Wind Energy FAQ

From Great Lakes Wiki

If you have a question about wind energy, please enter it here. The State Wind Outreach Team (SWOT) will try to find an expert who can answer your question.

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Q: We never know when, how hard or how long wind will blow. How can we count on it as a reliable energy source?
A: The short answer is we can't, but the long answer is way more interesting and important!

Q: Do windmills kill birds?
A: The short answer is yes, but the long answer is way more interesting and important!

Q: If I produce electricity using a renewable energy source, how much will I get paid for electricity I sell into the electric grid?
A: That depends whether your electricity sales will be wholesale or retail, how big your renewable energy system is, its location, and when the electricity is produced. Here is a full explanation.

Q: Do windmills threaten the aesthetics of Great Lakes beaches?
A: The short answer is that siting of wind generators too close to beaches is not likely at all, for a variety of reasons. The answer to this question has to do with wind generator siting and zoning.

Q: What does it mean when I hear that a new wind generator is rated at 2.5 megawatts or MW?
A: A megawatt is one million Watts (W) or 1,000 kilowatts (kW). One measure of a wind generator’s capability is the nameplate capacity, which represents the power (in Watts) that can be produced when the wind is blowing strong. Look here for more.

Q: How many homes can be supplied by each MW of wind power?
A: Each 1 MW wind generator that is properly sited in the Great Lakes Region will produce as much electricity each year as needed to serve the annual needs of about 220 to 300 average homes. Learn more here.

Q: How many wind generators are being planned for installation in the Great Lakes Region? A: Right now, the answer is a few thousand utility-scale wind generators that will each produce over 1 MW of electricity, when the wind blows strongly. There is no known source of data regarding the numbers of small wind energy systems in the Great Lakes, though. Learn more here.