Tall towers, long blades and manifest destiny: The migration of land-based wind from the Great Plains to the thirteen colonies

• Published in: Applied energy 2017-11, Vol.206, p.487-497
• Main Authors: Burt, Michelle, Firestone, Jeremy, Madsen, John A., Veron, Dana E., Bowers, Richard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Levelized cost of energy (LCOE); Low wind performance; Micro-scale data; Rotor diameter; Tall towers; Wind power
• ISSN: 0306-2619; 1872-9118
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.08.178

•Analyzes siting constraints for wind turbines with tall towers & long blades.•Interdisciplinary analysis of siting geology, meteorology, economics and land use.•Economic feasibility analysis of identified sites performed.•LCOE and pay-back period vary due to site and economic assumptions.•It is economically feasible to develop wind project in low wind regimes. Until recently, it was not economically feasible to install wind turbines in many locations, including in large portions of the states that border the Atlantic Ocean in the United States, due to the low wind speeds. Newer designs allow turbines to be deployed at higher hub heights (>100m) where wind speeds are greater, and come with longer blades, allowing them to produce significantly more energy at lower wind speeds. We undertake a case study, using rural Sussex County, Delaware, US, to study their economic feasibility. We take an interdisciplinary approach, move beyond theory and general models, and consider micro-scale wind resources (the primary driver of revenue); local site geology, which influences project feasibility and foundation cost; local transmission constraints and expenses related to transmission and connection to the existing electrical grid; local values attributable to the environmental attributes of wind power; operation and maintenance costs (including insurance and replacement parts); land use and zoning considerations, including setbacks from roads, structures and airports; taxes; and rents/royalties. We find the base case levelized cost of energy (LCOE) to be ∼$70/MWh (before accounting for the federal production tax credit) based on a 25year-life of a wind turbine. Sensitivity analyses are undertaken around project life, project finance, the discount rate, and wind speed.