1. Wind Farm DevelopmentA wind firm is a location where wind turbines are put togenerate electricity. A wind firm may cover a large areaof hundreds of square miles and it consists of severalwind turbines. The land that is between the wind turbinesmay be utilized for agricultural purposes or any otherviable purpose. To take advantage of strong winds thatare blowing over the surface of a lake or an ocean, awind farm may be situated offshore.

2. Steps to Wind Farm Development - Understand WindResourceThe most important step in wind farm development isunderstanding wind resources. To consider a site forwind farm development it must have an annual averagewind speed of 11-13 mph. The wind farm site must haveconstant flow and non-turbulent wind throughout theyear. Specific data concerning wind speed and directionshould be collected to be able to determine the potentialof the site. Data can also be obtained frommeteorological departments. A device can be installed tomonitor the characteristics of wind on that particular site. 3. Consider Where the Transmission Linesare.Consider how far the site is from existingtransmission lines. Building a wind farmnear the transmission lines will help inreducing costs. Installing high voltagelines can be costly hence selecting a sitewhere existing lines can easily beaccessed should be considered. 4. Secure Access to LandBoth public and private landowners will expectcompensation for their land that is used as a site forwind farm development. Lease agreement and royaltyshould be discussed with the parties involved.Cooperation will be needed from local community andland owners. Roads, maintenance infrastructure,turbines, transmission equipments should all be takeinto consideration especially because developers willneed to transport their heavy industrial equipment andthey need to consider if the roads can handle significantweight. 5. Establish the Source of Capital.Building a wind farm is expensive. It isestimated that wind power developmentcan cost around $2 million per megawattof generating capacity that is installed.Power facilities should be in excess of 20megawatt to be able to take advantage ofeconomies of scale. 6. Identify a reliable market for the power.Wind energy is the most cost-effective source ofrenewable energy. Today wind energy is thebetter option in the market. The cost of windenergy is competitive with the cost of electricityfrom other sources. The demand for greenpower that is power from clean sources that donot cause pollution, such as wind power isgrowing. Customers who purchase green powerget their power at a premium cost. Acommitment of over 10-30 years should besecured for the plants output. 7. Consider Project FeasibilityProject feasibility must be considered forwind farm development. If the location has wind does notnecessarily mean that the site is suitable for wind powerdevelopment. Developers should consider whether theproject will endanger any species. Developers shouldalso consider whether the site is appropriate for windfarm development and for industrial development. Theyshould also consider whether the turbines sound will bean issue to the local community. Visit our website for more information on wind turbinesand wind farm development. Also see our other designservices available.