Investigating the Effect of Large Wind Farms on Energy in the Atmosphere

Magdalena R. V. Sta. Maria and Mark Z. Jacobson
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Magdalena R. V. Sta. Maria: Atmosphere/Energy Program, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035, USA
Mark Z. Jacobson: Atmosphere/Energy Program, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035, USA

Energies, 2009, vol. 2, issue 4, 1-23

Abstract: This study presents a parameterization of the interaction between wind turbines and the atmosphere and estimates the global and regional atmospheric energy losses due to such interactions. The parameterization is based on the Blade Element Momentum theory, which calculates forces on turbine blades. Should wind supply the world’s energy needs, this parameterization estimates energy loss in the lowest 1 km of the atmosphere to be ~0.007%. This is an order of magnitude smaller than atmospheric energy loss from aerosol pollution and urbanization, and orders of magnitude less than the energy added to the atmosphere from doubling CO 2 . Also, the net heat added to the environment due to wind dissipation is much less than that added by thermal plants that the turbines displace.

Keywords: wind energy; atmosphere; atmospheric energy loss (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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