Aren wind turbines inefficient because the wind doesn blow all the time? How can they be considered a reliable source of electricity?
If the wind blew 100% of the time at the speed needed to produce maximum output from the turbine, wind turbines would be at 100% capacity. Of course, this isn’t realistic. Wind speed varies throughout the year and in different locations across Ontario and Canada. Modern turbines spin between 65%-80% of the time, but because they aren’t producing maximum power the entire time, the capacity factor for most turbines is calculated at around 30%. However, do not confuse efficiency with capacity. Efficiency refers to how well a resource, such as wind or coal, is converted into electricity. Wind turbines are very efficient machines.
Related Questions
- Aren wind turbines inefficient because the wind doesn blow all the time? How can they be considered a reliable source of electricity?
- Because they don’t produce all the time, aren’t wind turbines an inefficient way to get our electricity?
- How can wind power replace the coal power of Nova Scotia if the wind doesnt blow all the time?
