Wind farms require a location with strong and consistent wind flow, ideally on open plains or offshore. Placement near existing power lines can reduce costs. Electricity generated enters the main power grid, and access to transmission lines can be a challenge. Construction costs are high, and compensation for private landowners may be necessary. Seeking out venture capital and investors can increase chances of success.
The first and most important component of building a wind farm is a location with significant wind power. A steady wind flow is important to keep turbines running, which in turn can pay back the cost of building a wind farm from the electricity generated. Farm placement is also an important consideration. All electricity generated by a wind farm must find its way back to the main power grid; placing a farm near existing power lines can make this process easier and cheaper.
The best way to catch wind is on open plains, or even offshore, where there are fewer structures and overhanging landscaping to block the wind flow. A wind farm on Cape Cod in the state of Massachusetts in the United States (USA) was built off-shore, where the wind flow is freer and more consistent. Cape Cod officials say the amount of electricity generated by the farm is sufficient to power most of the island’s electrical needs. In contrast, the landlocked lowlands in the US state of Kansas provide the ideal flat landscape for wind; several farms have been developed throughout that area. There have been many wind farms built in other regions of the world with similar landscapes to take advantage of similarly windy locations.
It’s a common misnomer that wind farms pump electricity directly into nearby buildings. The reality is that electricity enters and is extracted from a main power grid. Electricity from all types of energy sources flows into the same grid. The grid then carries electricity through power transmission lines. If a wind farm is not located in a location with existing power transmission lines, a developer must install new lines to extend the reach of the grid to the wind farm site. This can be very expensive, however.
T. Boone Pickens, the billionaire with ambitions to build the largest wind farm in the world, also had his project halted due to problems with access to transmission lines. If the construction of a wind farm is done on a site with access to existing power lines, the construction cost could be much cheaper and the electricity from the plant will be able to enter the grid much faster.
Even the most carefully planned wind farm construction doesn’t come cheap. Even with the most strategic and cost-effective location, construction will likely cost tens of millions of dollars. Depending on the company or organization building the farm, it may be wise to seek out venture capital firms and investors who support green energy innovation. Finding the right sponsors and lenders can greatly increase a wind farm’s chances of success.
Another important consideration for building wind farms is the possible expense of having to pay private landowners. If a company building a wind farm wants to do so on the private property of a landowner, it will likely have to provide compensation. This can be quite expensive and regions should be carefully researched for this possibility prior to construction.
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