. >> cal terk post doc trait scholar spends much of his time out here studying vertical wind tur binsi see two wind turbines behind one. >> the smaller is a 1 kiloway. the bigger is a 2.5 kilowatt turbine. the smaller one is more beneficial for smaller applications, the bigger one produces more power but needs more wind. so it's a bit of a trade off what wind you have, how many turbines you want to supply at that position. >> reporter: what are some the vangs to the vrt call -- advantages to the vertical access turbine. >> we can space them closer. >> reporter: back in his lab he is studying a sea create our for clues on improving real-world energy efficiencies. jelly fish. >> they are simple. they are the first animals to figure out how to swim in the o. they are 500 million years old and efficient in how to use energy. we are interested in stealing the ideas and using them for different technologies allowing us to use less fuel in an underwater vehicle. >> reporter: why are they so special of. >> it's a vortex ring they create. not unlike a smoke ring. each time they contract and re