In November, WinFlex, a wind-power company based in Kiryat Yam, Israel, received one of the most coveted prizes in the GE Ecomagination Challenge for developing a wind-turbine system that uses a light, flexible cloth sheets made out of composite materials as the rotor system for a wind turbine.

FORBES: Inflatable Wind Turbines Pass Laugh Test

For the purposes of floating wind farms, such turbines are not light enough, they are too tall and the rotor blades are too small, according to Mr Bratland's early assessments, made even before the 2.3 megawatt turbine has started delivering electricity through the sea-bed cable that connects it to the Norwegian national grid.

BBC: Floating challenge for offshore wind turbine