Wind Energy Status and R&D 

Brian Parsons

Senior Project Manager

28 February 2006

DOE’s National Wind Te

Golden, Color

NREL/PR-500-39535March 2006 Presented at the European Wind Energy Conference in Athens, Greece, February 27
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The U.S. Energy Pic

by source - 1850-1999

0

20406080

100

1850 1870 1890 1910 1930 195

Quadrillion BTUs

Source: 1850-1949, Energy Perspectives: A Presentation of Major Energy and Energy-Related Data, U1950-1996, Annual Energy Review 1996, Table 1.3. Note: Between 1950 and 1990, there was no repo1997-1999, Annual Energy Review 1999, Table F1b.

Coal

Hydro

Wood



Cost of Energy Trend

1981: 40 cents/kWh

• Increased Turbine Size• R&D Advances• Manufacturing 

Improvements

NSP 107 MW Lake 

4 cents/kWh (u

2006: 3 - 6 ce
Clipper LWST Protot

2.5 MW with 93 m Ro
Wind Energy Research A

Turbine Development Programs• Low Wind Speed Technology• Distributed Wind TechnologySupporting Research Activities• Advanced Rotor Development• Generator, Drivetrain, and Power E• Systems and Control• Technology Acceptance• Utility Grid Integration• Certification Testing
Measuring and Modeling Dy

and Unsteady Aerodyn

NASA Ames 80’ by 120’

Wind Tunnel Test

ADAMS Model
Measuring and Modelin

Low-Level Nocturnal 

km

Courtesy R. Banta NOAA

km
Blade Weight in kg

Blade Scaling for Multimega
Industry’s Growing Ne

A new 45-meter wind turbine blade was shipped to the NWTC for testing in July 2004.
Advanced Drivetrain R

GEC 

Today

1.5 MW Commercial Technology

T

Prototy
What are the Futu

R&D Needs?
Windy onshore sites are not close to coastal lo

The electric utility grid cannot be easily set up for interstate 

Load centers are close to the offshore wi

Graphic Credit: Bruce Bailey AWS Truewind

Offshore Wind – U.S. Ra

Why Go Offshore?

G

% area 

US Population Concentration US Win
U.S. Offshore Wind Energy 

Region 0 - 30 30 - 60 60 - 900 > 

New England 10.3 43.5 130.6 Mid-Atlantic 64.3 126.2 45.3 Great Lakes 15.5 11.6 193.6 California 0.0 0.3 47.8 Pacific Northwes

t 0.0 1.6 100.4 

Total 90.1 183.2 517.7 

GW by Depth (m)

Resource NAssessed 
Current Technology


2005

A Future Vision for Wind Ene

Bulk Power 

Generator

4-6¢ at 15mph

• Land Based• Bulk Electricity• Wind Farms

Potential 20% of 

Electricity Market

Land Based Electricity Path Transmis

Barrie

Cost & Regu

Barriers

Land or Sea Based:• Hydrogen• Clean Water

Cost & Infrast

Barrier

Land Based LWST

Large-Scale

2–5 MW

Offshore Turbines

5 MW and Larger

Offshore Electricity Path

Advanced Applications Path

Today