New Wind Power Platform Able to Support World's Largest Wind Turbine

We've seen some floating wind platforms in our day — like the Poseidon platform — but this new one just might overshadow them all. The WindFloat platform by Principle Power Inc. is so stable, it has the ability to hold the largest Wind Turbines on Earth (which is 70 meters tall and has blades the length of a football field) without flipping over. Not only are floating platforms less destructive to the environment (because they float, their bases don't need to be secured to bedrock) but just one of these big guys has the ability to power an entire town.

Principle Power is a renewable energy company committed to environmentally sustainable deep water offshore energy. Currently, offshore wind projects have limitations on water depth and distance from shore. They need to be close enough to land so that the waters are shallow enough to anchor the base of the turbines into bedrock. Principle Power thinks their WindFloat can solve those issues. It doesn't need to be anchored to bedrock, thanks to its sturdy floating base, and is large enough that you would need to install less turbines to get the same energy output.

The researchers at Principle Power have just released their feasibility study proving that the WindFloat is capable of carrying large scale turbines in rough waters without becoming destabilized. They've designed the turbine so that it can be assembled onshore and then carried in full out to its installation space – a process that decreases the costs of the turbines installment. Once at sea the whole head of the turbine spins to follow the direction of the wind, maximizing energy output. With a 5 megawatt capability, the WindFloat seems like a great addition to the offshore renewable energy world.

http://www.energievair.com/maximizer/New-Wind-Power-Platform--Able-to-Support--Worlds-Largest-Wind-Turbine1