Wind turbines are generally divided into two broad categories based on their rated capacity
and their intended applications. Small wind turbines are typically less
than 50 kW in size, but can be as large as 250 kW and are designed for
use in residential, agricultural, small commercial and some industrial
applications. In all of these applications, the turbine(s) are providing
energy for the end user to offset the use of grid power.
Large
wind turbines have rated capacities ranging from 660 kW to 1,800 kW (1.8
MW) and are designed for use in electricity generating power plants.
Large turbines are typically deployed in wind farms and are intended to
provide wholesale bulk electricity production for delivery on the local
transmission network
Small wind turbines can be grid-connected for
residential or industrial electricity generation or they can be used in
off-grid applications such as water pumping or battery charging.
Small turbines are typically installed as a single unit or in small
numbers. The smallest turbines (with power ratings less than 1 kW) are
normally used to charge batteries for sailboats, cabins, and small
homes. Turbines with power ratings between 1 kW to 20 kW are normally
used for water pumping, small businesses, residential power, farm
applications, remote communication stations, and government facilities.
They
are often found as part of a hybrid system that can include
photovoltaic cells, grid power connections, storage batteries, and
possibly back-up diesel generator sets. Turbines rated at 50 to 250 kW
are used in light commercial/industrial, larger farms, and village power
applications.
Small Wind Turbine Height Comparisons |
Large
wind turbines are most commonly deployed in large arrays of multiple
turbines. Less common, but increasingly of interest to municipalities or
electric cooperatives, large turbines are also installed in distributed
generation applications that consist of a single or a few turbines
connected directly to a distribution line. Many large wind turbine
manufacturers are offering models in the 1 MW range.
Wind turbines as large as 1.8 MW are available for land-based applications. For offshore environments, manufacturers are testing designs in the range of 3-5 MW.
Large Wind Turbine Height Comparisons |
Examples
and information pertaining to both large and small wind turbines are
included in this guide. Although there is some overlap, the majority of
the technical issues, permitting requirements, and operating procedures
are different for large and small wind turbine applications. Therefore,
it is important to differentiate and address the large and small wind
turbine applications separately rather than trying to address them with
the same set of regulations or review processes.
Large-scale applications are likely to have more impact on a community.
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