U.S. Wind Power Approaches 10-Gigawatt Milestone

[jpak]

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/home

Washington, DC As the U.S. wind energy industry stayed on pace for another record year, Texas for the first time supplanted historic leader California as the top state in cumulative wind power capacity, according to the American Wind Energy Association's (AWEA) Second Quarter Market Report.

The report also shows that U.S. developers brought online a capacity total of 822 megawatts (MW) in the first half of the year. With the strong growth, the U.S.'s cumulative wind power capacity surged to 9,971 MW -- within close striking distance of the 10-gigawatt (10,000-MW) milestone. (For a listing of projects completed and under construction, see link below.)

Texas 's cumulative total now stands at 2,370 MW of capacity -- enough to power more than 600,000 average American homes -- followed by California's 2,323 MW. Texas edged ahead of California by adding a total of 375 MW, about half of the total amount installed in the country since the beginning of the year.

It's a historic moment. California has led the nation in installed wind capacity uninterruptedly for nearly 25 years, ever since the first wind farms were built there in late 1981, and at one time the Golden State was host to more than 80 percent of the wind capacity in the entire world. However, energy and electricity prices tanked during the global oil glut of the 1980s, putting California's wind power boom on hold.

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[Oerdin]

1. Rather then quoting capacity...

It should quote actual energy output produced. Capacity numbers are a joke since none of these ever actually produce to their theoretical capacity.

[jpak]

2. They do - and often

It's a myth that a wind turbine never produces power at its rated capacity - they only produce at their rated capacity ~30% of the time (global average). The rest of the time they produce power at some reduced rate (depending on wind speed).

All the wind farms/turbines at every site I've ever observed (US, Denmark, New Zealand) were constantly producing power, just not at their fully rated capacity ALL the time.

Again, an ignorant myth (and a joke).

[dcfirefighter]

3. No myth, no joke6

a 40 MW wind farm doesn't produce nearly 40 x 365 x 25 MW-h of energy. The frasction of capacity it does generate is highly dependant on it's location.

A 400 MW coal or nuke plant does generally operate at capacity 80%+ of the time (and can generally schedule the time it doesn't).

[jpak]

5. I don't think you understood my point

The claim was made that wind farms "never" operate at their rated capacity - which is wrong.

They will inaugurate a 42 MW wind farm on Mars Hill in northern Maine this November.

It will consist of 28 GE 1.5sl turbines each with a nameplate capacity of 1.5 MW @ 26 mph wind speed.

If all of those turbines are experiencing 26+ mph winds, will this windfall be operating at 42 MW or 10 MW?????

(clue: it will be operating at 42 MW which is 100% of its cumulative nameplate capacity: 28 x 1.5MW)

If that wind farm is experiencing winds <26 mph and greater than their cut-in wind speed does that mean that is not producing electricity?????

nope

So the silly notion that wind farms NEVER operate at their full capacity, and never produce electricity in winds less than their rated speed is just plain wrong.

(as is the notion that a 30% capacity factor means the turbines are idle 2 days out of three - the real world doesn't work that way).

So there...

:)

[dcfirefighter]

6. What is their annual average capacity factor?

I am curious.

Is there a means for predicting average capacity factor by month, or by day? That is, is there a resource out there with average daily or hourly wind speeds for a variety of locations?

[jpak]

8. For all wind farms world-wide it's ~30% of nameplate (annual average)

That includes a lot of older '80's and early '90's vintage turbines in Denmark and California.

With the newer 5-10 MW turbines coming up and evolutionary improvements in low wind speed performance (e.g., the Chinese Maglev turbine), those capacity factors will be improving over time.

Bergey's new BWC XL.50 (50 kW) turbine operates at speeds as low as 4.5 mph...

http://www.bergey.com/

They're aiming for lower wind speed sites not presently optimal for the current generation of turbines...

[jpak]

7. edit: "windfall" should be "wind farm"

Freudian or what???

:)

[Dogmudgeon]

4. That's good.

Now tell them to make more.

Fast.

--p!