Renewable energy - wind power How much does wind power cost?

Question

I really have no idea how much windmills cost. I was just curious if there is a site somewhere that has costs to be windmills that are maybe like 500kW, 750kW or 1 megawatt producers of electricity? Does anyone know an approximate price or website with pricing for these?

Answer 1

SAVE OUR  EARTHQUAKE/TSUNAMI FREE

HELLO

I am S.Riya Subbu. I want to save our Earth with your help.

We are living under the control of Pancha Bhoot ( Water,Air,Fire,Earth, Universe).

Now frequently Earth Quake/Tsunami/Typhoon  is coming  all over World and destroying all Human beings/Livelihood/House/Building/Bridges... Stock  within a second. Also now days Global Warming is going on Alarmingly. Excess Rain/Flood destrying our Life.

Recently Canada  also face Earth Quake Problem. In Indonesia also facing Earth Quake Problem  frequently.

Please you all join with me to save our EARTH.

Do the following simple Systems in your House/Office/Working Place/Your Street/Your Society/Flat.

1.Are you saving  the following items in your House/Office/Work Place?

1. Current

2. Water

3.Petrol/Diesel/Kerosene

4.Gas ( LPG & CNG).

5.White Papper/News Paper

6. Wood

7. Cooking Oil

Note: the above all necessary for Day to Day Life. Please Try to Reduce the usage.

2. Are your Keeping your House free of the following items?

1.Plastic Free. Don’t Store Plastic Bags/Cups/Spoon( for example. Take Cotton Bag with you to market/Shopping)

2.Unutilised items like broken Cycle/Old TV Cover/broken Table/Chairs/Tyres/ Un Utilised/Non Repairable items like Bike/Car/Mixer/Washing Machine/Cooler/Utensils.

Note: Please Dispose this items which is not is use. Sent it for Re-Cycle.

3. What type of Conveyance are you using?

1.Car    2.Two Wheeler  3.Cycle 4.Using Public Transportation/Train

Note: Utilise Public Transportation/Sharing Auto/Car. You can avoid Traffic Jam/Parking Problem.Keep one two wheeler/One Car/One House for each family.( Don’t buy more than that). It will help us reduce Petrol Expenses/Pollution/Parking/Traffic Jam.

4. How many Children are you having

1. one  2. Two 3. More than Two 4. Unmarried

Note: Make one or Two Children only. Give them Good Food/Education/Shelter.

If population is more pollution is more.

5. Are Short out your Cub Board/Wardrobe?

1.Once in a Month  2. Once in 6 Months 3. Not at all doing  

Note: Short out Your Wardrobe/Cup Board/Working Table/House Kitchen free of unnecessary items. Give your Books/Old Pant/Saree/Shirt  to Poor/Needy.

6.What type of Gift are you giving to your Relatives & Friends?

1.Toys/Games 2. Greeting Card  3. Flower Bouque 4.Saplings like Rose/X- MasTree

Note: Please present Flowers/Anthorium Saplings/Rose/Seeds of Different type of Seeds as Gift to your Friends/Relatives.This will reduce the waste of Plastics Paper/Balloon/Wrapper/Cartoon Box.

AVOID

1. Avoid Smoking/Chewing Tobacco/pan and avoid Smoking/Spitting in Public Place. Smoking leads to Health disorder and it is leads to Cancer.

2. Avoid wasting Food in House/Function. If food is excess, please share the food with Poor. Take limited food in your Plate. Do not throw in dust Bin.

3. Avoid dumping Materials in House/Office. Be Plan before buying any Materials.

4. Avoid unnecessary Travels. Be plan before Travel.

5. Pray Rivers. But Do not throw Plastic Bags/Garbage on River. ( I have seen many people are throwing Garbage bag in river. Rivers are very Important for our Life.

6. Do not use Coluring Agent for Hair. It will make eye irritation/Stain in Shirt collar/Pillow Cover/Bed Sheets.

7. Do Simple Marriage. This will help us to save Money/Food/Transportation/ Reduce  arrangements etc.

Please Run Cycle (if your office/School is near to your Hose) for your Health/Wealth.

Running Cycle is keep your Body Fit. Also it helps us to reduce Petrol Bill/Pollution/Weight/Bulging Stomach/Obesity/Gas trouble in stomach and of course reduce your Petrol Bill/Medical Bill.

Please spread this Message to all your Family Members/Relation/Friends/Office Colleague/To  School /College/To your village/To your Society etc

S.RIYA  SUBBU

Please share your suggestion/Views with me thro  e.mail [e-mail]

Answer 2

The source has a 10kw unit for $27,900. I shudder to think what a 500kw unit would cost.

Answer 3

There is a company that sells them - Northern equipment or Northern Supplies or something like that.  If you are rural, I think small windmills could be cost effective.  Big commercial windmills are absurdly expensive, since the government is involved.

Answer 4

The new producer of the better ones is GE. But you have to remember that most of these machines now have 30' wing spans. They produce electricity at a higher initial price but as time goes by the become very price effective. Maintenance is about the same price, but wind is free-so far.

Answer 5

I was working in west Texas last year for several months in the middle of thousands of them. I am an engineer so discussed this a lot with engineers building them.

Seems the average cost was about 2 million for 2 megawatts (Very high compared to conventional / nuclear)just for initial capital cost. They work great. Only take 6-8 MPH wind for them to start generating. The power from them is much higher cost primarily due to the high initial cost and the fact that the wind just doesn't blow all the time so your investment may sit a lot of the time generating nothing. They also require enormous surface area and a large electrical grid compared to conventional.

I like wind power and Solar power, and think we should build more in deserted areas because even though the power is more expensive, it reduces emissions and reduces our dependence on foreign oil. It cannot provide the huge amount of cheap reliable 24/7 alternative energy we need (Only Nuclear can do that), but it will help.

Answer 6

It all depends on where the turbines are located, but those, lets say in the Banning pass east of Los Angeles or in Mojave- regularly windy areas are producing energy (after amortized costs) at about 8 or 9 cents per KWh.  that's just a penny more than it costs to produce energy via the burning of fossil fuels.

The important point here is, that if oil just gets a bit more expensive, then alternative energy sources become more and more viable and cost effective.