# Windmill Power

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmill-power/244123>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 8, 2004, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmill-power/244123 "2004-05-08T02:05:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2004, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmill-power/244123/1 "2004-05-08T02:05:08Z")

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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

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**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2004, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmill-power/244123/2 "2004-05-08T03:32:49Z")

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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](http://www.awea.org/pubs/factsheets/EconomicsofWind-March2002.pdf)