Gamesa Debuts New Turbine for Low-Wind Areas

       

Until recently, most of the attention from the wind energy industry in North Dakota has been on the pink and purple areas of the map shown above, those areas of "good"and "excellent" wind potential. Unfortunately, many of these areas are not practical for wind farms because their remoteness puts them far away from the necessary transmission infrastructure. The most cost-efficient areas for wind power are those in the eastern third of the state where higher population densities mean easier access to transmission facilities and other infrastructure requirements. Those areas, alas, are largely brown and orange ("marginal" and "fair") and of little interest to wind developers.

Their allure may improve, however, as new technology is introduced to capitalize on areas that don't boast the gusty winds western North Dakota is famous for. The Spanish manufacturer, Gamesa, for example, recently introduced 2 MW turbines specifically designed for low-wind regions. The G97-2.0 MW Class III model is currently being manufactured in Spain, China, India and the U.S. The turbine features a swept area 16% larger than that of the Gamesa's current G90 model and includes a new aerodynamic blade tip design and noise control technology. 

The G97 currently is making its U.S. debut as part of a wind project underway in Faribault County, Minnesota. (Wind maps indicate the aveage wind potential in this area is similar to that in most of eastern North Dakota.) Idaho-based Exergy Development Group plans to install 18 of the new units near the town of Blue Earth, according to a recent report from Recharge. The new facility, which is expected to be online by the end of the year, reportedly plans to sell its output to Northern States Power.