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Varied cost projections show bright long-term prospects From 1980 until shortly after the turn of the century wind energy costs fell steadily. That downward trend ended around 2004, partly due to rising commodity prices and partly due to a worldwide shortage of wind turbines. Today, the projections for the future costs of onshore and offshore wind plant contain wide variations, some of which assume wind has a less than certain future. This assumption is false.
Challenges of 20 MW wind turbine concept come to light from today’s 5-6 MW models During the recent European Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition (EWEC) in Brussels, Belgium, one presentation dealt with the technical and economic feasibility of developing a 20 MW turbine by 2020. This future concept features a 250-meter rotor diameter and a 253-meter hub height, a huge and nearly unimaginable leap in dimensions compared to today’s largest 5-6 MW wind turbines. But not everybody is convinced about the viability.
Working toward lightweight generators Wind turbine weight poses an enormous challenge, particularly as the size of the turbine grows. Beyond a particular point, the price of cranes, foundations, towers and other components can begin to outweigh the benefits.
These stories plus... Wind turbine output and performance reports from over 7000 individual wind turbines–including side-by-side comparisons of capacity factors, kWh output, output per square meter of swept area, and more.
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