Interesting I tried to sell my latest U.S. patent to them a few months ago, but so far they are not interested. It is for the spar buoy floating foundation, in U.S. Waters.
Now I would point you newer people to this article, and a couple more on the web if you search: This sounds very impressive, right? Big companies, big plans, but notice a couple of things: No matter how impressive this all sounds, notice that the actual “news” is that they are announcing plans for future activity. The instinct is sometimes to mistake announcements of future planned activity for announcements of the activity itself. I notice they still talk of future testing in Hawaii. They’ve been saying that for like ten years now, haven’t they?. I’m not reading any more statements of powering X hundred homes in this article though, just “testing”, “learning”. OK, learning is good, right?
Well just pay attention to what you’ve read and see over time if any of it comes true. Then you can try to tell the next group that comes along what to expect when they get all excited at every press-release announcing future actions for “next year”, ten more years into the future from now. :)))
I don’t take this as good news for Makani, rather neutral or negative. Google seems more likely to have supported Makani to the end, but they might have been victim og Google’s habit io slashing useful stuff that does not obtain «Google scale» in time. As I understand though, Google still owns a big share if Makani.
Shell on the other hand is first and foremost an oil company. Even so, they are probably also in a process of rebranding thenselves as an energy company, and as such Makani would complete that jigsaw well.
Anyways, I still wish M the best of luck. The will to make a serious dent in the global warming issue seems genuine and is most welcomed. Also their success could become an enabler for other AWE companies.
And now we have two AWE companies operating in Norway!
More details on:
I remember years back when Southwest Windpower, the world’s leading manufacturer of small wind turbines at that time, got a ten million dollar loan from GE Capital. I said “That’s the end of Southwest Windpower”. Why? I was replacing their failed turbines with mine. I knew they had so many warrantee returns in a warehouse that they would never catch up, and I knew what was wrong with their turbine design(s), and I knew how little profit there could be, and so I thought they would be unable to make the payments on the ten million dollar loan so they would go bust, which they did. The more money companies with no decent product take on, the deeper in debt they get, and the harder it will be to ever overcome their negative cash position. Meanwhile the “business school” mindset is always talking about “strategic alliances” etc., which may work out great for companies with a product that has value, but which won’t help companies stuck exclusively in an endless R & D loop.
Makani to Metcentre
Makani LLC today announces a partnership with Shell.
Makani will from June 2019 start a test program at Metcentre, Karmøy.
“Makani is an independent company founded by Alphabet (Google),”
***Huh? founded by? What about “bought by”?
After 12 years of “future-news” from this outfit, (It always sounds so good) I would not hold your breath…