Wind generated electricity in perspective

Wind generated electricity (WOE) is emerging as a13; serious choice for consideration while planning additions13; to the installed power generation capacity. Currently,13; the cost of one unit of WGE is a little over one rupee13; as found from the experience of demonstrational windfarms.13; This estimate is in respect of sites having mean wind13; speed of about 20 km/hr. A possibility of lower cost of13; electricity through availability of windier sites is rated13; rather low. Windy sites are also expected in mountains13; where strong winds are known to exist. Whether these could13; also be better than 20 km/hr is hard to predict. On the13; other hand, some significant cost reductions seem feasible13; through the choice of light weight machines. Such designs have also been suceessful in California. Our experience13; had been only in respect of more common machines which13; were also imported. These are evidently heavy and therefore13; less likely to be cheaper through further competition,13; economy of scale or through indigenisation. In the market13; environment, low weight designs are not as cheap as they13; should be. Cost reduction possibilities are more definite13; through indigenous development on similar lines. Light13; weight rotors on much taller towers should also be experimented which will permit tapping strong winds lowing at about 150 metres height. A map of wind speeds at this height shows several sites of the order of 25 km/hr. At such sites, tall tower designs are expected to be cost-effective. The higher cost of taller tower would be compensated by proportionately higher generation of electricity. With possible improvements in the near future, even sites of 20 km/hr could be harnessed. This is possible even tOday on top of low hills and ridges in some areas which do not currently appear on the energy maps based on surface winds of about 10 metres height. In future, when megawatt class machines become available they would automatically tap the winds blowing at 100-150 metres height due to their large rotor and taller tower. With the 'isolated unit' mode of deployment so well suited to such machines, the land would be utilised more efficiently than under the current 'windfarm' approach