The US Energy Department is setting aside US$1.8 million in funding for the development of larger wind turbine blades that will help capture more power from wind resources and increase the efficiency of wind energy systems.
This DoE funding will support the research and development of technological innovations to improve the manufacturing, transportation, and assembly of wind turbine blades longer than 60 meters. Larger blades that can be installed on wind turbines with taller hub heights will help facilitate the deployment of the next generation of multi-megawatt wind turbines.
In December 2014, the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory released maps that illustrate the potential for new wind energy resources that developers could unlock using next-generation wind turbine technologies. “These taller turbines accompanied by longer blades have the potential to harness wind power resources from more than one million additional square miles of the United States, roughly triple the amount of developable land that was accessible with turbine technology in 2008,” the DoE said in a statement.
“This funding opportunity will help mitigate the transportation and logistical constraints associated with larger turbine blades, helping spur wind energy development in areas of the country where wind resources can be accessed at greater heights, especially in the southeast.”