Mihir Garde

Innovative renewable energy pioneer who developed airborne wind turbines

Mihir Garde (b. 1976) is an Indian-American engineer and entrepreneur whose work in renewable energy has revolutionized wind power generation through his development of airborne wind turbine technology. As co-founder and CTO of Makani Power (acquired by Google X in 2013), he pioneered the use of wing-based airborne turbines that generate electricity by harnessing high-altitude winds. This technology has the potential to produce 50x more energy than traditional turbines while using 90% less materials.

Garde's innovations address critical challenges in renewable energy scalability, particularly in regions with inconsistent surface winds. His team's 600kW prototype demonstrated viability at altitudes up to 1,500 feet, achieving 50% capacity factors - far exceeding conventional turbines' 30-40%. The technology received Breakthrough Energy Ventures funding and was featured in MIT Technology Review's 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2016.

Before Makani, Garde worked at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab developing aerodynamics for Mars rovers. He earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, where his research focused on fluid dynamics and renewable energy systems. His work has been documented in IEEE journals and profiled in National Geographic's 'The Future of Energy' series.

The airborne turbine concept has inspired multiple startups globally and influenced next-generation wind farm designs. Garde currently advises emerging clean energy ventures through his firm Aether Energy, focusing on decentralized power solutions for developing economies.