Joby Energy Long-term Testing Site Secured
Joby Energy Business Development Director Archan Padmanabhan announced that a long-term testing site lease has been secured. The lease with the landowner provides access to 250 unpopulated acres of relatively flat land in South Point, Hawaii.
“The land available exceeds our testing requirements,” Padmanabhan said. “The site offers excellent wind resources, limited precipitation, and the climate is certainly adequate.”
Padmanabhan said that Joby Energy will work closely with State and Federal regulators, local leaders, renewable energy advocates, the research community and the state’s chief electricity provider as the organization proceeds in its testing plan.
“I am incredibly impressed with the proactive renewable energy stance and the response we’ve had from the local community,” Padmanabhan said. “It’s just the sort of business environment we hoped to find.”
Securing the long-term test site was a critical step in the Joby Energy research and development plan and will accelerate technology deployment according to JoeBen Bevirt, Joby Energy’s Founder.
“We expect to conclude site preparation and begin pilot testing 10 kW prototypes by early 2011,” Bevirt said. “Our main goals are to achieve autonomous flight, demonstrate extended endurance flights, and generate rated-power.”
The testing project is designed to demonstrate core functionality and validate performance expectations for the Company’s utility‐scale system.