wind farm

A wind farm is a collection of wind turbines in the same location. They generate wind-powered electricity. Production varies with the wind. Individual turbines are interconnected with a medium voltage (usually 34.5kV) collection system and fiber optic communications network. This medium-voltage electricity is then stepped up with a transformer to a high voltage transmission system and the electric grid. A proposed solution for wind energy and other intermittent power sources is to create a supergrid of interconnected wind farms^[1] across western Europe. This large-scale array of dispersed wind farms^[2] would be located in different wind regimes.

A 21st century windfarm in the California Central Valley

Wind capacity installed and under construction by country

Wind farms in Australia

See: Wind power in Australia, Wind power in South Australia

At the end of 2006, Australia had installed electricity generation capacity from wind power of 817 MW^[11] and nationally wind farms contributed about 1% of total electricity production. In the state of South Australia, this figure was much higher at 9.2% (2005). Australian wind farms produce on average capacity factors of 30-35%, making wind an attractive option in the country.^[12]

Some of the largest wind farms in Australia are:

1. Wattle Point (SA) - 90.75MW
2. Alinta/Walkaway (WA) - 90MW
3. Lake Bonney (stage 1) (SA) - 80.5MW
4. Cathedral Rocks (SA) - 66MW
5. Emu Downs Wind Farm, Western Australia (WA) - 80MW

Wind farms in Brazil

Brazil is one of the countries that is expanding its wind power production the fastest ^[13]

The Location of Brazil's Wind Farms:

1. São Gonçalo do Amarante/CE (10 Turbines)
2. Prainha de Aquiraz-CE (20 Turbines)
3. Mucuripe-CE (4 Turbines)
4. Fernando de Noronha Island-PE 1&2 (2 Turbines)
5. Olinda-PE 1&2 (2 Turbines)
6. Morro do Camelinho-MG (4 Turbines)
7. Palmas-PR (5 Turbines)
8. Osório-RS (? Turbines)

Wind farms in Canada

See also: List of wind farms in Canada

Huron Wind farm in Tiverton, Ontario, Canada, includes five Vestas V80s installed in November 2002

The total capacity of all wind farms in Canada is approximately 1,492 MW as of February 2006 ^[14]. Each province and territory contains the following capacity (rounded to one decimal):

1. Ontario, 415.3 MW,
2. Alberta, 385.0 MW,
3. Quebec, 321.8 MW,
4. Saskatchewan, 171.2 MW,
5. Manitoba, 104.0 MW,
6. Nova Scotia, 49.3 MW,
7. Prince Edward Island, 43.6 MW,
8. Yukon, 0.8 MW, and then
9. Newfoundland and Labrador, 0.4 MW.

There are currently no operating wind farms in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nunavut (territory), or the Northwest Territories.

The five largest wind farms in Canada are:

1. Prince Project - Phase I&II (Ontario), 189 MW
2. Murdochville Project - Phase I&II&III (Quebec), 162 MW
3. Centennial (SaskPower near Swift Current, Saskatchewan), 149.4 MW
4. Erie Shores (Ontario), 99 MW
5. St Leon - Phase 2 (Manitoba), 84 MW

Government support for wind power continues to increase. The current Wind Power Production Incentive (WPPI)^[15] is expected to quadruple its goal of 1,000 MW of wind power to 4,000 MW. There is an additional 2,811 MW planned or under construction.

Wind farms in Europe

See Wind power in the European Union

A modern offshore wind farm near Copenhagen.

A wind farm in a mountainous area in Galicia, Spain

The development of wind farms in Europe enjoys greater public acceptance and creates a larger share of energy. Germany has the biggest wind turbine to be established offshore, and the largest number of wind farms in the world. Its installed capacity was 20,622 MW as of December 2006. The second country in capacity was Spain with 11,615 MW. The third one was Denmark with 3,136 MW. Italy was in the fourth position, with 2,123 MW. ^[16]

Overall national government policies across Europe are also generally in favour of increasing the use of renewable energy sources. The United Kingdom government, for example, has a target for 10% of domestic energy consumption to be generated from renewable sources by the year 2010. A number of on- and off-shore wind farms are currently going through planning permission at the moment. Recently an onshore farm was opened at Cefn Croes in West Wales's Cambrian Mountains ^[17]. In May 2006, operational wind farms in wind farms in the UK comprised an installed capacity of 1693 MW, in Portugal 1188 MW ^[18], in France 918 MW and in the Republic of Ireland 496 MW. The planned 322 MW wind farm south of Glasgow will be the biggest wind farm in Europe. The €350 million farm is ordered by Scottish Power and the 140 wind turbines are to be delivered by Siemens.

