Wind power generation methods can be all labelled as "clean" technology
With zero emissions of CO2, other green house gases, ashes and particulate matter,
wind power is the main drive behind KitVes Research.
KitVes technology, when compared to wind turbines, foresees a lower cost of energy
produced, yet in turn returns improved results in terms of energy balance, i.e.
the calculation of how long a power plant must operate to produce the amount of
energy that will use in its entire life cycle (from raw material extraction to final
disposal).
The environmental impact should be then analyzed not only on a global scale, but
also related to the localization of each power plant, where the following main factors
arise:
Scenic and visual impression
The aerial part, since the power kites fly at an altitude of 800 / 1 000 m tethered
by small diameter lines, is much less visible than today's wind turbines.
The ground systems are concentrated along a circular path, while the vast majority
of the occupied area is available for agricultural activities. The visual impact
can be enhanced by specific architectural design; it must be noted anyway that,
equal the installed power, land use is lower than what required by current wind
technologies, with the possibility to concentrate the needs into few large installations.
Shadows
Power kites project little or no shadow, the Sun tends to completely dissolve the
shadow of any object if positioned at a distance from the ground larger than approx.
100 times its width.
Birds
Several studies suggest that overall bird deaths due to wind turbines are much less
than those related to other anthropic causes (power lines, pesticides, cars, buildings
with windows, etc.). Specific and detailed analysis will have to be conducted for
the KitVes systems, but the higher operative height of the power kites appears to
be a positive factor, considering also that the speed of the lines' movement decreases
as they get closer to the steering units at ground level.
Noise
While the noise produced by the aerial part is negligible, the ground systems can
be compared to a low speed railway with good soundproofing (50 dB at 200 m distance).