Book contents
- Transitioning to a Prosperous, Resilient and Carbon-Free Economy
- Transitioning to a Prosperous, Resilient and Carbon-Free Economy
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Introduction
- 1 Policy Frameworks and Institutions for Decarbonisation: The Energy Sector as ‘Litmus Test’
- Technologies for Decarbonising the Electricity Sector
- 2 Wind Energy
- 3 Solar Photovoltaics
- 4 Solar Thermal Energy
- 5 Nuclear Energy
- 6 Hydropower
- 7 Energy Storage
- 8 The Hydrogen Economy
- Example Economies
- Cities and Industry
- Land Use, Forests and Agriculture
- Mining, Metals, Oil and Gas
- Addressing Barriers io Change
- Index
- References
2 - Wind Energy
from Technologies for Decarbonising the Electricity Sector
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 October 2021
- Transitioning to a Prosperous, Resilient and Carbon-Free Economy
- Transitioning to a Prosperous, Resilient and Carbon-Free Economy
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Introduction
- 1 Policy Frameworks and Institutions for Decarbonisation: The Energy Sector as ‘Litmus Test’
- Technologies for Decarbonising the Electricity Sector
- 2 Wind Energy
- 3 Solar Photovoltaics
- 4 Solar Thermal Energy
- 5 Nuclear Energy
- 6 Hydropower
- 7 Energy Storage
- 8 The Hydrogen Economy
- Example Economies
- Cities and Industry
- Land Use, Forests and Agriculture
- Mining, Metals, Oil and Gas
- Addressing Barriers io Change
- Index
- References
Summary
Improvements in wind technology and reductions in cost mean that wind energy is now one of the most important sources of new electricity generation. This chapter looks at the history, physics and technological improvements leading to current wind turbine technology. Longer turbine blades and taller hub heights have played a key role in improving wind turbine performance. It also covers the development process required to build a wind farm including monitoring, energy assessment and financing aspects. A summary of pricing of recent wind energy projects from around the world demonstrates the economic competitiveness of the technology. We consider Denmark, and how it deals with the variability of obtaining more than 30% of its electricity from wind. Finally, it is demonstrated that a modest increase in wind installations to 72 gigawatts per year could see the world obtaining about 20% of electricity from wind power by 2040.
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- Transitioning to a Prosperous, Resilient and Carbon-Free EconomyA Guide for Decision-Makers, pp. 41 - 59Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021