On 18 December 2006, the British government gave planning consent for the world's largest offshore wind farm. It is to be built 12 miles off of the Kent coast and will include 341 turbines. Parts of the 'London Array', as it is called, have already been constructed and are operational.

Wind farms in different countries yield different amounts of electricity, because of differences in prevailing wind patterns, siting of the turbines, and the fact that early turbine designs were considerably less efficient and capable of adapting quickly to changes in wind direction and speed. For example, an Oxford University study of the wind over the past 35 years found that UK turbines would have produced 27% of their peak power generating capacity, compared with 20% in Denmark and 15% in Germany.^[19]

An important limiting factor of wind power is variable power generated by wind farms. In most locations the wind blows only part of the time, which means that there has to be back-up capacity of conventional generating capacity to cover periods that the wind is not blowing. To address this issue it has been proposed to create a supergrid of interconnected windfarms across western Europe, ranging from Denmark across the southern North Sea to England and the Celtic Sea to Ireland, and further south to France and Spain especially in Higueruela which was considered for some time the biggest wind farm in the world.^[20]. The idea is that by the time a low pressure area has moved away from Denmark to the Baltic Sea the next low appears of the coast of Ireland. Therefore, while it is true that the wind is not blowing everywhere all of the time, it will always be blowing somewhere. Such a supergrid would therefore reduce the need for backup capacity.

Wind farms in India

See Wind power in India

A wind farm in Muppandal, Tamil Nadu, India

At the end of 2007 India had 7113.6 MW of wind generating capacity and is the fourth largest market in the world.^[21] There are about a dozen wind pumps of various designs providing water for agriculture, afforestation, and domestic purposes, all scattered over the country. The states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra lead in the field of wind energy.^{[citation needed][opinion needs balancing]}

Wind farms in Japan

Wakamatsu wind farm, Kitakyushu, Japan

There is no particular controversy about the sightliness or otherwise of the Wakamatsu ward windfarm in Kitakyushu, as there is in some other countries. It is far from the scenic areas of Wakamatsu, and on windy reclaimed land. Asahi Shimbun reported on May 18, 2005 that many utilities have put limits on the amount of wind power they will allow, because of lack of confidence in their ability to deal with the variable output. It should be noted that several European countries are successfully accommodating significantly higher shares of wind energy in to their networks and that the Japanese grid is capable of coping with large conventional power stations disconnecting unexpectedly due to faults; on the other hand, it is true that integrating windpower or unreliable conventional power stations in to island grids is more difficult than into continent-wide inter-connected grids.

Wind farms in New Zealand

New Zealand (the Saudi Arabia of wind) is located in the 'roaring 40s' and has an abundant wind energy resource. Genesis Energy built the Hau Nui wind farm in 1996 and is located south east of Martinborough on the coastal road to White Rock. The Brooklyn Wind Turbine was installed on the top of a hill in Brooklyn, Wellington in March 1993 as part of a research project commissioned by the now defunct Electricity Corporation of New Zealand. Meridian Energy recently applied for, and obtained with conditions, resource consent to build a consignment of wind farms in the rural Makara Hill area west of Wellington. Meridian Energy have finished the Te Apiti Wind Farm on the Ruahine Ranges. It can be seen clearly at Ashurst near Palmerston North. The Te Rere Hau Wind Farm is under construction nearby. Meridian Energy have started construction of the White Hill wind farm at Mossburn, between Te Anau, Gore and Invercargill in the South Island. TrustPower purchased the Tararua wind farm, located on the Tararua Ranges behind Palmerston North, from Tararua Wind Power Limited. As of September 2007 this was New Zealand's largest wind farm, with an installed capacity of 161MW.

