The Social Acceptance of Airborne Wind Energy: A Literature Review

Abstract

Airborne wind energy (AWE) systems use tethered flying devices to harvest higher-altitude winds to produce electricity. For the success of the technology, it is crucial to understand how people perceive and respond to it. If concerns about the technology are not taken seriously, it could delay or prevent implementation, resulting in increased costs for project developers and a lower contribution to renewable energy targets. This literature review assessed the current state of knowledge on the social acceptance of AWE. A systematic literature search led to the identification of 40 relevant publications that were reviewed. The literature expected that the safety, visibility, acoustic emissions, ecological impacts, and the siting of AWE systems impact to which extent the technology will be accepted. The reviewed literature viewed the social acceptance of AWE optimistically but lacked scientific evidence to back up its claims. It seemed to overlook the fact that the impact of AWE’s characteristics (e.g., visibility) on people’s responses will also depend on a range of situational and psychological factors (e.g., the planning process, the community’s trust in project developers). Therefore, empirical social science research is needed to increase the field’s understanding of the acceptance of AWE and thereby facilitate development and deployment.

Value-Driven System Design of Utility-Scale Airborne Wind Energy

“…A review of the technology and the different concepts can be found in [4][5][6]. This paper was based on the widely adopted concept of converting the pulling force on the ground using a drum-generator module.…”

Operation Approval for Commercial Airborne Wind Energy Systems

“…Heavier fixed-wing kites fly faster, and a crash landing typically amounts to a total loss of the kite. Another important aspect next to the availability and maintenance cost is the safety of persons, properties, and critical infrastructures on the ground and other airspace users [7,8].…”

“…Despite the various conceptual differences, the consensus in the industry is that safe and robust operation with a sufficient degree of autonomy is an important prerequisite for a successful market introduction of AWES and acceptance by the public [8,9]. To our knowledge, this target has not yet been achieved, as none of the commercial prototypes have been operated continuously for more than a few days.…”

Investigation and Optimisation of High-Lift Airfoils for Airborne Wind Energy Systems at High Reynolds Numbers

“…Typical challenges when designing and operating AWE systems include the added complexity and dependence on a robust and reliable control system [3] as well as high-performance materials. Furthermore, existing regulations have to be revised to accommodate the operation of high-altitude tethered aircraft for power generation and more research is needed on the social acceptance of AWE systems [4].…”