CompositesWorld
Issue link: https://cw.epubxp.com/i/517026
ENERGY 25 CompositesWorld.com NEWS N E W S N S N E W S E N W S W According to the American Wind Energy Assn. (AWEA, Washington, DC, US) a modern-day "wind rush" akin to the gold rushes of the 1800s is in progress in the US, particu- larly in the Great Lakes region and the Southeast. "Wind turbine technology has advanced in just a few decades …." says AWEA CEO Tom Kiernan. "Taller towers, longer blades and improved electronics ... are all part of this revolution." As a result of these changes, today's most advanced turbines require a wind speed of only 5 m/sec to begin generating utility-scale quantities of electricity. That means sites with comparatively lower average wind speeds now can be considered for commercial wind farms. "The Great Lakes region is an early benefciary of this," points out Emily Williams, AWEA's deputy director of industry data and analysis. "In states like Michigan, we're absolutely seeing a wind rush." With continued technol- ogy advancements, AWEA predicts that US states that currently have no commercial wind turbines at all, primarily in the Southeast, will see development in the coming years. Longer blades are making high- wind areas even more productive as the average annual "capacity factor" or percentage of the maximum rated capacity that a turbine generates year-round now tops 50% in some cases. Further, some older sites are being repowered by new turbines, and others are receiving a variety of refnements to existing turbines, such as blade tip extensions, making the sites more productive. The wind energy industry started 2015 with near-record levels of construction activity, with more than 12,700 MW of wind in the pipeline. As a result, when recently added US wind projects have had a full year of production, total wind output will power the equivalent of 18 million homes. "Every year, our industry makes wind turbines that are better, smarter, safer and more powerful. Those innovations are bringing down the levelized cost of wind energy for American consumers," claims Chris Brown, president of Vestas-American Wind Technology (Portland, OR, US). The levelized cost of wind Despite PTC doubt, AWEA sees US "wind rush" in progress energy (LCOE = net cost to install/operate a turbine ÷ expected lifetime energy output) has dropped 58% in just fve years, according to the most recent study by Wall Street fnancial advisory frm Lazard (Hamilton, Bermuda). All this without beneft of the Production Tax Credit, a point ably elucidated by CW Columnist and composites consul- tant Dale Brosius in CW's recent May issue, on p. 8 | short.compositesworld.com/WindParity BASF high-performance materials are smart —and yes, beautiful. Our plastics and polyurethanes can be found in the innovative designs of some of the world's most popular automobiles. At BASF, we create chemistry for a better tomorrow. And a smarter ride. www.performance-materials.basf.us that lets beauty love brains. t h t l t We create chemistry US "Wind Rush"