Wind energy technology has developed extremely rapidly, and many commercial wind turbines now on the market have capacity ratings of 1MW or more. Energy productivity per unit of rotor area has steadily improved. Turbine prices have decreased per unit capacity, so the cost of wind-generated electricity has fallen steadily. This paper examines the underlying reasons behind the changes in design, explores the economics of wind and discusses integration issues. It looks, finally, to further developments, including offshore wind energy.
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