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To attain their highest possible capacity factor, wind turbines must be sited where they will be exposed to as much consistent wind as possible. An assessment must often show a site to annually have about 2,500 hours of wind at about 25 mph to make it viable for a utility company. Consequently, all parts of a wind turbine are subjected to extremes of weather, ozone, unusual stresses, and vibration. Things get worse offshore where they must also withstand the rigors of the sea including exposure… Continue

Controversy has arisen around the House of Representatives’ approval of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) of 2009, also referred to as the Waxman-Markey bill. As you’d expect, many coal-powered utilities are taking a public stand against the bill which limits allowable carbon emissions, while firms with investments in carbon-neutral power production are big supporters. After much research and considering the effects of the ACES bill on the American economy and the environment, it… Continue

Wind developers come in all sizes. For those who would like to offset their electric bills with a small turbine or two, local ordinances provide sufficient guidance and permission. But those who would like to install units capable of generating a few megawatts and more will have to do a little homework. The homework in this case is a site assessment. It gets a bit involved and take some time but the payoff is worth the effort.

“We have this land…”

Many community members are land owners who hav… Continue

Although many wind farms in the U.S. are generating electricity and well beyond a testing stage, their debugging continues. Many of these turbines suffer design-related failures within their first few years of operation.

Damaged bearings, for instance, can cause generator failures, which lead to unplanned downtime and costly repairs. If down for a month, a failed 1.5-MW generator can account for over $48,000 of lost revenue, and a single month’s wait for parts is unrealistically short consideri… Continue

Demand for wind turbines has spiked in the recent months/years due to two main drivers. The first is the ever rising cost of fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. The other, the growing concern for climate change, although that might turn out to be bunk ;). As the demand for these systems increase, supply subsequently rises and efficiencies of a new product increase. One way electrical engineers are… Continue