WIND SPEED

Wind speed is the greatest factor in determining the suitability of a site for wind energy production. The greater the wind speed the more energy the wind contains. In fact, the amount of energy contained in the wind is equivalent to its speed cubed. As shown in the figure below, a location with wind speeds two times greater than another location contains eight times as much power (2x2x2=8). Data indicate that the average wind speed atop the Snow Bowl is 5.48 m/s. At the proposed turbine hub height (30 m) average wind speeds increase to 7.36 m/s.

WIND SPEED VS. POWER OUTPUT

Source: www.windpower.org