Performance - Wind Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment - page 154

NEG-Micon

Nordtank

Flowind

Bonus

Micon

Mitsubishi

Ve stas

Kenetech

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400

Specific Output, kWh/m 2

figure 8.4 Specific output for manufacturers with largest installed capacity, California. NEG-Micon wind
turbines are larger and do not include the older Micon units, range of 100 kW size.

Wind farms in the Turbine Verification Program had to provide public data on performance
through the Electric Power Research Institute. The 12 Zond turbines near Fort Davis, Texas, had
a capacity factor of 0.16 and a specific output of 568 kWh/m 2 over 3 years. These turbines were
rated at 500 kW and had aileron control. Eleven Zond turbines with full-span pitch control near
Searsburg, Vermont, had a capacity factor of 0.25 and specific output of 884 kWh/m 2 over 2 years.
Part of the difference was due to the control method and the other due to the difference in the wind
regimes.

8.3.3 o t h e r C o U n t r i e s
In Denmark, the total installed capacity and number of turbines increased through 2002. During
2001 through 2003, 1,300 small wind turbines and those with poor siting were replaced with larger
wind turbines, so the installed capacity still increased until 2003, and then leveled off at 3,130 MW,

White deer
San Jon

Fluvanna
Elida

50

45

40

35

30

25

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

figure 8.5 Annual capacity factor for wind farms in Texas and New Mexico.