| Wind has been a good source of renewable energy | | | | these new low-speed turbines. Siemens, Vestas, and |
| for more than a decade now. The growth however | | | | Nordex all recently released new, large wind turbines |
| has been slow in this sector, owing to the scarcity of | | | | directed at utilizing slow winds. Last year, General |
| high wind areas. Wind turbines till now have been | | | | Electric released its largest slow wind turbine. |
| manufactured to harness the higher speed winds on | | | | Advances in materials and construction engineering |
| land and sea. As the regions with favorable conditions | | | | has made these huge turbines a possibility. Different |
| have already been developed into wind farms, wind | | | | proprietary manufacturing processes are being used |
| turbine manufacturers have now been pushed to turn | | | | by the manufacturers to improve the aerodynamics |
| their attention towards low wind areas. A recent EU | | | | of the blades which in turn increases efficiency of |
| legislation and the general trend in government | | | | power generation. Also reducing the weight of these |
| policies in many countries favoring renewable energy | | | | blades is a key priority. Problems of transportation of |
| has also led to new turbine designs to bring more | | | | blades for land based installations are yet to be |
| land into scope. | | | | overcome by manufacturing them in parts and later |
| Wind energy is directly proportional to wind speed | | | | assembling them on site. For offshore wind farms, |
| and radius of turbine. This means that any decrease | | | | such as on seas and coastal areas, turbine size is not |
| in wind speeds should be compensated with an | | | | an issue. |
| increase in the turbine radius by the same amount in | | | | Now that the technology has advanced, making more |
| order to produce the same amount of energy. | | | | land viable, the environmental effects of these large |
| This makes the 'slow' wind turbines 'huge', with | | | | turbines have to be given due consideration. Wind |
| almost the span of a football field! Several | | | | turbines are already known to be a source of noise |
| manufacturers have already started to produce | | | | pollution and bird killers. |