Resources
A quantitative measure of the wind energy available at any location is called the Wind Power Density (WPD) It is a calculation of the mean annual power available per square meter of swept area of a turbine, and is tabulated for different heights above ground. Calculation of wind power density includes the effect of wind velocity and air density. Color-coded maps are prepared for a particular area described, for example, as "Mean Annual Power Density at 50 Metres". In the United States, the results of the above calculation are included in an index developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and referred to as "NREL CLASS". The larger the WPD calculation, the higher it is rated by class. Classes range from Class 1 (200 watts per square metre or less at 50 m altitude) to Class 7 (800 to 2000 watts per square m). Commercial wind farms generally are sited in Class 3 or higher areas, although isolated points in an otherwise Class 1 area may be practical to exploit.
Wind turbines are classified by the wind speed they are designed for, from class I to class IV, with A or B referring to the turbulence.
| Class | Avg Wind Speed (m/s) | Turbulence |
|---|---|---|
| IA | 10 | 18% |
| IB | 10 | 16% |
| IIA | 8.5 | 18% |
| IIB | 8.5 | 16% |
| IIIA | 7.5 | 18% |
| IIIB | 7.5 | 16% |
| IVA | 6 | 18% |
| IVB | 6 | 16% |
Read more about this topic: Windturbine
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