At what wind speeds do wind turbines operate?
The cut-in and cut-out speeds for modern wind turbines vary by model, but the operating wind speed generally ranges from approximately 6 to 55 miles per hour. Modern wind turbines have an elaborate control system, and are designed to shut down in turbulent and high wind speed conditions. As the wind speed increases, the blades on most wind turbines rotate to be more perpendicular to the wind. At the cut-out speed, blades become fully perpendicular to the wind, and are locked in place with a physical brake. Modern wind turbines are designed to withstand extremely windy conditions, and could be designed to operate at speeds greater than approximately 55 miles per hour, however, this is typically not cost-effective.
