Leading in the airborne wind energy sector: - I believe that Kitemill has done many intelligent choices in its development of technology. Kitemill has made sensible and right choices. They are now leaders in the industry, says Jon Wullf Petersen.

The person delivering this message is the highly acclaimed environmental expert, business and research leader Jon Wulff Petersen from Denmark.

He has no doubt that the kite industry has enormous potential to supplement the existing wind turbine industry, so that electric power produced by a clean, renewable resource, such as wind, will increase significantly.

Wind power is the obvious alternative

- Despite the period the world now goes through, I believe that the corona virus will not slow down the necessary development towards more environmentally friendly power solutions. On the contrary. Once this is over, the major drivers of development will still be there. The world must reduce carbon emissions significantly. The oil and gas sector, coal and other environmentally hostile power sources must be reduced on a large scale. I believe that wind power is the obvious alternative and solution to the future power needs, says Jon Wulff Petersen.

Expert with extensive experience

Jon Wulff Petersen is a specialist in technology transfer, public-private innovation partnerships, technology roadmaps, technology scouting and IP and technology diversification. Hans has a long background in environmental technology, especially energy and environmental technology (waste and water), micro and nanotechnology and electronics. Jon has been at the head of the Danish consulting firm TTO since 2005 and has led numerous assignments for Scandinavian companies and universities in Northern Europe, including Kitemill. Jon has previously been appointed Deputy Director of Risø Natioal Laboratory and Director of the Micro- and Nanoelectronics Center Ø (MIC) at DTU. In addition, Jon Wulff Petersen holds an Executive MBA from SIMI.

Strategic advisor for Kitemill for many years

- Jon has been a very useful strategic advisor for Kitemill, says Managing Director Thomas Hårklau.

“From the very beginning he has helped to send Kitemill in the right direction,” explains Kitemill's principal owner and member of the board Jon Gjerde.

Both Gjerde and Hårklau are pleased Kitemill has such a large resource as Jon Wulff Peteresen with the team, which they believe will strengthen Kitemill in the company's path into a commercial phase of development.

- Kites are more efficient than wind turbines

-I definitely believe that there is a huge potential in airborne wind energy. Airborne wind is an attractive and interesting source of energy in several parameters. The extreme wind conditions and the reach distance in which a kite operates represent a much more efficient source of renewable energy than traditional wind turbines, Jon Wulff Petersen emphasizes.

Can meet the world's energy needs

Researchers at Stanford University have calculated that if only one percent of all energy in the jet's jet streams could be utilized, it would cover the entire need for energy worldwide. Stanford researchers used wind currents from jet streams at a height of ten kilometers, which is a clear indicator of the potential. Production costs are lower compared to traditional wind turbines due to simplicity of construction.

The politicians must adopt subsidies

-Kites can be sent up quickly and they can be taken back down quickly. Unlike wind turbines, kites are flexible and can be relocated more easily. I'm not saying kites will out-compete wind turbines. They have come to stay. Kites will in future be able to greatly supplement wind turbines. But the critical thing is that the authorities see this technology and understand it, so that the politicians agree to support the development of the kit industry with significant subsidies, over many years. In Denmark, we have a large wind turbine industry today. We would not have been able to do so had it not been for Danish politicians early on that it was necessary to support the wind turbine industry, through at least 20 years of large subsidies. Now is the time for the same thing to happen to the kit industry. It probably does not need support as long as the wind turbine industry, maybe ten years of subsidy support may be sufficient? -says Jon.

In interaction with the wind turbine industry

He believes that a good solution is to establish kite sites where there are already wind turbines. Then you can share infrastructure as everything is there. And when traditional wind turbines fail to produce energy due to low winds, kites will be sent higher up and continue to produce energy ensuring higher energy availability.

Great faith in Kitemill

- I think Kitemill has done many intelligent choices in its development of the technology. Kitemill has made sensible and right choices. They are now leaders in the industry. But there is still a lot of lobbying and information work, so the general public and thus the politicians see that the airborne wind energy industry needs support. Not only companies in the industry must be supported with subsidies, but also future customers of airborne wind energy sites and thus owners of them, must receive support, says Jon Wullf Petersen.

He has assisted Kitemill extensively for several years, including helping to secure Kitemill patent rights and how to do business in an industry that will be characterized by subsidized technologies. Especially the latter aspect is important for Kitemill and one of the main reasons why Kitemill chose the company Plougmann Vingtoft, which is the owner of TTO. Petersen is associated with both of these companies. He is also working on finding suitable new test sites for Kitemill in Denmark, as well as being a consultant in Kitemill's IP strategy. It is an Intellectual Property strategy, which in short ensures the utilization of the company's intellectual property