Engineering360: "Wind Turbines Have Grown Taller, More Powerful"

In fact they have grown more than that, 7 and 8 megawatt capacity turbines have already been installed, 8 and 9.5 are being manufactured for installations or final agreements for same, - some of these models, if for higher wind speed sites, can be available with 10 meg generators, these bigger turbines are installed on higher towers, to look at the perspective, the cost of these monsters fell, from three years ago, to the middle of this year, 36%, it is claimed. However, to look at the factual dynamics, every 10% increase in Diameter, (not much extra in blade length in context) doubles the swept area, therefore the potential power of the turbine, - Plus every 1 metre increase in Tower height gives 1% (rule of thumb), increase in measured power (compounded) so it is not surprising that wind farms are saying that a 2 megawatt turbine does not produce twice as much as a 1 megawatt turbine, but more like 4 times as much, and as these graceful beauties loft higher and higher, the wind becomes not just faster, but more stable, and more continuous, as the resistance of the terrain below becomes not only less, but less important.

Meanwhile the technology is developing in leaps and bounds, reducing costs, reducing maintenance and downtimes, increasing electronic control capabilities and measurement, and currently not facing any major obstacle to getting bigger and bigger, cheaper and cheaper, better and better. - Watch out Nuclear, your time has gone.