Performance and viability analysis of small wind turbines in the European Union

Abstract

Nowadays, wind energy plays a key role as a sustainable source of energy and wind turbines are a relevant source of power for many countries world-wide. In such a context, this paper investigates the technical and economic feasibility of small wind turbines for five of the main European Union countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and The Netherlands). Ten commercial turbines with rated power from 2.5 kW to 200 kW are evaluated considering their installation and operative conditions. Several parameters most affecting wind turbine performances are evaluated and the estimation of the annual cash flows during the expected plant life-time are determined as a function of both the installation location (wind speed probability distribution, national incentive scheme and tax level) and the wind turbine characteristics (rated power curve, maintenance, installation and shipping costs). The obtained data are presented and discussed through a parametric analysis based on the Net Present Value capital budget approach, showing the conditions making these systems profitable or non-profitable and explaining the relative motivations. Moreover, the analysis outcomes are further investigated highlighting the dependence of the turbine profitability from the considered parameters, including a comparative analysis among the five analyzed European countries

Economic Feasibility of Small Wind Turbines for Domestic Consumers in Egypt Based on the New Feed-in Tariff

“…(2) where the probability density function ( ) f v represents the fraction of duration of wind speed v. The most commonly used model to express the wind speed probability distribution f(v) is the Weibull distribution [14][15][16]. p v is wind turbine output power curve [9]. Average long-term wind speed data at 10 m hub height are obtained from Ref [7], and [14][15][16][17][18].…”

“…(4) [22]. According to the power curve of the selected wind turbines [9] the capacity factor of the selected wind turbines for all the stations are calculated at the turbine hub height. Then the calculation of the average energy production of a turbine can be calculated for one year once f C is known as Eq.…”

“…Feed-in tariff categories in Egypt (a)[8], Investment cost I C and technical data of the selected wind turbines (b)[9] …”

The importance of accurate wind resource assessment for evaluating the economic viability of small wind turbines

“…However, for other components such as the wiring, meters and isolation switches, the price is generally fixed (Bergman and Jardine, 2009). Consequently, there is currently a large range in the specific investment cost, I, of small wind turbine installations, typically between £2,000 -6,000 per kW (Bortolini et al, 2014). In comparison, the on-going costs of an installation are relatively low, as maintenance checks are necessary every few year and are likely to cost approximately £100 (Energy Saving Trust, 2013).…”

Modern small wind turbine design solutions comparison in terms of estimated cost to energy output ratio

“…As opposed to large wind turbines, which are dominated by the classic three-bladed horizontal axis setup [2], the small turbine market offers a number of different solutions, often advertised as more efficient than the popular three-blade designs. There have been some in-depth analyses of the European market of small wind turbines performed by various authors, with limited insight on the specifics of the turbine design [8,27].…”