Wind Energy and Wind Power

Wind is a form of solar energy. Winds are caused by the

uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the
irregularities of the earth's surface, and rotation of the
earth. Wind flow patterns are modified by the earth's
terrain, bodies of water, and vegetative cover. This
wind flow, or motion energy, when "harvested" by
modern wind turbines, can be used to generate
electricity.
 The terms "wind energy" or "wind power" describe
the process by which the wind is used to generate
mechanical power or electricity. Wind turbines
convert the kinetic energy in the wind into
mechanical power. This mechanical power can be
used for specific tasks (such as grinding grain or
pumping water) or a generator can convert this
mechanical power into electricity to power homes,
businesses, schools, and the like.
 Wind Turbines
Wind turbines, like aircraft propeller blades, turn in the
moving air and power an electric generator that
supplies an electric current. Simply stated, a wind
turbine is the opposite of a fan. Instead of using
electricity to make wind, like a fan, wind turbines use
wind to make electricity. The wind turns the blades,
which spin a shaft, which connects to a generator and
makes electricity.
TYPES OF WIND TURBINE

 Horizontal-axis Turbines
 Vertical-axis Turbines
Horizontal-axis Turbine
-A horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) is a wind
turbine in which the axis of the rotor's rotation is
parallel to the wind stream and the ground. All grid-
connected commercial wind turbines today are built
with a propeller-type rotor on a horizontal axis.
Components of Horizontal-axis Turbine
 blade or rotor, which converts the energy in the
wind to rotational shaft energy;
 a drive train, usually including a gearbox and a
generator;
 a tower that supports the rotor and drive train;
and
 other equipment, including controls, electrical
cables, ground support equipment, and
interconnection equipment.
Advantages of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines
 Variable blade pitch, which gives the turbine blades
the optimum angle of attack. Allowing the angle of
attack to be remotely adjusted gives greater control,
so the turbine collects the maximum amount of wind
energy for the time of day and season.
 The tall tower base allows access to stronger wind in
sites with wind shear. In some wind shear sites, every
ten meters up, the wind speed can increase by 20%
and the power output by 34%.
High efficiency, since the blades always move
perpendicularly to the wind, receiving power through
the whole rotation. In contrast, all vertical axis wind
turbines, and most proposed airborne wind turbine
designs, involve various types of reciprocating actions,
requiring airfoil surfaces to backtrack against the wind
for part of the cycle. Backtracking against the wind
leads to inherently lower efficiency.
Disadvantages of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines
 Taller masts and blades are more difficult to transport and
install. Transportation and installation can now cost 20% of
equipment costs.
 Stronger tower construction is required to support the
heavy blades, gearbox, and generator.
 Reflections from tall HAWTs may affect side lobes of radar
installations creating signal clutter, although filtering can
suppress it.
 Mast height can make them obtrusively visible across
large areas, disrupting the appearance of the
landscape and sometimes creating local opposition.
 Downwind variants suffer from fatigue and structural
failure caused by turbulence when a blade passes
through the tower’s wind shadow (for this reason,
the majority of HAWTs use an upwind design, with the
rotor facing the wind in front of the tower).
 They require an additional yaw control mechanism to
turn the blades toward the wind.
 Vertical-axis Turbine

A vertical-axis wind turbines is a type of wind turbine

where the main rotor shaft is set transverse to the wind
while the main components are located at the base of
the turbine. This arrangement allows the generator and
gearbox to be located close to the ground, facilitating
service and repair.
 Advantages of Vertical-axis Wind Turbine

