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