Wind turbine systems:
Above – The blades for modern wind turbines are as large as possible to minimise the cost of installation compared to the energy potential.
There are three aspects to wind turbine systems, namely, size, type, and suitability for particular sites. Large turbines have been continually plagued with a variety of problems. These include the rotor weight, their complexity, very high initial capital costs and uncertain structural life. There are also difficulties in transporting, installing and maintaining wind turbines with rotor sizes around 60 metres in diameter.
Consequently the more promising wind turbine sizes appear to be those up to 600kW rather than the larger machines. Even so, the latest large turbines are much more sophisticated than their predecessors and so far, they are proving to be even more efficient than they were designed to be.
Ocean-based wind farms are another type of wind turbine system. Offshore wind energy installations are not new; a floating wind-powered sawmill was used as early as the late fourteenth century. Ocean-based wind farms could become an interesting development in the near future.
 Next Section >> Types of wind turbines.
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