A wind farm or wind park, or wind power plant,[1] is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turbines covering an extensive area. Wind farms can be either onshore or offshore. Contact online >>
A wind farm or wind park, or wind power plant,[1] is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turbines covering an extensive area. Wind farms can be either onshore or offshore.
Location is critical to the overall success of a wind farm. Additional conditions contributing to a successful wind farm location include: wind conditions, access to electric transmission, physical access, and local electricity prices.
The faster the average wind speed, the more electricity the wind turbine will generate, so faster winds are generally economically better for wind farm developments.[7] The balancing factor is that strong gusts and high turbulence require stronger more expensive turbines, otherwise there is a risk of damage. The average power in the wind is not proportional to the average wind speed. For this reason, the ideal wind conditions would be strong but consistent winds with low turbulence coming from a single direction.
Usually sites are screened on the basis of a wind atlas, and validated with on-site wind measurements via long term or permanent meteorological-tower data using anemometers and wind vanes. Meteorological wind data alone is usually not sufficient for accurate siting of a large wind power project. Collection of site specific data for wind speed and direction is crucial to determining site potential[10][11] in order to finance the project.[12] Local winds are often monitored for a year or more, detailed wind maps are constructed, along with rigorous grid capability studies conducted, before any wind generators are installed.
The wind blows faster at higher altitudes because of the reduced influence of drag. The increase in velocity with altitude is most dramatic near the surface and is affected by topography, surface roughness, and upwind obstacles such as trees or buildings. At altitudes of thousands of feet/hundreds of metres above sea level, the power in the wind decreases proportional to the decrease in air density.[13]
A major factor in wind-farm design is the spacing between the turbines, both laterally and axially (with respect to the prevailing winds). The closer the turbines are together, the more the upwind turbines block wind from their rear neighbors (wake effect). However, spacing turbines far apart increases the costs of roads and power cables, and raises the amount of land needed to install a specific capacity of turbines. As a result of these factors, turbine spacing varies by site. Generally speaking, manufacturers require a minimum of 3.5 times the turbine''s rotor diameter of clear space between each adjacent turbine''s respective spatial envelope.
Closer spacing is possible depending on the turbine model, the conditions at the site, and how the site will be operated.[citation needed] Airflows slow as they approach an obstacle, known as the ''blockage effect'', reducing available wind power by 2% for the turbines in front of other turbines.[17][18]
The capacity of the world''s first wind farm was 0.6 MW, produced by 20 wind turbines rated at 30 kilowatts each, installed on the shoulder of Crotched Mountain in southern New Hampshire in December 1980.[19][20]
[24]
Onshore turbine installations in hilly or mountainous regions tend to be on ridges generally three kilometres or more inland from the nearest shoreline. This is done to exploit the topographic acceleration as the wind accelerates over a ridge. The additional wind speeds gained in this way can increase energy produced because more wind goes through the turbines. The exact position of each turbine matters, because a difference of 30 metres could potentially double output. This careful placement is referred to as ''micro-siting''.
Europe is the leader in offshore wind energy, with the first offshore wind farm (Vindeby) being installed in Denmark in 1991. As of 2010, there were 39 offshore wind farms in waters off Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, with a combined operating capacity of 2,396 MW. More than 100 GW (or 100,000 MW) of offshore projects are proposed or under development in Europe. The European Wind Energy Association set a target of 40 GW installed by 2020 and 150 GW by 2030.[38]
As of 2017[update], The Walney Wind Farm in the United Kingdom is the largest offshore wind farm in the world at 659 MW, followed by the London Array (630 MW) also in the UK.
Offshore wind turbines are less obtrusive than turbines on land, as their apparent size and noise is mitigated by distance. Because water has less surface roughness than land (especially deeper water), the average wind speed is usually considerably higher over open water. Capacity factors (utilisation rates) are considerably higher than for onshore locations.[39]
The province of Ontario, Canada is pursuing several proposed locations in the Great Lakes, including the suspended[40] Trillium Power Wind 1 approximately 20 km from shore and over 400 MW in size.[41] Other Canadian projects include one on the Pacific west coast.[42] In 2010, there were no offshore wind farms in the United States, but projects were under development in wind-rich areas of the East Coast, Great Lakes, and Pacific coast;[38] and in late 2016 the Block Island Wind Farm was commissioned.
Experimental wind farms consisting of a single wind turbine for testing purposes have been built. One such installation is Østerild Wind Turbine Test Field.
Airborne wind farms have been envisaged. Such wind farms are a group of airborne wind energy systems located close to each other connected to the grid at the same point.[64]
Wind farms consisting of diverse wind turbines have been proposed in order to efficiently use wider ranges of wind speeds. Such wind farms are proposed to be projected under two criteria: maximization of the energy produced by the farm and minimization of its costs.[65]
The Australian Greens have been significant supporters of Australian wind farms, however the party''s previous leader Bob Brown and former leader Richard Di Natale have now both expressed concerns about environmental aspects of wind turbines, particularly the potential danger they impose for birds.[66][67]
In just five years, China leapfrogged the rest of the world in wind energy production, going from 2,599 MW of capacity in 2006 to 62,733 MW at the end of 2011.[74][75][76] However, the rapid growth outpaced China''s infrastructure and new construction slowed significantly in 2012.[77]
At the end of 2009, wind power in China accounted for 25.1 gigawatts (GW) of electricity generating capacity,[78] and China has identified wind power as a key growth component of the country''s economy.[79] With its large land mass and long coastline, China has exceptional wind resources.[80] Researchers from Harvard and Tsinghua University have found that China could meet all of their electricity demands from wind power by 2030.[81]
According to the Global Wind Energy Council, the development of wind energy in China, in terms of scale and rhythm, is unparalleled in the world. The National People''s Congress permanent committee passed a law that requires the Chinese energy companies to purchase all the electricity produced by the renewable energy sector.[85]
In July 2022, Seagreen, the world''s deepest fixed-bottom wind farm, became operative. Located 26 miles off the Angus coastline, in Scotland, it has 114 turbines that generate 1.1 gigawatts (GW) of electricity.[94][95]
India has the fifth largest installed wind power capacity in the world.[96] As of 31 March 2014, the installed capacity of wind power was 21136.3 MW mainly spread across Tamil Nadu state (7253 MW).[97][98] Wind power accounts nearly 8.5% of India''s total installed power generation capacity, and it generates 1.6% of the country''s power.
In Japan''s electricity sector, wind power generates a small proportion of the country''s electricity. It has been estimated that Japan has the potential for 144 gigawatts (GW) for onshore wind and 608 GW of offshore wind capacity.[99]As of 2023, the country had a total installed capacity of 5.2 GW.
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