These turbines have fewer parts than those that orient

the rotary mechanism and blades horizontally. That
means fewer components to wear out and break down.
Also, the supporting strength of the tower doesn’t need
to be as much, because the gearbox and generator are
near the ground. Parts for controlling pitch and yaw
aren’t needed either.
The turbine doesn’t have to be facing the right wind
direction either. In a vertical system, air flowing from
any direction or speed can rotate the blades. Therefore,
the system can be used to generate power in gusty
winds and when they’re blowing steadily.
Safety for workers: Maintenance workers do not have
to climb as high to reach parts of the tower. Not only
are VAWTs shorter. They also have major components
closer to the ground. Maintaining generators,
gearboxes, and most of the mechanical and electrical
parts of the structure do not require scaling the tower
because these aren’t mounted on top. Lifting
equipment and climbing gear aren’t needed either.
Scalability: The design can be scaled down to small
sizes, even as small as what will fit on an urban rooftop.
In cities, there may not be room for all renewable
energy technologies, but vertical turbines provide a
viable alternative to hydrocarbon energy sources.
 Cheaper to produce than horizontal axis turbines.
 More easily installed compared to other wind turbine
types.
 Transportable from one location to another.
 Equipped with low-speed blades, lessening the risk to
people and birds.
 Function in extreme weather, with variable winds and even
mountain conditions.
 Permissible where taller structures are prohibited.
 Quieter to operate, so they don’t disturb people in
residential neighborhoods.
Disadvantages of Vertical-axis Wind Turbine

Not all of the blades produce torque at the same time,

which limits the efficiency of vertical systems in
producing energy. Other blades are simply pushed
along. There is also more drag on the blades when they
rotate. Although a turbine can work in gusty winds, that
is not always the case; the low starting torque and
dynamic stability problems can limit functionality in
conditions the turbine wasn’t specifically designed for.
Since the wind turbines are lower to the ground, they
do not harness the higher wind speeds often found at
higher levels. If installers prefer to erect the structure
on a tower, these are more difficult to install in such a
way. However, it is more practical to install a vertical
system on a level base, such as the ground or the top of
a building.
Vibration can be an issue at times, and even increase
the noise produced by the turbine. Air flow at ground
level can increase turbulence, thereby increasing
vibration. This can wear out the bearing. At times, this
can result in more maintenance and therefore more
costs associated with it. In earlier models, blades were
prone to bending and cracking, causing the turbine to
fail. Small units atop buildings or other structures may
be subject to jostling forces, which add lateral stress
that warrants ongoing maintenance and the use of
stronger, more sturdy materials.
Jiuquan Wind Power Base, China
 Jiuquan Wind Power Base is the world’s biggest wind
farm, with a planned installed capacity of 20GW. Also
known as Gansu Wind Farm, it will feature 7,000 wind
turbines installed across the Jiuquan, Inner Mongolia,
Hebei, Xinjiang, Jiangsu and Shandong provinces of
Gansu, China.
 The project is being implemented as part of
Renewable Energy Law announced in February 2005,
setting out to achieve 200GW of installed wind
capacity in the country. In November 2010, the
5.16GW, 3,500-turbine first phase of the wind farm
was completed.
 A 750kV high-voltage direct current transmission line
is also being developed by the State Grid Corporation
of China to transmit the electricity generated from
the wind and solar projects in the region to the
booming central and eastern parts of China.
Jaisalmer Wind Park, India
 The 1,600MW Jaisalmer wind park is India’s biggest wind farm.
Developed by Suzlon Energy, the project features a group of wind
farms located in the Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, India.

