One of bizarre criticisms of solar power is that it only works when the sun hits them which means some areas are hesitant to install large solar arrays (honestly, this criticism is so strange since energy use is highest during daytime). Lunar energy, on the other hand, works all day and is very easy to predict which is why using the moon to provide power is ganging interest. This lunar power is captured through tidal flows, has the moon moves water on Earth we can capture that energy by creating machines that spin turbines using the passing water. That’s exactly what Minesto has done with their underwater kite. Traditional tidal power sources are stationary whereas the Minesto Dragon 12 is only tethered to the sea floor so it can ride underwater currents to produce more power than a stationary tidal generator.
The Dragon 12, like other tidal devices, will be more effective in some places than others – and Denmark’s Faroe Islands, an archipelago in the chilly North Atlantic between Scotland and Iceland, offer ideal conditions. Home to about 55,000 people and more than a million puffins, the Faroe Islands funnel tidal currents through a number of slim channels. This accelerates the water significantly, and thus increases the energy that devices like the Dragon 12 can harvest.
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“This is a big day for Minesto,” said Dr Martin Edlund, CEO of Minesto, in a press release. “We have reached the most significant milestone in the history of the company by producing electricity to the grid with our mega-watt scale powerplant. We are both proud and happy and more than ever look forward to the journey ahead … The competitiveness of the Dragon 12 is straight to the point; it’s powerful, cost-effective and feeds predictable electricity to the grid.”