Wind turbines are getting bigger, statistics from two major markets confirm

Wind turbines are being built taller every year and with larger rotor diameters. New statistics from the United States and the German market demonstrate this. Larger and more powerful turbines are advantageous for use in locations with less favourable wind conditions. 

Trends in the production of wind turbines have been evident in recent years. Wind turbines are getting bigger year by year, both in terms of tower height and rotor diameter. Both trends can be observed in two of the world’s largest markets for wind power construction.

The average installed capacity of a turbine in the US was 2.15 MW last year, an increase of 11 % compared with the average over the previous five years. The average turbine rotor diameter grew slightly more, by a total of 13 % to 108 metres. By comparison, in 2008 none of the US turbines had a rotor diameter greater than 100 metres. Last year, 97 % did.

Turbines designed for sites with lower wind speeds are also being deployed much more widely. While in 1999 the average wind power density for new turbines stood at 394 W/m², it has now fallen to as low as 233 W/m² for average turbines.

Although the statistics mentioned come from the United States, similar growth can also be seen in Europe, particularly in Germany, whose market can be considered relatively representative given the volume of capacity installed each year.

The following infographic from Stromvergleich.com shows the specific increase in turbine size.

The comparison shows that significantly larger wind turbines were built in Germany in 2016, both in terms of capacity and tower height. The difference in tower height is particularly noticeable. While the average in the US is 83 metres, it was 128 metres in Germany. Tower height is one of the parameters that has virtually stagnated for new turbines in the US.