In contrast to photovoltaics, solar power utilization throuoh the harnessing of the wind's energy has been performed for many centuries. This has remained a small scale effort until the recent energy developments of the past decade, however. A variety of proposals concerning large scale electrical power generation by giant windmills have been published in the past few years. Very limited experience exists for the large units proposed in each study, however. Some operational experience exists such as that provided by European scientists on a 70 KW windmill generator capable of supplying five families with electrical power built on the German island of Sylt in 1973, another 70 KW windmill erected in 1942 at Gedser, Denmark and the huge 1250 KM prototype built near Rutland, Vermont in 1941-45. It was estimated that production models of that power plant would have cost $191/KW in 1945 compared to $125/KW for conventional plants, so the project was terminated. A number of federal agencies have granted contracts for windmill research. The NASA and NSF have invested nearly one million dollars for construction (recently completed) of a 100 KW windmill generator near Sandusky, Ohio. This initial system will test components and subsystems and will be used to collect performance data to aid in designing other wind generators of many sizes. Consistent with establishing performance data of large wind-driven electrical generators, a recently completed study by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation has been presented showing logical locations for large numbers of the wind turbines throughout the United States. Surveying long-term weather reports from 768 weather stations, the team concluded that 20,000 square miles of open land was available with sufficient wind velocities. An average wind velocity of 12 mph is considered a practical minimum. The best areas in the country for windpower are the Pacific northwest, the southwest, the Great Plains and the northeast. Since the tapping of this energy source in major quantities is only recently receiving major emphasis in this country, optimizing experience and therefore the discussion of definite design alternatives are premature at this time. Most economic analyses dealing with large scale use of wind power have been very superficial. More rigorous studies funded by ERDA are in work. The preliminary results of one ERDA funded study by TRW are shown in Figure XIA-5- The fuel saver mode presented indicates no storage is involved. Storage could be added to a wind conversion plant to replace intermediate plants, however, statistics for calm intervals are not yet compiled, making design difficult. Valid conclusions are apparent from the information presented, nevertheless. Using the 18 mph design wind plant shown, it can be seen that a site with only 60 days of appropriate wind is needed to best the oil/steam generation plant and 110 days to be advantageous over the midwest coal/steam conventional plants. The cost balance shifts increasingly in favor of wind conversion with time, since fossil fuel costs estulate in real dollars in most economic projections.
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