3 ms·
> Wind farm output typically peaks at night. Is this generally true, or does it depend on geography (e.g. being near the coast)? Where I am in the midwest, it
by throwawayboise 6y ago
> Wind farm output typically peaks at night.
Is this generally true, or does it depend on geography (e.g. being near the coast)? Where I am in the midwest, it seems that the air normally gets very calm after sunset.
- philipkglass 6y agoI think that it is generally true for land based turbines. Turbines are so tall that wind conditions at hub height can't be easily estimated by what we experience on the ground. Here's a somewhat dated study that shows hourly patterns for wind generation on the ERCOT grid in Texas, which has the largest wind fleet of any state: "The Relationship between Wind Generation and Balancing-Energy Market Prices in ERCOT: 2007–2009" https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy11osti/49415.pdf https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy11osti/49415.pdf See Figure 5. Hourly generation reaches a minimum from about 1:00 to 5:00 PM and reaches its maximum around 1:00 AM. Offshore wind output changes less from short term day-night cycles, and generally achieves a higher capacity factor. It is also more expensive to build than onshore wind and no large projects have yet been built for the US, though several are on the drawing board.
- toomuchtodo 6y agoAs usual, your comments on the topic knock it out of the park. Thanks so much for contributing.