The S1500 floating turbine’s operating altitude is 4,921 feet above ground level, where wind speed moves about three times faster than at the surface. The advantage of this altitude (also referred to as vertical slice) can result in a power output up to 27 times higher than a conventional ground-based wind turbine of similar capacity.
The capacity to generate one megawatt of electrical power (MW) with the S1500 system is comparable in size to what small wind power turbines normally generate (a conventional 328-foot-tall wind turbine), while the footprint of the S1500 system is significantly smaller. This amazing power density shows the efficiency benefits of being able to access high altitude wind power resources by new and innovative airborne platforms.
The voltage being sent down would have to be really high to avoid loss going through such a long and probably thin cable. Like the difference in voltage loss going through a 100’ romex cable of 10-gauge wire with 12v DC vs 120v AC - you just can’t do it with 12v DC because the loss is far too high, but it’s no problem with 120v AC.
Magnify those losses times 500 for your 5000’ cable… maybe you need a 5000v line… then you have a dangerous high-voltage line flying around in the air. High-voltage transmission lines can arc to ground if they find a path, even though they’re insulated wires.
But I guess those guys probably know about that stuff too.
Depending on how the turbine is set up, it could generate AC power instead of DC. I believe they even have several options on how to do this.