Low Wind Speed Technology Phase I: Prototype Multi-Megawatt Low Wind Speed Turbine

General Electric Wind Energy, LLC

Project Description: Parametric design studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and their subcontractors show that advanced wind turbine architectures offer significant cost of energy reductions relative 

to current technologies. Cost of energy improvements could be realized concurrently along three separate avenues: 

• Reduce costs and increase efficiencies with advanced turbine components. 

• Place turbines on innovative tall towers to partially negate atmospheric shear layer effects and augment energy capture. 

• Enhance energy capture via larger rotor diameters and innovative rotor configurations.

These parametric studies indicate that several techniques can be combined to make these improvements. Many, such as decreasing 

drivetrain weight to make taller towers more cost effective and introducing novel rotor designs that decrease loads and allow 

larger rotor diameters, are interrelated. Emerging control strategies, coupled with increased instrumentation, can help to costeffectively integrate these major elements.

Within this context, GE Wind Energy is developing an advanced prototype turbine to significantly reduce energy costs in low 

wind speed environments. This effort will pursue an evolutionary path that benefits from technology demonstrations of hybrid 

composite blades and advanced controls at the multimegawatt level. This subcontract also will 

erect and test a substantially larger turbine to characterize advanced technology. The focus will 

be to develop advanced technologies; however, it will also exploit the economic advantages of 

value engineering turbine architectures at the multimegawatt level. To mitigate the risks of more 

ambitious technology concepts, parallel efforts will seek the limits to which blade and drivetrain 

designs can be pushed within the constraints of the baseline hardware. Preliminary targets for 

advanced technology development include a tower taller than 100 meters, a drivetrain in the 

multimegawatt class, and a rotor that exceeds 100 meters in diameter. Overall, this balanced 

development approach will deliver advanced technologies integrated into a prototype turbine 

that can significantly lower commercial energy costs, as well as technology adaptations that 

are suitable for decreasing the machine cost of energy.

Project Type: Prototype Development

Total Project Budget: 	 $18,867,498

Industry Cost Share: 	 $10,774,968

DOE Cost Share: 	 $8,092,530

Planned Project Duration: March 2004–February 2008

Contacts:

NREL/Sandia: GE Wind:

Scott Schreck, NREL	 Craig Christenson, GE Wind Energy, LLC	 	

1617 Cole Blvd.	 13681 Chantico Rd.

Golden, Colorado 80401	 Tehachapi, California 93561

303-384-7102	 661-823-6742

scott_schreck@nrel.gov	 craig.christenson@ps.ge.com

Current Status: 	 Project Underway

Concept illustration of a GE multimegawatt low wind speed turbine.

A Strong Portfolio for a Strong America • Energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy will mean a stronger economy, a cleaner environment, and greater energy 

independence for America. Working with a wide array of state, community, industry, and university partners, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency 

and Renewable Energy invests in a diverse portfolio of energy technologies.

For more information contact EERE Information Center • 1-877-EERE-INF (1-877-337-3463) • www.eere.energy.gov

Produced for the U.S. Department of Energy by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a DOE national laboratory

Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 10% post consumer waste.

DOE/GO-102006-2196

March 2006