wind speed power curve
Quick Summary
A wind turbine converts the kinetic energy of wind into electricity. The amount of power a turbine can generate is estimated using a wind speed power curve, which graphs the relationship between power output (in kilowatts) and wind speed (in meters per second). This curve is unique to each turbine, depending on factors like blade design and rotor swept area.
According to Betz's law, a wind turbine cannot capture more than 59 percent of the wind's kinetic energy. Actual turbines achieve less, with propeller-type windmills reaching about 47 percent efficiency when the tip speed is five to six times the wind velocity. Power output is proportional to the square of the rotor diameter and the cube of the wind velocity. For example, a decrease in wind speed from 14 m/s to 7 m/s drastically reduces theoretical maximum power.12
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