# Small, airborne and traditional wind

Wind captured at small scale, at height, or as motion rather than electricity.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_wind/

Capture · Wind · No. 28

- Capture
- Output: Electricity or motion
 Capture · Wind · Foundation · Energy

More than 100 cargo ships now carry spinning rotors, wings or kites that supply up to a fifth of their thrust.

Chart: Illustration: Small, airborne and traditional wind

##### Where it comes from

Small turbines sit on short masts in slow, turbulent air near buildings and trees, so US units averaged only a 14% capacity factor in 2025.

The market is tiny: the US installed just 1.7 MW, or 737 turbines, in 2025. Ships are the growth story, with over 100 cargo vessels fitted by mid 2026.

##### Three things to know

1. Small turbines cost about 9-10 times as much per kW as big wind farms, so they pay off mainly where diesel is the alternative.
2. Airborne kites fly figure-of-eight loops, pulling a tether off a drum that drives a generator; SkySails had sold five units by 2022.
3. The 17 drainage mills at Kinderdijk, built in 1738-1740, remain landmarks of wind power used directly as motion.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Wind**Slow, gusty air near ground, or aloft
2. 2 **Capture**Small rotor, kite, sail or windmill
3. 3 **Conversion**Generator, tether drum or direct shaft
4. 4 **Use**Off-grid power, pumping, milling, ship thrust
 Covered in [Muscles, wood, water and wind: energy before fossil fuelsEnergy](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/energy/energy-before-fossil-fuels/)

##### Go deeper pick a tab to open it in full

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_wind/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_wind/correlation/index.md)
- [Efficiency](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_wind/efficiency/index.md)
- [Techniques](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_wind/techniques/index.md)
- [Resources and labour](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_wind/resources/index.md)
- [Impact on the biosphere](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_wind/biosphere/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_wind/links/index.md)