February 13, 2019

Bigger Is Better For Wind Energy

Listen Later

2 minutes

Bigger is almost always better for wind power. Bigger wind farms are better than smaller wind farms and bigger wind turbines are better than smaller ones.

The biggest turbines currently available produce nearly 10 MW of

power, which is enough to supply over 2,000 homes with electricity. A wind farm with just a few of these turbines

could produce enough electricity for a small town. A big wind farm, like the giant 1,550 MW Alta

Wind Energy Center in California can generate enough power for a small city.

Vestas Wind Systems, an industry leader based in Denmark, has

announced a 10 MW turbine that will be ready for installation in two

years. The rotor diameter of the giant

machine is 538 feet and the blades sweep out an area of 227,000 square feet,

the size of nearly 4 football fields.

Not to be outdone, General Electric is developing a 12 MW offshore

wind turbine that will stand 850 feet tall and sweep out an area of more than

400,000 square feet. GE estimates that

its 12 MW turbine will achieve nearly twice the capacity factor of its 6 MW

turbine.

Companies are building bigger and bigger wind turbines because they

are more cost effective. The capacity

factor, which is the actual energy production divided by the potential energy

production, goes up as the turbines get bigger and more efficient. In terms of dollars spent to produce a given

amount of power, larger windfarms are less expensive to build than smaller

ones. A wind farm of 200-500 MW capacity

is about 40% cheaper per MW capacity than a 25 MW wind farm.

When it comes to wind energy, there is no doubt that bigger is better.

**********

Web Links

Wind Energy — Where Bigger Is Better

Photo, posted February 14, 2012, courtesy of Aaron Warner via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

...more

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Earth Wise

By Randy Simon

4.7

1515 ratings

February 13, 2019

Bigger Is Better For Wind Energy

Listen Later

2 minutes

Bigger is almost always better for wind power. Bigger wind farms are better than smaller wind farms and bigger wind turbines are better than smaller ones.

The biggest turbines currently available produce nearly 10 MW of

power, which is enough to supply over 2,000 homes with electricity. A wind farm with just a few of these turbines

could produce enough electricity for a small town. A big wind farm, like the giant 1,550 MW Alta

Wind Energy Center in California can generate enough power for a small city.

Vestas Wind Systems, an industry leader based in Denmark, has

announced a 10 MW turbine that will be ready for installation in two

years. The rotor diameter of the giant

machine is 538 feet and the blades sweep out an area of 227,000 square feet,

the size of nearly 4 football fields.

Not to be outdone, General Electric is developing a 12 MW offshore

wind turbine that will stand 850 feet tall and sweep out an area of more than

400,000 square feet. GE estimates that

its 12 MW turbine will achieve nearly twice the capacity factor of its 6 MW

turbine.

Companies are building bigger and bigger wind turbines because they

are more cost effective. The capacity

factor, which is the actual energy production divided by the potential energy

production, goes up as the turbines get bigger and more efficient. In terms of dollars spent to produce a given

amount of power, larger windfarms are less expensive to build than smaller

ones. A wind farm of 200-500 MW capacity

is about 40% cheaper per MW capacity than a 25 MW wind farm.

When it comes to wind energy, there is no doubt that bigger is better.

**********

Web Links

Wind Energy — Where Bigger Is Better

Photo, posted February 14, 2012, courtesy of Aaron Warner via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

...more