With today’s wind turbines, their life expectancy is 20 years. The greatest peril they are exposed to is lightning strikes (CA being an exception). Average blade cost is $150k, providing it’s available in the US. Most units going in the ground today are able to use domicile blades. After that, the next biggest cost is a gear box replacement, that’s $400k. Plus or minus, that includes the cost of a crane. If the parts are available, down time is a week on the high end. Other items that fail is the main bearing and main shaft $15k ish each, then the generator $50- $75k. These component failures depend on the model and mfg which really doesn’t answer you question but I’ve heard of entire fleet of Vestas V47’s having their generators replaced in under a 5 year period, other model generators run fine.
Other items that impact the failure rate or down time is the type of turbine, i.e., if they’re asynchronous or synchronous. Asynchronous is more common (GE, Suzlon, Siemans) and has to convert DC to AC, Synchronous (EWT, Clipperwind) can dump into the grid without converting. Synchronous are typically more expensive, because the size of the magnets so though they’re supposed to be less failure rates, when they do go down, component cost is higher.
I used the Clipperwind model because I know they make a 2.5 machine, Suzlon uses a 2.1…so I couldn’t think of another 2.5 machine. GE’s most popular is a 1.5, but there’s plenty out there and they ALL have issues. The problem with these issues is trying to underwrite for the Equipment Breakdown losses because none of the mfg’s are willing to give out warranty claim information, unless they are looking for an insurance carrier to support the warranty information, and even then, it’s like pulling teeth.
When you talk about getting into the power grid, I agree, that is a problem for the utility companies. The Dakota’s are labeled the Saudi of Wind, problem is, they currently lack the grid infrastructure. FERC (Fed. Energy Reg Comm) is working on that, and part of the recent energy bills which has some major dollars.
But I do have one question, if you stick a piece of pizza on a pole, in front of your ‘fat kids on a bicycle driving generators’ will they produce more electricity in the short run or will they just explode in a cloud of flab, like in Monty Python’s restaurant scene when he had ‘just one more mint.’
For those of you following this thread, know after I read Mountain Powder Sluts recent post, this post was intended as an example of the silver tongued devils he refers to in his post, which, in theory, I agree with, which I hope never materializes.
Other items that impact the failure rate or down time is the type of turbine, i.e., if they’re asynchronous or synchronous. Asynchronous is more common (GE, Suzlon, Siemans) and has to convert DC to AC, Synchronous (EWT, Clipperwind) can dump into the grid without converting. Synchronous are typically more expensive, because the size of the magnets so though they’re supposed to be less failure rates, when they do go down, component cost is higher.
I used the Clipperwind model because I know they make a 2.5 machine, Suzlon uses a 2.1…so I couldn’t think of another 2.5 machine. GE’s most popular is a 1.5, but there’s plenty out there and they ALL have issues. The problem with these issues is trying to underwrite for the Equipment Breakdown losses because none of the mfg’s are willing to give out warranty claim information, unless they are looking for an insurance carrier to support the warranty information, and even then, it’s like pulling teeth.
When you talk about getting into the power grid, I agree, that is a problem for the utility companies. The Dakota’s are labeled the Saudi of Wind, problem is, they currently lack the grid infrastructure. FERC (Fed. Energy Reg Comm) is working on that, and part of the recent energy bills which has some major dollars.
But I do have one question, if you stick a piece of pizza on a pole, in front of your ‘fat kids on a bicycle driving generators’ will they produce more electricity in the short run or will they just explode in a cloud of flab, like in Monty Python’s restaurant scene when he had ‘just one more mint.’
For those of you following this thread, know after I read Mountain Powder Sluts recent post, this post was intended as an example of the silver tongued devils he refers to in his post, which, in theory, I agree with, which I hope never materializes.
