Having just returned from vacation in Germany, I saw quite a number of these windmills dotting the German landscape. Many Germans oppose them calling the fields they are on “Asparagus Fields”. Reportedly, there are 16 thousand of these windmills and I was wondering how sensitive the blades are?
In essence, what I am asking is how fast a wind does it take to turn one of these blades?
Thanks
Q
My impression is that the windmills can turn in virtually any wind. The question is whether they can generate enough electricity to be profitable. There’s a certain average windspeed that a location must have in order for windmills to make financial sense. However, what speed that is drops constantly as new technologies become available. Discussion here:
http://www.awea.org/pubs/factsheets/EconomicsofWind-March2002.pdf