U.S. National Laboratory Research Supporting Low Wind Speed Technology

Abstract

Harvesting wind energy from sites with lower annual average wind speeds at costs comparable to what can now be achieved in higher wind sites is an international challenge. It requires pushing the technology to optimize the use of materials and machinery and tuning the structure to withstand the loads unique to the lower wind speed sites. The U.S. Department of Energy’s laboratories— The National Renewable Energy Laboratory NREL and Sandia National Laboratories—are engaged in both basic science and applied research to overcome current technology limitations and enhance the individual components necessary to achieve costeffective low wind speed turbines. Technology improvements are necessary in three principal areas to minimize the cost of electricity production at lower wind speed sites.