Deck:
Smaller systems aren't cost-effective.
Author Bio:
Dr. Gary C. Young is a consulting engineer and founder of GYCO Inc. His company does process & project engineering as well as research and development in the process industry.
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It’s time for a reality check on the commercial viability of wind farms. Are large wind systems more economical than small wind systems?
A typical small wind-energy generation system is a 10-kW turbine. A wind turbine output calculator1 puts the capacity factor at 23.18 percent and estimated annual output at 20,283 kWh per year. Mike Bergey of Bergey Windpower Co. listed a typical capital cost of such a system at $45,000.2 At an interest rate of 5.50 percent over
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