 Suzlon constructed the wind farms for a range of customers,

including private and public sector companies, independent power
producers and power utility providers. Some of the clients include
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Rajasthan State Mines and
Minerals and CLP India.
 The wind farms are installed with various models of wind turbines
manufactured by Suzlon, including S97-120m, S97- 2.1MW and S111-
90m.
Alta Wind Energy Centre,US
 Alta Wind Energy Centre (AWEC) in Tehachapi, Kern County,
California, has an operational capacity of 1,548MW. The first five
stages of AWEC were commissioned in 2011.
 Two additional stages were installed in the next year. The first
stage consists of 100 GE 1.5MW SLE turbines. The other six
operational stages are installed with Vestas V 90-3.0MW turbines.
The seventh, eighth and ninth stages operate with the same Vestas
turbines. The last two stages have been installed with GE 1.7MW
and GE 2.85MW turbines.
The onshore wind farm was originally developed by
Terra-Gen Power, but the company later redistributed
various stages of the project to different companies.
NRG Renew owns and operates 948MW of the wind
farm, BHE Renewables owns and operates 300MW and
EverPower owns and operates 150MW. The remaining
150MW is owned and operated by Brookfield
Renewable Energy Partners.
Muppandal Wind Farm, India
 The 1,500MW Muppandal wind farm is the biggest
onshore wind farm in India. It consists of a group of
wind farms in the Kanyakumari district of the Indian
state of Tamil Nadu.
 The area in and around Muppandal features vast
amount of barren land, which is not fit for cultivation
but boasts of high pressure winds making it an ideal
location for the development of wind farms.
Muppandal receives strong winds for nine months a
year from the west, due to the presence of the
Western Ghats mountain range.
The wind farms within the project have varying installed
capacities and feature turbines from various
manufacturers, including Vestas, NEPC India, AMTL, TTG
and Suzlon.
Shepherds Flat Wind Farm, US
 The 845MW Shepherds Flat Wind Farm near Arlington in
Eastern Oregon, US, is the fifth biggest wind farm in the
world.
 Developed by Caithness Energy, the wind farm covers
more than 30 square miles in the Morrow and Gilliam
Counties.
 The Shepherds Flat Wind Farm project broke ground in
2009 with an estimated cost of $2bn. The project received
a loan guarantee of $1.3bn from the US Department of
Energy in October 2010. The wind farm commenced
operations in September 2012.
 Shepherds Flat comprises 338 GE2.5XL turbines, which
have a rated capacity of 2.5MW each. The power output of
the wind farm is supplied to Southern California Edison.
The renewable power generated by the wind farm is
enough to serve 235,000 households.
Roscoe Wind Farm, US
 Located 45 miles south-west of Abilene in Texas, US,
Roscoe Wind Farm is owned and operated by
Germany-based company E.ON Climate and
Renewables .
 Covering 400km² of farmland, the 781.5MW wind farm
comprises 627 wind turbines placed 900ft apart from
each other. The renewable power project was built in
four phases between 2007 and 2009, becoming
operational in October 2009.
 The first phase of the wind farm comprises 209
Mitsubishi 1MW turbines, while the second phase is
installed with 55 Siemens 2.3MW turbines. The third
and the fourth phases feature 166 GE 1.5MW and 197
Mitsubishi 1MW turbines respectively.
Horse Hollow Wind Energy Centre, Texas,
US
 Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center is located in Taylor
and Nolan County, Texas, US. It is a 735.5MW facility
owned and operated by NextEra Energy Resources.
 The wind farm was commissioned in four phases
during 2005 and 2006. Blattner Energy was the
engineering, procurement and construction
contractor for the project. The electricity generated
by the wind mill is enough to meet the power needs
of approximately 180,000 households.
 The wind farm covers an area of 47,000 acres. The
first three phases of the project are installed with 142
GE 1.5MW wind turbines, 130 Siemens 2.3MW wind
turbines and 149 GE 1.5MW wind turbines,
respectively.
Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm, Texas, US
 The 662.5MW Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm that is located in
Sterling and Coke counties, Texas, US, is an onshore wind farm
owned and operated by NextEra Energy Resources.
 It was built in two phases, with the first phase commissioned in
2007 and the second in 2008. GE Energy Financial Services and
JPMorgan Chase announced they would invest $225m in
Capricorn Ridge in February 2012.
 The wind farm is installed with 342 GE 1.5MW wind turbines and
65 Siemens 2.3MW wind turbines. Each turbine is more than
260ft-tall from the ground to the centre of the hub. The wind
farm powers more than 220,000 households.
Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm, UK
 Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm is located in the Irish
Sea and has a total capacity of 659MW. The project is 50%-
owned and operated by Ørsted, with the remaining half of
the ownership shared equally between Danish pension
funds PKA (25%) and PFA (25%).
