Wind Systems

Power generated from wind farms can be inexpensive when compared to other traditional power production methods, depending on the size of the wind farm. The cost to generate the electricity decreases as the size of the farms increase. Typical costs of wind power are between 3¢ and 6¢ per kilowatt hour. A federal tax credit of 1.8¢/kWh for the first ten years of turbine operation is due to expire at the end of 2001. Wind turbines do not produce any harmful emissions or require any fuel product for operation. Minimal space is required for a turbine farm; the land below each turbine can be used for animal grazing or farming.

A disadvantage of wind turbines is the aesthetic problem created when placing them in areas of high population density. Aesthetic and neighborhood codes are likely to discourage or prohibit the use of wind turbines to supply energy to individual homes, while other residential distributed generation technologies may be acceptable. Another possible disadvantage is the death of birds due to the spinning turbine blades. Studies are being conducted on this issue to determine the mortality rate.

However, overwhelming public support for wind power continues to promote wind farm installations, as distributed system interconnections will continue to increase. Wind turbine power output is variable due to the fluctuation in wind speed; however, when coupled with an energy storage device, wind power can provide a steady power output. Also, the use of control systems can help level the variability.