Energy Alternatives

How Much Wind Power Can Be Generated From a Section of Land?

A wind turbine uses its rotor blades to generate power by converting the wind’s natural kinetic energy to a usable form i.e. mainly electrical energy and at times mechanical energy. A large group of turbines set up at a given location constitute a wind farm. These wind farms are aimed to produce energy in a way that is environmentally friendly and economically viable. Major utilities, as well as, individual owned energy suppliers, home owners, farmers, and ranch owners are now taking advantage of this technology. Issues to be analyzed are the space required for the installations of these wind turbines and the feasibility and usage of the amount of power generated.

Amount of energy generated by a wind turbine

The unit of measurement used to quantify the energy generated and supplied by wind turbines or other power generators is the watt. Most modern day, utility size wind turbines offer a range of around 700 kilowatts to 5 megawatts (5,000 kilowatts) of capacity, also known as the turbine’s nameplate capacity. A one megawatt wind turbine typically generates anywhere from 25 to 35 percent of its nameplate capacity in output, depending on the location where it is erected. This is due to the fact that wind characteristics and speeds vary by location, and the natural downtime associated when no wind is present. The actual amount of power generated by a turbine at a given location versus its nameplate capacity, when measured as a percentage, is known as the capacity factor. Therefore, a 1MW turbine sited on a section of land that yields a 30% capacity factor would generate 1,000kW * 365 days/ year * 24 hours/ day * 0.30 = 2,628,000 kWh of electricity. An average household in the United States consumes approximately 10,655 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. Therefore, as many as 250 households (dividing 2,628,000 kWh by 10,655 kWh) can be powered in a year with just 1MW of wind energy.

Space required for a wind plant / farm

The amount of land required for a wind farm depends on the kind of geographical location it is installed at. A large scale wind farm on a wide, flat piece of land would require approximately fifty acres of space per installed megawatt of capacity. However, the positive aspect is that less than five percent of this land is used for the actual operation i.e. connecting roads, wind turbine towers, equipment, and machinery. Thus more than 90% could be used for multiple ancillary activities, such as farming and other agricultural purposes, due to the spacing between the turbines. This makes a wind energy project financially beneficial and multi-functional to land owners. Consequently, farmers, ranchers, and land owners in many states have leased their land to energy providers for a royalty premium; making it a great way to earn additional income. The area required for a wind farm in windier locations such as rugged, hilly areas and offshore wind farms requires less land; sometimes as low as five to ten acres per megawatt.

Vert Investment Group (“Vert”) is a leading renewable energy investment advisory firm focused on small to medium-sized utility-scale generation projects in strong power markets. Vert utilizes its proven methodology, the Staged Progression Model, to guide development projects to construction ready and identify investment opportunities that generate out-sized returns.