Kites to fly high to generate electricity: Professor Jayaratne

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama  

The Physics Department at Colombo University plans to generate sufficient electricity for home use using kites, Astronomy and Space Science Unit, Colombo University Director, Professor Chandana Jayaratne said.  

During the recent kite festival in Nuwara-Eliya, Professor Jayaratne announced plans to generate electricity using kites. This decision followed an experiment conducted during the festival, he said.  

“While generating electricity with wind power is common, using kites for this purpose will be a new initiative in Nuwara Eliya. Although this concept is new to Sri Lanka, it has already been implemented in the United States, where at least four houses have been powered by electricity generated from high-flying kites,” Professor Jayaratne said.  

To advance this initiative, discussions will be held with kite-fliers’ associations across Sri Lanka. Renewable energy is increasingly essential for many regions in the country. As part of this effort, Colombo University plans to introduce new methods for electricity generation in the future.  

“Recent experiments have shown that kites flying at heights above 500 metres can successfully generate electricity. If done correctly, up to 1,800 terawatts of electricity can be produced,” he said.