Offshore Wind Turbine Prices/ Cost-Benefit

 Are Wind Turbines Worth the Investment?: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Wind Turbines

Hannah Burkhardt, Virginia Tech

Among alternative energy strategies, wind energy evokes some of the most contradictory public opinion. Some concerns include interrupted scenic views, the potential for noise, impacts on wildlife, burdens on the community, or the cost. Decision-makers must consider how their constituents and future consumers will feel. In this article, I want to focus on the latter topic of that list: the cost-benefit analysis of wind energy. I will explore current costs regarding construction, consumer costs, and more, along with their benefits to local communities. 

                   

Before we begin, let’s investigate some essential vocabulary in how power or energy is measured in kilowatts (kW or 1000 Watts), megawatts (MW or 1 million Watts), and gigawatt (GW or 1 billion Watts). Figure 1. provides a useful representation of energy sources.

Figure 1. Units of energy and everyday examples

Currently, the industry is at a strange point where vast amounts of turbines are being decommissioned. This is due to the massive push made roughly twenty years for more renewable energy, which causes a lot of wind turbines to be installed. While finding an unbiased statistic for removal was difficult, Xcel Energy offered an estimate similar to other findings. They claim it would take $532,000 to fully decommission each of their land-based wind turbines, though they maintain that this is conservative (TMR),

Hannah Burkhardt: Offshore Wind Turbines

Offshore Wind Turbines: What are the Advantages and Disadvantages?

    The harnessing of wind power dates back to the earliest of sailboats, but how are we using it now? Wind turbines have been our most recent innovation towards renewable energy, specifically wind energy. A wind turbine is a set of blades attached to an extended base that turns the motion of the turning blades into usable energy by using natural wind (EERE). Currently, there are many shapes, sizes, types, and configurations of wind turbines, but one of the recent developments has been offshore wind farms.

    An offshore wind farm, or collection of wind turbines, is anchored in a body of water off the shoreline where winds are reliable and wind speeds are faster. The depths of where they are placed can vary, but generally, the deeper you go, the stronger the wind. Stronger winds and more energy aside, there are concerns about what they could mean for the environment. We'll explore these concerns and a possible solution.

Animal Impact

    Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of wind turbines is their effect on the wildlife around them, birds especially. Since the introduction of wind turbines, bird deaths have increased. An example of this can be found in a Belgian study when the wind turbines were new. The lower turbines tended to be deadlier since 14,000 bird deaths were reported for heights 0-15 meters. That data is consistent with onshore numbers (Everaert et al. 3350). Understandably, it is crucial to understand how many birds are affected and why. Having wind turbines offshore increases the chance that many bird deaths could go unreported due to the differing environment (Brey).

    As for aquatic life, the concerns are regarding added boat traffic and the extra noises and vibrations. As for any mechanism, repairs, and maintenance are expected. Unlike other wind turbines, offshore means that the only effective way to access them is by boat. Also known as vessel traffic, frequent ships in one area can be detrimental to wildlife, and the

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June 27, 2024 Tech Center Presentation

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