Harnessing the Wind – we’re #1!
• Current largest wind farm: Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center
• 421 wind turbines • 735 megawatts. • 47,000 acres of land in
Taylor and Nolan County, Texas.
Texas’ next “cash crop”?
• Fastest growing energy industry in Texas
• 500,000 Texas homes currently, expanding 10 times in next decade
• 160 MW of power being brought on line
How does it work? www.bp.com
How does it work?
• Area swept by blades can be size of 747 plane
• Tips of blades can be going 200mph
• Height – 240ft (taller than Statue of Liberty)
• Nacelle – size of greyhound bus
How does it work?World’s largest German turbine: (394-feet) behemoth capable of generating 5 MW
• Need 8 mi/hr winds to generate electricity; max electrical production at 15-18 mi/hr winds; turbines cut off at 55 mi/hr winds
• Yaw motor – nacelle moves to face turbine directly into wind
Applications
• Typical wind farm: 100Megawatts (MW)
• Coal fired power plant – 500-600 MW
• One 1.5MW turbine could power about 350 homes/year
Advantages
• High efficiency• Moderate capital cost• No air pollution• Quick construction • Renewable• Domestic• Able to use current
electric grid
Disadvantages
• Steady winds needed • Land use• Visual pollution• Noise – 275 yards away,
it sounds like a refrigerator
• Bird deaths• Winds peak in morning
and March-May