Wind turbine advances creating a 'modern-day wind rush'
April 1, 2015 | By
Barbara Vergetis Lundin
Advanced wind turbines are accessing faster, steadier winds at higher altitudes so they can generate more electricity, creating a modern-day "wind rush" as new areas in the Great Lakes states and the Southeastern U.S. become economical sites to develop more wind energy, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).
"Wind turbine technology has advanced in just a few decades from the Model T era to more like that of a Tesla," said AWEA CEO Tom Kiernan. "Taller towers, longer blades and improved electronics to operate and maintain the turbines are all part of this revolution." Modern wind turbines require a wind speed of only about 8 miles per hour (5 meters per second) to start generating utility-scale quantities of electricity. Sites with comparatively lower average wind speeds can now be considered for commercial turbines for the first time. High-wind areas are becoming even more productive thanks to longer blades, as the average annual "capacity factor" or percentage of the maximum rated capacity that a turbine generates year-round now tops 50 percent in some cases. Some older sites are being repowered by new turbines. Others are receiving a variety of refinements to existing turbines such as blade tip extensions, vortex generators, and improved electronics, making them more productive. These innovations have contributed to a drop in the price of wind-generated electricity. The levelized cost of wind energy (LCOE) -- the net cost to install and operate a turbine, divided by its expected lifetime energy output -- has dropped 58 percent in just five years, according to the most recent study by Wall Street financial advisory firm Lazard. LCOE is the net cost to install and operate a turbine, divided by its expected lifetime energy output. Advances in wind turbine technology also include increases in nameplate capacities over time. The average turbine rating of a wind turbine installed during 2014 was 1.94 MW, 8 times larger than a typical turbine in 1990, generating 17 times more electricity, according to AWEA. With continued technology advancements, states that currently have no commercial wind turbines at all, primarily in the Southeast, will see development opportunities open up in the coming years. Technology advancement provides the opportunity for wind power to further expand in all 50 states, according to the U.S. Department of Energy's new Wind Vision report, including southeastern states Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Wind Vision finds that wind can supply the U.S. with 10 percent of its electricity needs by 2020, 20 percent by 2030 and become a leading source of electricity by 2050. For more: © 2015 FierceMarkets, a division of Questex Media Group LLC. All rights reserved. http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/wind-turbine-advances-creating-modern-day-wind-rush/2015-04-01 |