Wind farms in South Africa

The first commercial wind farm in South Africa is being constructed 13km's outside Darling in the Western Cape on farm Windhoek. The first phase will consist of four 1.3MW turbines supplied by Fuhrlander, Germany. The total power generated estimated at 5.2MW will be put into the national grid at 66kV. It has taken the developer Herman Oelsner 10 years to achieve his dream of being the first privatised wind farm in South Africa. There has been enormous concerns regarding environmetal and aviation some of which still need to be resolved. DWP ( Darling Wind Power ) will be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the wind farm under a watchful eye from Germany. Various stake holders from international to Local have invested in the project which could only benefit an already over extended power producer in South Africa namely Eskom.

Additionally, Klipheuwel wind farm, the first wind farm in sub-Saharan Africa, comprises three turbines – a Vestas V66 with 1.75 MW output, a Vestas V47 with 660 kW output and a Jeumont J48 with 750 kW output, giving a total output of almost 3.2 MW.

Wind farms in the United States

See Wind power in the United States

The United States has the third most installed capacity of wind power in the world, after Germany and Spain. As of December 2006, its wind farms had a combined capacity of 11,603 MW. ^[22] Historically, the rise of wind farms in the US began in the late 1970s when the US government implemented favorable tax policies for wind investors as a reaction to the energy crisis of that era. Subsequent variability over time of the availability of government incentives, combined with an easing of energy costs led to an extended stagnation in the US wind energy industry in the following decades. In the mid-2000s, however, higher energy prices combined with an increase in demand for green energy (driven in large part by policy setting at the state level – such as the creation of statewide Renewable Portfolio Standards – in the absence of any materially significant or coordinated federal response to global warming) to result in unprecedented and accelerating growth in new wind development.

Currently, the largest wind farm in the US – and the largest in the world – is Florida Power & Light's Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center, located in Taylor County, Texas. The Horse Hollow project operates 421 wind turbines and has a capacity of 735 megawatts. [1] Prior to Horse Hollow's completion, the largest US wind farm was the Stateline Wind Project on the Oregon-Washington line, with a peak capacity of 300 megawatts. Three California wind "farms" arguably have greater combined capacity than the Stateline farm, but are actually collections of dozens of individual wind farms. The California farms have many different owners and turbine types and have been constructed, retrofitted and occasionally dismantled since they were first installed in late 1982. As of 2005, all three of these areas are seeing renewed growth. Primarily, the older and smaller wind turbines are being replaced with much larger, more efficient models. Some of the workhorses of the past were only 65 kilowatts (kW) in capacity or even smaller, though some were several hundred kW. Today, the smallest utility-scale wind turbines are about 700 kW, with a few models approaching 5,000 kW (5 MW). Secondarily, non-functional turbines are also being returned to service.

Wind turbines in Solano County, CA

Northern California is home to one of the earliest large wind farms. An advantage of the Altamont Pass Wind Farm is that under hot inland (Central Valley) conditions, a thermal low is developed that brings in cool coastal marine air, driving the turbines at a time of maximum electricity demand. However, this phenomenon is not always reliable and with an inland high pressure condition the entire region can be both hot and windless. At this time additional power must be provided by natural gas-powered gas turbine peaker plants. Solano County has one of the five major wind farms in California and has integrated the most advanced wind power technology anywhere in the United States. From 2003 to 2006, dozens of state-of-the-art turbines were installed at the Montezuma Hills near the Sacramento River delta. Eight of the turbines, at 415 feet tall, are the largest in the United States--and are 110 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. These 3-megawatt Vestas wind turbines each produce enough power to meet the annual needs of more than 1,000 households.

Numerous small and fast turning wind turbines at Tehachapi Pass. (US) Today's turbines are larger and spaced farther apart, as that has proven to be a more cost-effective approach.

The Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm and San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm sites have not had the same problems as Altamont Pass has had. The winds at these sites are more consistent. Also, endangered bird kills have not been an issue.

Even though California has some of the largest wind farms in the U.S., it does not have very many commercially viable wind farm sites, at least not onshore. Much of the Southwest is not much better, although there are some significant exceptions. The Great Plains states have an abundance of suitable sites for wind energy development^[23] however the region's potential is still largely untapped. Iowa and Minnesota are leading the Midwest in the development of wind energy with their combined capacities expected to reach 2,000 MW in 2007. The Pacific Northwest and the Northeast both have many excellent sites as well. In contrast, the Southeast has a very poor wind energy resource, though the Appalachian Mountains do provide a few good areas.

