Effects of turbine technology and land use on wind power resource potential

Erkka Rinne; Hannele Holttinen; Juha Kiviluoma; Simo Rissanen

doi:10.1038/s41560-018-0137-9

Effects of turbine technology and land use on wind power resource potential

Erkka Rinne (Corresponding Author), Hannele Holttinen, Juha Kiviluoma, Simo Rissanen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

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Abstract

Estimates of wind power potential are relevant for decision-making in energy policy and business. Such estimates are affected by several uncertain assumptions, most significantly related to wind turbine technology and land use. Here, we calculate the technical and economic onshore wind power potentials with the aim to evaluate the impact of such assumptions using the case-study area of Finland as an example. We show that the assumptions regarding turbine technology and land use policy are highly significant for the potential estimate. Modern turbines with lower specific ratings and greater hub heights improve the wind power potential considerably, even though it was assumed that the larger rotors decrease the installation density and increase the turbine investment costs. New technology also decreases the impact of strict land use policies. Uncertainty in estimating the cost of wind power technology limits the accuracy of assessing economic wind power potential.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	494-500
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nature Energy
Volume	3
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-018-0137-9
Publication status	Published - 14 May 2018
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Keywords

energy infrastructure
energy modelling
wind energy

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1038/s41560-018-0137-9

Effects_of_turbine_technologyAccepted author manuscript, 367 KB

Cite this

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title = "Effects of turbine technology and land use on wind power resource potential",

abstract = "Estimates of wind power potential are relevant for decision-making in energy policy and business. Such estimates are affected by several uncertain assumptions, most significantly related to wind turbine technology and land use. Here, we calculate the technical and economic onshore wind power potentials with the aim to evaluate the impact of such assumptions using the case-study area of Finland as an example. We show that the assumptions regarding turbine technology and land use policy are highly significant for the potential estimate. Modern turbines with lower specific ratings and greater hub heights improve the wind power potential considerably, even though it was assumed that the larger rotors decrease the installation density and increase the turbine investment costs. New technology also decreases the impact of strict land use policies. Uncertainty in estimating the cost of wind power technology limits the accuracy of assessing economic wind power potential.",

keywords = "energy infrastructure, energy modelling, wind energy",

author = "Erkka Rinne and Hannele Holttinen and Juha Kiviluoma and Simo Rissanen",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the Strategic Research Council at the Academy of Finland, project {\textquoteleft}Transition to a resource efficient and climate neutral electricity system (EL-TRAN){\textquoteright}, grant no. 314319. We thank E. Peltola and P. Antikainen at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland for the buffer radius estimates around miscellaneous land use functions (Supplementary Table 2). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

year = "2018",

month = may,

day = "14",

doi = "10.1038/s41560-018-0137-9",

language = "English",

volume = "3",

pages = "494--500",

journal = "Nature Energy",

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T1 - Effects of turbine technology and land use on wind power resource potential

AU - Rinne, Erkka

AU - Holttinen, Hannele

AU - Kiviluoma, Juha

AU - Rissanen, Simo

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the Strategic Research Council at the Academy of Finland, project ‘Transition to a resource efficient and climate neutral electricity system (EL-TRAN)’, grant no. 314319. We thank E. Peltola and P. Antikainen at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland for the buffer radius estimates around miscellaneous land use functions (Supplementary Table 2). Publisher Copyright: © 2018 The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2018/5/14

Y1 - 2018/5/14

N2 - Estimates of wind power potential are relevant for decision-making in energy policy and business. Such estimates are affected by several uncertain assumptions, most significantly related to wind turbine technology and land use. Here, we calculate the technical and economic onshore wind power potentials with the aim to evaluate the impact of such assumptions using the case-study area of Finland as an example. We show that the assumptions regarding turbine technology and land use policy are highly significant for the potential estimate. Modern turbines with lower specific ratings and greater hub heights improve the wind power potential considerably, even though it was assumed that the larger rotors decrease the installation density and increase the turbine investment costs. New technology also decreases the impact of strict land use policies. Uncertainty in estimating the cost of wind power technology limits the accuracy of assessing economic wind power potential.

AB - Estimates of wind power potential are relevant for decision-making in energy policy and business. Such estimates are affected by several uncertain assumptions, most significantly related to wind turbine technology and land use. Here, we calculate the technical and economic onshore wind power potentials with the aim to evaluate the impact of such assumptions using the case-study area of Finland as an example. We show that the assumptions regarding turbine technology and land use policy are highly significant for the potential estimate. Modern turbines with lower specific ratings and greater hub heights improve the wind power potential considerably, even though it was assumed that the larger rotors decrease the installation density and increase the turbine investment costs. New technology also decreases the impact of strict land use policies. Uncertainty in estimating the cost of wind power technology limits the accuracy of assessing economic wind power potential.

KW - energy infrastructure

KW - energy modelling

KW - wind energy

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DO - 10.1038/s41560-018-0137-9

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85046903894

VL - 3

SP - 494

EP - 500

JO - Nature Energy

JF - Nature Energy

SN - 2058-7546

IS - 6

ER -

Effects of turbine technology and land use on wind power resource potential

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Reply to ‘The perils of automated fitting of datasets: the case of a wind turbine cost model’

EL-TRAN: Transition to a Resource Efficient and Climate Neutral Electricity System

Cite this

Effects of turbine technology and land use on wind power resource potential

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Research output

Reply to ‘The perils of automated fitting of datasets: the case of a wind turbine cost model’

Projects

EL-TRAN: Transition to a Resource Efficient and Climate Neutral Electricity System

Cite this