What is a wind turbine manufacturer’s power curve?
The power curve of a wind turbine is a graph that indicates how large the electrical power output will be for the turbine at different wind speeds. Power curves are found by field measurements, where an anemometer is placed on a mast reasonably close to the wind turbine (not on the turbine itself or too close to it, since the turbine rotor may create turbulence, and make wind speed measurement unreliable). Power curves are based on measurements in areas with low turbulence intensity, and with the wind coming directly towards the front of the turbine. Local turbulence and complex terrain (e.g. turbines placed on a rugged slope) may mean that wind gusts hit the rotor from varying directions. It may therefore be difficult to reproduce the power curve exactly in any given location. For further information, please visit the AWEA website at http://www.awea.org/faq/basicpp.html, which provides an explanation of the “Basic Principles of Wind Turbine Power Production”.