195 'Vestas' wind turbines create a 320MW wind farm. The turbines operate at 14 RPM to generate profit for this rural Northern NY area.

The new Maple Ridge Wind Farm near Lowville, NY is the second largest wind farm in the US. The name was changed to honor the production of Maple Syrup from this region of Northern New York. More information is available at: MapleRidgeWind.com. This site has 195 Vestas wind turbines, each with a rated capacity of 1.65MW, resulting in a rated site capacity of 320MW (equivalent to a mid-sized power plant). The site was dedicated on September 26, 2006 with all but one turbine in operation (one tower was damaged in shipping and is waiting for replacement). Maple Ridge (formerly Flat Rock Wind Farm) provides about $10 million in benefit to the local community with about $2 million annual payments to 75 landowners, and $8 million in tax revenues to the region. This site has increased New York's renewable energy generation by sixfold. The project is jointly owned by PPM Energy and Horizon Wind Energy.

Four of the 44 turbines near Thomas, WV.

Horizon Wind Energy is also building the Twin Groves Wind Farm in McLean County, IL. Phase 1 is complete and Phase 2 is scheduled for completion December 2007. Upon completion, the project will consist of 240 wind turbine generators with a capacity of 1.65 MW each, for a total of 396 MW.

In West Virginia the Mountaineer Wind Energy Center near Thomas has been operational since December 2002. It consists of 44 turbines generating 66MW. The site is owned by FPL Energy.

In Massachusetts, two proposed wind farms have had approval difficulties. The Cape Wind project, a proposal to construct 130 offshore wind turbines in the Nantucket Sound, is the subject of heavy debate^[24] in the affluent communities of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket as well as among environmentalists. The Hoosac Wind project, which will build 20 turbines on two ridgelines in the rural towns of Florida and Monroe, was initially the subject of little official controversy, but has been delayed by a suit to protect wetlands. Several other projects have been proposed for the area.

Another 40-turbine offshore wind power installation has been proposed for the ocean off Jones Beach, Long Island, New York. It has the backing of many local and national environmental groups [2] as well as the Long Island Power Authority and the Governor of New York.

In New Jersey, the country's first coastal wind farm became operational in December 2005. The Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm in Atlantic City consists of five 1.5-MW turbines.

New Mexico is home of the New Mexico Wind Energy Center near Fort Sumner, New Mexico, having 136 turbines with a peak output of 1.5 megawatts each. Ironically, this site is owned by FPL Energy; i.e. Florida Power and Light. p.m. claims that this facility is the world's third largest wind generation project, but the reference may be out-of-date.^[25]

The American Wind Energy Association provides information about existing and proposed projects in the U.S.

As of August, 2005 wind farms in the US are regulated by the Minerals Management Service.

As of May 31, 2006, the FAA has stopped construction at 15 midwest wind farm projects over concerns about interference with military radar.^[26] The reason for this is that a defense appropriation bill passed in January 2006 contained a provision requiring studies of the effects of wind farms on military radar, language added to the bill by Cape Wind project opponents. Since then, the FAA has began permitting construction to resume, as no evidence of any radar difficulty has been found (or ever was suspected).

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Wind farm

• Electrical generator
• Net metering
• Wind power
• Wind turbine
• Wind power in the United Kingdom
• Wave farm
• Category:Wind power by country
• List of large wind farms

References

External links

• Wind Over Water - a documentary film about the Cape Wind Project a proposed wind farm in Massachusetts, US.
• Altahullion Wind farm A Quicktime VR panorama illustrating the scale of the largest wind farm in Ireland
• Wind power
• MySME.deInformation on Wind Farm Development in Germany
• Offshorewind.net - Offshore wind energy information.
• www.world-wind.energy.info - Basic information of wind energy utilisation (technology, planning a wind farm, grid integration etc.), presented by the World Wind Energy Association
• American Wind Energy Association. An association promoting wind power growth through advocacy and education.
• Pictures of a Wind Farm being deployed
• National Wind Watch - A coalition of US wind power opposition groups.

Donate to Wikimedia