How Much Does Wind Power Cost?

Before you dig further about how much does wind power cost, do you know how this energy source works? You may have heard about it. These days, when economy keeps on fluctuating, people are finding alternative sources of energy. Thanks to the continuous development of the technology that helps develop such type of energy resource, people can rely onto something else in times when it is mostly needed.

The concept of wind power is when the energy that can be found in wind is being converted into electricity. This can be done through windmill or the newer version that is the wind turbine. These two are similar in many ways. But windmills are usually used as a direct power source for machinery, like a grinder for grain. Wind turbines, on the other hand, produces electricity that is to be used off-site.

Both windmills and wind turbines are mounted on a high tower. The main reason for this kind of set up is for these sources to be able to get the most energy. The usual height that is used for mounting these two is about 100 feet and up above the ground. This can give access to faster winds that are less turbulent. Turbines have blades that look like propeller that is responsible to catch the energy from the wind. Typically, there are two or three blades that are mounted on a beam that take the figure of a rotor.

The blade can be compared on an airplane wing. As the wind blows, the downwind side of the blade catches a handful of air that has low pressure. This low-pressure air pulls the blade toward where it is. This causes what is called lift, the scene when the rotor turns. The front side of the blade is also exposed to wind’s pressure. This is called drag. When the lift and drag combine, the rotor spins like a propeller. This turns the shaft to spin a generator and this creates electricity.

Wind turbines can be used in various applications. These can be connected to a power grid or used alongside a photovoltaic system or solar energy source. And these can also be used on stand alone purposes.

Wind Power Cost

The cost of the project depends on so many factors. You have to consider the size and the types of machines that will be utilized to create the machine. It should also be estimated in the whole cots the purchase agreement when it comes to construction contracts and the location where the project will be installed.

Before the real construction begins, the one who is building the project should allocate funds to assess the wind resource as well as site analysis. They should also provide budget for the transformers, the tower, interconnection studies, metering utilities, system upgrades, warranty and maintenance. Taxes that will be incurred along the way should also be planned out when allocating money that will be used in building the wind turbines.

So if you will be asked, how much does wind power cost, what will you say? The best answer to this question is that it depends on so many factors and considerations. The prices of materials change as time passes by. If the economy is down and the prices of materials are high, then the overall cost of the project will also be higher.