0.2
0
$.18-.20
450kWh/yr
700kWh/yr
Altaeros Northern Diesel
Wind
Gen
Equipment
3-5x more energy than today’s turbine
130kWh/yr
Install
O&M / Cost
Assumptions: Diesel Fuel - $8 per gallon
20 year project w/ equipment replacement
Towerless setup lowers logistics cost 80%
Retrofits onto generator to automatically
save fuel when wind is blowing
Airborne camera and radio adds value
“…Your technology [is] one of the few wind
energy developments that can satisfy our
need for continuous power generation at
minimal size and weight.” -- Jon Cristiani,
Renewable Energy Team Leader,
U.S. Army CERDEC
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Long-term Offshore Market Potential
$14 billion market (EU 2020)
Current Offshore Wind Cost (15-25¢ / kwh)
Dev't
4%
Other Operations &
12% Maintenance
21%
Electrical
Infrastructure
11%
15% CAGR
Wind Turbine
28%
Logistics &
installation
10%
Support
Structure
13%
AWT Advantage (8-10¢ / kwh)
Tow to and from site for install/O&M
No foundation, much smaller turbine size
Tighter space, less natural gas backup
Source: EWEA, NREL 2010.
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Airspace, Safety and Environment
FAA published draft
policy allowing airborne
wind turbines to be sited
under existing regulation
Thousands of aerostats
have been permitted to
date, many up to
15,000 feet altitude
Mandatory safety features
ensure slow descent in
emergency
AWT docks and operates
from trailer during storms
and inclement weather
Lightning-proof tethers &
easy repair of holes.
“The towerless design of
airborne turbines dramatically
reduces all types of
potential habitat impacts.”
– Normandeau Associates
University of Maine survey88% of rural respondents
see Altaeros AWT as
visually same or better as
tower-mounted turbine.
Low noise impact from high
altitude and shrouded design.
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Emerging High Altitude Wind Sector
2009
2012
FAA publishes draft
airborne wind regulation
GL Garrad Hassan
High Altitude Wind
Market Report
March 2011
Popular Mechanics Cover
Stanford Airborne
Wind Energy
Conference
ARPA-E funds Makani,
sector reaches ~$100
million investment
Stanford report: high
altitude wind can
power earth 100x over
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Summary
$18 Billion market to displace
off-grid diesel fuel
Harness winds 5-8x stronger
•60% avg. lower cost than gensets
•Low capital need & customer risk
•Grid competitive offshore potential
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