Not the planet Mars, but the lighter-than-air wind turbine developed by a Canadian company called Magenn Power. The Magenn Power Air Rotor System (MARS) rotates about a horizontal axis in response to wind. The company claim that the system can generate electricity more cost effectively than any competing system.Helium (a totally inert gas) raises MARS to an altitude of 1000 feet. Once deployed to this altitude the wind causes the system to rotate producing additional lift due to the Magnus Effect. This effect also helps to stabilize MARS, restricting it to a small area and preventing it from drifting downwind of it's tether.
The system can generate power for immediate use or transmission to the power grid. Unlike traditional wind turbines MARS can be deployed almost anywhere because it utilizes the 600-1000 feet lower level jet streams that are available almost everywhere. This fact combined with it's comparatively low manufacturing and deployment cost means that the usual placement restrictions don't apply to MARS. In the future, using this technology, wind farms could be placed closer to, or possibly within, large urban centers where energy needs are greatest. This would lead to less energy being lost due to transmission over long distances.The MARS wind turbine can operate in winds from 4 mph to 60 mph, unlike traditional wind turbines which must shutdown in high winds to avoid damage. The system can be deployed, deflated and redeployed without the need for heavy machinery or large towers. This, coupled with it's other benefits, make it ideal for disaster situations, and the Third World where infrastructure is limited.
So how soon will it be before we see fields of these wind turbines above us? Well the company plan to begin shipping their MARS 10 product in 2009. So watch the skies!
