china winddays wind energy co., ltd

1, Understand your wind resource

The most important fact to consider in the construction of a wind energy facility is the site’s wind resource. A site must have a minimum annual average wind speed in the neighborhood of 11-13 mph to even be considered. Local weather data available from airports and meteorological stations may provide some insight as to averages.

2, Determine proximity to existing transmission lines

A critical issue in keeping costs down in building a wind farm is minimizing the amount of transmission infrastructure that has to be installed. High voltage lines can cost thousands of dollars per mile. Whenever possible, availability and access to existing lines should be considered in selecting a site.

3. Secure access to land

Landowners, both private and public, will expect to be compensated for any wind energy development that occurs on their land. Royalty or lease agreements will need to be discussed with all parties involved. Roads, transmission equipment, maintenance infrastructure, turbines, and the like all need to be considered. Moreover, the construction of a wind farm necessitates the use of heavy industrial equipment. Developers will need to invest in roads capable of accommodating significant weight. To do so will require the cooperation of landowners and, in some cases, the local community.

4. Establish access to capital

Building a wind farm is not cheap.

5. Identify reliable power purchaser or market

To date, wind energy is the most cost competitive renewable energy option on the market. In fact, wind energy's cost has declined so much that it rivals many traditional power generation technologies. However, utilities will tend to purchase power from what they consider to be the cheapest and most reliable technology. In most cases today, that is natural gas. That does not mean there is not a market for wind, though. Demand for “green power” (electricity from clean sources like wind that is sold to customers at a premium price) and environmental requirements are creating buyers for wind energy and competitive rates. Before investing thousands of dollars into wind resource assessments, permitting, and pre-construction activities, a developer will secure tentative commitments from one or more buyers for the wind plants output over 10 to 30 years of its operational lifetime.

6. Address siting and project feasibility considerations

The fact that a site is windy does not mean it is suitable for wind power development. A developer needs to consider many factors in siting a project.
Is there high raptor activity in the area? Are there endangered or protected species that could be jeopardized by the presence of the facility? Is the site's geology suitable and appropriate for industrial development? Will noise and aesthetics be issues for the local community? Will the turbines obstruct the flight path of local air traffic? There are quite a few environmental and social issues that will need to be addressed in the siting of a wind power facility. Wind farms can make great neighbors, but it is the obligation of the developer to work to ensure that a project proceeds in a fashion that is acceptable to regulators and the local community.

7. Understand wind energy's economics

There are many factors contributing to the cost and productivity of a wind plant. For instance, the power a wind turbine can generate is a function of the cube of the average wind speed at its site, which means that small differences in wind speed mean largedifferences in productivity and electricity cost. Additionally, the swept area of a turbine rotor is a function of the square of the blade length (the radius of the rotor’s swept area). A modest increase in blade length boosts energy capture and cost-effectiveness. Financing methods can make a major difference in project economics as well. Securing significant investment capital or joint ownership of a project can cut costs significantly. Furthermore, there are federal and state incentives for which a project may qualify and