Producing Electricity

Click on each label on the turbine diagram to find out its role in generating electricity.

ANNUAL WIND GENERATION

Obviously a wind turbine requires wind to produce electricity however, not all winds are equal. The quality of the wind varies seasonally and is dependent on both the air temperature and humidity (mass). The amount of power that a wind turbine generates depends on the wind speed. Wind speeds between 3.5 to 24 meters per second are required to produce electricity. If the wind speeds are less than 3.5 meters per second there is not enough energy in the wind to turn the wind turbine blades. If the wind speed is greater than 24 meters per second the wind has too much energy to be safely captured by the blades so the wind turbine is positioned out of the wind and waits for the winds to abate.

The annual power generation profile shows what you would expect the most favourable times of the year for generation are from October to March.