 The wind farm is 19km off the shore of the Walney Island
coast in Cumbria, covering 145km² in the Irish Sea. It is
installed with 40 MHI Vestas 8MW wind turbines and 47
Siemens Gamesa 7MW wind turbines.
 The project was officially inaugurated in September 2018
and can generate enough electricity to power 600,000
homes in the UK. The electricity generated by the wind
farm is transmitted onshore through two 4,000t offshore
substations.
London Array Offshore Wind Farm, UK
 The London Array Offshore Wind Farm, the largest offshore
wind farm in the world with an installed capacity of 630MW,
ranks as the world’s sixth largest wind farm. It is located in
the outer Thames Estuary more than 20km off the coasts of
Kent and Essex.
 London Array was officially opened in July 2013. It is owned
and developed by Denmark’s Dong Energy, Germany’s E.On
and the Abu Dhabi-based Masdar. Offshore construction of
the £3bn ($4.8bn) offshore wind project started in March
2011.
 The last turbine was installed in December 2012.
 The wind farm comprises of 175 Siemens 3.6MW wind
turbines rising up to 87m above sea level. The rotor
diameter of each turbine is 120m. The offshore wind
farm has the capacity to power about two-thirds of
Kent’s households.
Wind Power Plant in the Philippines
1. Bangui Windmill Farm in Ilocos Norte
 Operated by the NorthWind Power Development
Corporation, Bangui Wind Farm was born out of a
study done in 1996. 22 years later, the windmill
farm is still standing strong, providing 50% or 33
megawatts of Ilocos Norte’s electricity.
 It was Southeast Asia’s largest wind farm until its
next-door neighbor, the Burgos Wind Farm, took
the title in 2014. Even with the title stripped, it still
draws more tourists than the Burgos Wind Farm
because of its accessibility.
Each windmill turbine has three vertical rotor blades
standing 70 meters high above the shore. There are a
total of 20 turbines arranged on a single row along the
shoreline of the Bangui Bay just in front of the West
Philippine Sea.
BURGOS WIND FARM, ILOCOS NORTE,
PHILIPPINES
 The 150 MW Burgos Wind Farm is the largest wind
power project in Southeast Asia and is located within
a 600-hectare site. The facility consists of 50
wind turbines, each with a capacity of 3
MW, generating electricity to the Luzon Grid. The
project also included a substation and a 43 kilometre
long 115 kV transmission line.
 The first phase of the project consisted of 29 wind
turbines and additional infrastructure; the second
phase included another 21 turbines. The project
required exceptional coordination as the second
phase was started before the end of the first phase,
and they were commissioned at the same time.
 WSP served as owner’s engineer providing project
technical and monitoring support.
 The project received winner of the 2015 Asia Power
Engineering International Best Renewable
Energy Project – Burgos Wind Farm,
Philippines (Power Engineering International)
Certificate of Recognition for achieving 5 million safe
man-hours with no lost time incident.
THE SAN LORENZO WIND FARM AND A BRIGHTER
FUTURE FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY
 The Province of Guimaras is home to the first
wind farm in the Visayas -- the San Lorenzo Wind
Farm which is seen to reduce the region’s
greenhouse gas emissions and serve as a tourist
attraction at the same time.
 The 54 MW San Lorenzo Wind Farm generates 54
megawatts of power and provides such to the
National Grid Corporation of the Philippines
(NGCP) which then distributes it to many power
utilities in Western Visayas, Negros and Cebu.
 This Department of Energy-supported wind farm
has 27 wind turbines that stand approximately 123
meters tall. Each wind turbine generator (WTG)
produces 2 megawatts of power, thus resulting to
a total generation capacity of 54 megawatts.
Nabas Wind Farm powers Boracay,
Western Visayas
The Nabas Wind Farm in Aklan is now regularly
supplying clean and renewable power to the Western
Visayas (WV) grid, thanks to 18 giant wind turbines
which have also become tourist attractions in the once
sleepy town.
The 18 turbines are part of the first phase of the project
which now supplies 36-megawatt (MW) of clean power
to the WV grid. Underway is the additional seven
turbines which could generate an added 14 MW to the
power grid, according to the PNA report.
Pililla Wind Farm in Rizal
 Located in the humble barangay of Halayhayin in
Pililla, to be more precise, the Rizal Wind Farm is the
newest addition to the growing list of tourism
hotspots within close proximity of the capital, just
two hours away. According to Alternergy Wind One
Corp, the company that leads the operations of the
farm, Pililla is an ideal setting for a wind farm because
“it is part of a natural wind corridor created by the
unique geographical features surrounding the lake.”
 A lane of 27 wind turbines stand atop sloping hills at
300 meters above sea level, towering over Laguna de
Bay and standing along the NW-SE line to capture the
Amihan from October to March, whose speeds can
reach 36km/hour. Each turbine can produce 2MW.
The entire farm is estimated to be able to generate
almost 150 Gigawatt hours of electricity every year.