Just last week, I drove past an extensive windmill installation near Livermore, CA. There were dozens of windmills already installed in the hills near the interstate and more being installed. The only problem was - only a few of the windmills were spinning. The wind was pretty calm that day.
Not just any amount of wind will do to make a significant amount of electricity. Those 600 KW turbines only produce full power at some rated wind velocity, typically around 25-30 MPH. Let the wind speed drop to half the rated speed (12.5 - 15 MPH) and the electricity produced is only 1/4th that at the rated speed (150 KW). Let it drop by half again and you're only generating 75 KW.
Now, what happens on an icy day? Do these wind turbines have deicing systems? Ice accummulations on the blades will reduce their efficiency drastically and may make them off balanced. What happens to all of the industrial and home energy customers electricity needs when the wind is calm?
Space/Science » in reply to Cost of renewable energy
One problem with wind turbines