Wind farm
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A wind farm is a collection of wind turbines in the same location and used for the generation of wind power electricity. Variability of electricity production by windfarms mean that extra overheads are incurred integrating their usage into an electric grid. A proposed solution for wind energy and other intermittent power sources is to create a supergrid of interconnected windfarms[1] across western Europe.
Contents |
[edit] Wind farms in Australia
- Main article: Wind power in Australia
As of May 2006, there were 444 wind turbines in Australia with a total generating capacity of about 638 megawatts. Another 130 turbines are currently under construction, respresenting an additional 250MW.[2] Nationally, wind farms contribute about 1% of total electricity production. In the state of South Australia, this figure is 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.
The largest wind farms in Australia are:
- Wattle Point (SA) - 90.75MW
- Alinta/Walkaway (WA) - 90MW
- Lake Bonney Stage 1 (SA) - 80.5MW
- Cathedral Rocks (SA) - 66MW
- Blayney (NSW) - 9.9 MW
- Crookwell (NSW) - 4.8 MW
- Hampton (NSW) - 1.3 MW
- Kooragang Island (NSW) - 0.6 MW
[edit] Wind farms in Canada
The total capacity of all wind farms in Canada is approximately 1,492 MW as of February 2006 [3]. Each province and territory contains the following capacity (rounded to one decimal):
- Ontario, 415.3 MW,
- Alberta, 385.0 MW,
- Quebec, 321.8 MW,
- Saskatchewan, 171.2 MW,
- Manitoba, 104.0 MW,
- Nova Scotia, 49.3 MW,
- Prince Edward Island, 43.6 MW,
- Yukon, 0.8 MW, and then
- Newfoundland, 0.4 MW.
There are currently no wind projects listed for British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nunavut (territory), or the Northwest Territories.
The five largest wind farms in Canada are:
- Prince Project - Phase I&II (Ontario), 189 MW
- Murdochville Project - Phase I&II&III (Quebec), 162 MW
- Centennial (SaskPower near Swift Current, Saskatchewan), 149.4 MW
- Erie Shores (Ontario), 99 MW
- St Leon - Phase 2 (Manitoba), 84 MW
Government support for wind power continues to increase. The current Wind Power Production Incentive (WPPI)[4] 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.
- See also: List of wind farms in Canada
- Howard Prince - kill zone 21.6 MW,
[edit] Wind farms in Europe
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.
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 [5]. In May 2006, operational wind farms in the UK comprised an installed capacity of 1693 MW, in Portugal 1188 MW [6], 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 18th 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.[7]
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 is considered the the biggest Eolian park of the world.[8]. 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 is supergrid would therefore reduce the need for backup capacity.
[edit] Wind farms in India
At the end of 2006 India had according to the World Wind Energy Association 6270-MWs capacity wind farms and is the Number 4 market in the world. 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 and Gujarat lead in the field of wind energy.
[edit] Wind farms in 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.
[edit] Wind farms in New Zealand
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 by Meridian Energy. 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. Meridian Energy have started construction of the White Hill wind farm between Te Anau, Gore and Invercargill in the South Island. Trust Power purchased the Tararua wind farm from Tararua Wind Power Limited. It is on the Tararua Ranges behind Palmerston North.
[edit] Wind farms in South Africa
The first commercial wind farm in South Africa is being planned for construction near the town of Darling situated on the west coast north of Cape Town. Currently consultations are underway with the aviation community regarding possible detrimental effects regarding aviation safety, particularly the possible effects on radar and navigational aids.
[edit] Wind farms in the United States
Three of the largest, Altamont Pass, San Gorgonio Pass and Tehachapi Pass, are located in California. The largest wind farm in the U.S. -- 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 U.S. wind farm was the Stateline Wind Project on the Oregon-Washington line, with a peak capacity of 300 megawatts of electricity (although the three California wind farms mentioned are larger, they are actually collections of dozens of individual wind farms). The California wind 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 old, small wind turbines are being replaced with much larger, more efficient wind turbines. Some of the workhorses of the past were only 65 kilowatts (kW) in capacity size 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.
Northern California is one of the earliest large wind farms. It is composed of large numbers of relatively small wind turbines of various types that were installed after the 1970s energy crisis in response to favorable tax policies for investors. However, the types of incentives the government uses have led to an unhealthy cycle of booms and busts for the wind energy industry. The problems were not so much with the wind turbines themselves. Only a few of the turbine designs were fatally flawed and almost all of the others were able to be rehabilitated into excellent machines. Still, these numerous small turbines are being gradually replaced with much larger and more cost-effective units. An advantage of the Altamont Pass site 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.
The Tehachapi Pass and San Gorgonio Pass 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 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. However, the Midwest has an abundance of suitable sites for wind energy development and yet the region's potential has gone largely untapped. As of 2005, several sites have been constructed or are in development in the Midwest. 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.
The new "Maple Ridge Wind Farm" near Lowville, NY may currently be the largest wind farm in the USA. 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 Vestaswind 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 Sept. 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 six-fold. The project is jointly owned by PPM Energy and Horizon Wind Energy.
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 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. PNM claims that this facility is the world's third largest wind generation project, but the reference may be out-of-date.[9]
The American Wind Energy Association provides information about existing and proposed projects in the U.S.
As of May 31, 2006, the FAA has stopped construction at 15 midwest wind farm projects over concerns about interference with military radar.[10] 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).
[edit] See also
- Electrical generator
- Wind power
- Wind turbine
- Wind power in the United Kingdom
- Wave farm
- Category:Wind power by country
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/16595/
- ^ http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/renewable/publications/pubs/wind-discussionpaper.pdf
- ^ http://www.canwea.ca/production_stats.cfm
- ^ http://www.canren.gc.ca/programs/index.asp?CaId=107
- ^ http://www.dti.gov.uk/renewables/renew_2.htm
- ^ http://www.ren.pt/content/AD3664C39DB144D8BF235FA581348165.PDF
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4436108.stm
- ^ Renewable energy - p.11
- ^ http://www.pnm.com/systems/nmwec.htm
- ^ http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0605310078may31,1,5900235.story?track=rss
[edit] 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
- "The Low Benefit of Industrial Wind", a paper presenting the record and projections of wind power's contribution to the grid
- 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.
- Birdlife.org Wind farm causes eagle deaths
- Living In New York An amalgam of NY groups presenting evidence on environmental and health effects of industrial turbines
- Research on Wind Power & Golden Eagles
- Eagles and windfarms.
- Windfarm ditched to safeguard eagles.
- Pictures of a Wind Farm being deployed
- Fabricante de torres español
- Intermittency a problem
 |
|
|||
