Wind Farms-the Modern Era

Modern wind farms may have power generation capacities on the order of hundreds of megawatts, and are generally are connected to the high voltage transmission system. Therefore, modern wind farms are considered power plants with responsibilities for control, stability, and power balance. While wind farm production cannot exceed the power given by the instantaneous wind available, regulating the power output is an important aspect towards balancing and stabilizing the local power system.

Most of the other technical issues with wind farms are associated with the close spacing of multiple turbines. The close spacing implies that energy extraction by wind turbines upwind will reduce the wind speed and increase the turbulence around adjacent turbines. This may cause reduced efficiency and higher loads on the downwind turbines. Another technical issue for large wind farms is the electrical grid connection and the integration into the local power system. Large wind farms are very visible, especially at land and in coastal areas, and this can play an important role in the wind farm planning process. Because of this, wind farm sites can be chosen with less than optimal wind conditions. Good wind conditions are essential for the success of any wind project, and methods for accurately predicting wind climates at specific sites is constantly being improved.

For more information on wind farms, and other wind-related topics, please visit WhatisWind.com.