Wind Turbine Cost - Installing Wind Power

Wind turbine cost will be a major factor whenas this size is built by many different companies.
investigating if it is economical to install and use windBesides purchasing the wind turbine there are other
power. There are several different parts to a turbinecosts that are involved with the wind turbine installation.
and you will need everything installed in order toAll of these additional costs need to be take account
harness the power of wind. The cost is generallyof as they can dramatically increase the cost of your
determined by the tower height, generator size andwind turbine. Some additional costs include cabling,
rotor diameters. Basically you are collecting the energyconnection to the electrical grid, transformer, road
needed for the wind to turn the rotor blades.construction, and turbine foundations.
There are several wind farms around the world thatThe soil where you want to install the turbine will
use wind turbines to create electricity. Over 3, 000dictate the type of foundation you will need to keep it
MW of wind power is produced in Denmark byupright and steady. If you are installing your turbine in a
several wind farms that they have in the country andremote area then you may have to build roads in
offshore. This takes over 5, 500 wind turbines toorder to get all of the equipment and the wind turbine
collect this amount of energy. If you drive over theto the site. Actually getting your turbine to the site will
mounts in to San Francisco you will see them on theaccrue some steep transportation costs, particularly if
mountains. There are also some wind farms aroundyou are installing many turbines or very large wind
Palm Springs that collects wind power. The more kWturbines.
you are interested in collecting then in general the moreWith all of these costs it actually makes more sense
expensive the wind turbine costs associated with it. Ato install several rather than one wind turbine. Ultimately
single wind turbine that produces 700 kW can costthis means you are doing everything in bulk. It is less
around half a million dollars. Smaller wind turbines canexpensive to install 12 in one area rather than building
cost between $150, 000 to $200, 000 dollars thoughmultiple roads to several different locations and then
many companies are looking to design smaller moreconnecting each of those wind turbines to an electrical
economical wind turbines that can be used forgrid form several different areas.
residential homes. A smaller wind turbine can produceMan wind turbines are being installed off shore as
100 to 200 kW of energy.individuals in urban areas can also take advantage of
With the expense involved with purchasing a windthe power created form wind turbines. Offshore wind
turbine it is more cost efficient to install a larger one asturbines are perfect for those communities that do not
the cost needed to produce a larger turbine is nothave any land that can be used for wind farms. One
much more expensive then a smaller one. If you areof the largest wind farms is located of the shore of
interested in produce 600 kW of energy rather thanDenmark at Horns Rev.
150 kW, so quadrupling the power, the cost only triples,Wind power has been used for years. The very first
it does not quadruple.types of wind turbines were in the form of wind mills.
A slight guide for the cost of a wind turbine is that it willWind mills were used to grind grain into flour and much
cost you $1, 000 per kW power. Collected wind powermore. Wind power is the cleanest and most efficient
is measured by kW per hour and your cost will beform of energy as it does not produce pollution and
based upon kW per hour. The most wind turbinewind will always be available.
competition is found at the 1, 000 kW per hour range