Harnessing the Wind – we’re #1!  Current largest wind farm: Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center Current largest wind farm: Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center  421 wind turbines  735 megawatts.  47,000 acres of land in Taylor and Nolan County, Texas.

Texas’ next “cash crop”?  500,000 Texas homes currently, expanding 10 times in next decade  In 2012, wind generated 10,407 megawatts  (1 megawatt = 500 homes)  13% of state’s electricity

How does it work?

 Area swept by blades can be size of 747 plane  Tips of blades can be going 200mph  Height – 240ft (taller than Statue of Liberty)  Nacelle – size of greyhound bus

How does it work? World’s largest German turbine: (394-feet) behemoth capable of generating 5 MW  Need 8 mi/hr winds to generate electricity; max electrical production at mi/hr winds; turbines cut off at 55 mi/hr winds  Yaw motor – nacelle moves to face turbine directly into wind

Applications  Typical wind farm: 100Megawatts (MW)  Coal fired power plant – MW  One 1.5MW turbine could power about 350 homes/year

Best wind is in the morning, but peak demand is in the afternoon 

So what if you currently have wind electricity? Do your lights go out on still days?

Our electric “grid” = power plants connected to consumers

Advantages  High efficiency  Moderate capital cost  No air pollution  Can use land for grazing  Renewable  Domestic  Able to use current electric grid

Disadvantages  Land use – requires space  Visual pollution – some people don’t like the look  Noise – 275 yards away, it sounds like a refrigerator  Bird and bat deaths  Winds peak in morning and March-May

Wind in your home?