There is a growing tendency on the part of European manufacturers in turbine sector to outperform each other in turbine height. The leading players in this field are
Nedwind, Tacke, Nordex, Carter, Bonus, Vestas, WindWorld, WindMaster as well as Nordtank with turbine height ranging up to 50 meters. For example one German company -Vestas has made towers touching 53 meters in height. One of the leader in turbine sector is company-Nordtank, peaking up at 63-meters height. San Gorgonio Pass in California has towers standing at a height of 49 meters at maximum.
Why height differs
Many experts in functioning of turbines say that 60 meter height is good for a region like Germany as well as deep forested regions of Europe. While in case of North America very tall towers are not necessary as per the observation of experts. However NREL (Non Renewable Energy Laboratory) has suggested a performance improvement to the tune of 50 % upon fixing wind turbines on tall towers.
Why tall towers
The average tower height for most of the wind turbines is 27-55 meters. In those locations where the wind flow is high, a tall tower is must, otherwise the turbine of average height range is OK. It has been found that if the height of tower is kept double of the usual value, an increase in performance up to 45 % is observed. Minnesota state in the America is the first in country to test the working efficiency of the tall towers. Department of Public Service in Minnesota is raising funds for anemometry studies on the towers of various heights up to 60 meters from ground. These studies shall bring a solid proof about the level of performance in case of wind turbines on tall towers.
Tall towers not meant for Britain
In Britain strong winds have been found blowing merely at height of 40 meters. Experts do not suggest need for tall towers for placing wind turbines in this part of Europe. In Wales the government is going to shorten the height of existing towers as it is causing public inconvenience due to various reasons. Obstructive nature of wind turbines to air traffic in some places and consequent monotonous landscape at other places is a matter of concern.
Performance vs Aesthetics
One important point upon which experts also express displeasure is the effect on the aesthetic image of a place by wind turbines and towers. The methods to prevent the obstruction in the air is to enable the of aircrafts to locate the towers easily. This may be done by marking the big towers in bold colours and strobe lights. However the big question is that - won't the natural landscape beauty of a place be affected badly by such marking?. Hence a balance needs to be stricken between the aesthetic quality of location and wind power technology.
