【New Energy Development】Power Generation in Low and Ultra-Low Wind Speed Conditions

To overcome the bottlenecks associated with grid connection, in the development of wind power, during the 12th Five-Year Plan period, the approach of \"building large-scale facilities and integrating them into the main power grid\" was replaced by a \"centralized + decentralized\" model. This involved developing wind farms in areas with low wind speeds, exploring the use of wind energy in conditions of extremely low wind speeds, and encouraging decentralized connections to the power grid. With changes in policy, many wind power developers and turbine manufacturers have adjusted their strategies, making the development of low-speed wind power one of the key development directions during the 12th Five-Year Plan period. Earlier analyses had suggested that, after categories 1 and 2 wind areas were largely exhausted, categories 3 and 4 wind areas have become the focus of new investment in the wind power industry. Over 50% of the wind energy that can actually be utilized in our country is found in wind zones of categories 3 and 4. At present, the area with low-wind-speed resources that can be utilized across the country accounts for approximately 68% of the total wind energy resource areas in the country, and these areas are located near the centers of electrical grid load. The development target for wind power capacity in areas with low wind speeds has also increased from less than 10% to 20%. Of the 100 million kilowatts of wind power capacity targeted under the 12th Five-Year Plan, 20 million kilowatts are intended for development in areas with low wind speeds. Since there were no existing technologies or products for ultra-low wind speeds, there were no corresponding metrics or projects in all forms of wind energy utilization, leaving a gap in this area. In fact, our country has a huge market for wind energy utilization in ultra-low wind speed conditions, namely in the five wind classification zones. That is, areas with annual wind speeds of 2–6 meters per second; category 5 wind zones cover large urban areas as well as 85% of the country’s total land area. Whether in urban areas or rural towns, they all fall into at least one of the five wind zones, and it is these five zones that have the greatest potential for wind energy utilization. There is great potential for generating wind power using wind speeds of 2–6 meters per second.

Taking current large-scale wind turbines as an example, they used to be of the 70 model (meaning the turbine’s rotor diameter was 70 meters); later, their size increased to 77 model, 82 model, 86 model, and now to the 93 model, which is capable of operating at wind speeds of 5.6 meters per second. But even in the near future, large wind turbines will be able to operate at wind speeds of 5.1 meters per second and 5.2 meters per second. When the diameter of the rotor in large wind turbines increases, they can operate at lower wind speeds, allowing for a higher number of hours of wind power generation per year. However, construction costs are also rising continuously, with even higher costs for infrastructure development. It is understood that the first batch of ultra-low wind speed generators produced by Suzhou Yunfeng New Energy Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. can start generating electricity normally even at wind speeds of less than 1.3 meters per second; they can effectively charge at wind speeds of 2.1 meters per second, and their power generation capacity can be more than doubled compared to that of conventional wind turbines. We have learned that these ultra-low wind speed turbines are produced by Suzhou Yuneng Electric Co., Ltd. This low-profile company’s technological breakthrough in this field is seen as likely to put an end to the history of being unable to effectively develop wind power in those areas with ultra-low wind speeds, which account for 85% of China’s wind resources. According to Suzhou Yunfeng New Energy Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd., the core technology of wind turbines that can operate at extremely low wind speeds relies on the company’s self-developed step-by-step clutch-based power generation technique. This technique is inspired by the clutch systems used in cars; it involves using step-by-step clutches in a wind turbine, so that only one-third or one-quarter of the turbine’s capacity is utilized when wind speeds are low. As the wind speed increases, the amount of power generated also increases, thereby enabling power generation at extremely low wind speeds as well as at higher wind speeds. This technology possesses entirely independent Chinese intellectual property rights, representing a true example of Chinese innovation in the wind power sector! Ultra-low wind speed wind turbines are suitable for areas where the average annual wind speed is 2–6 meters per second and where wind energy cannot be fully utilized by conventional wind turbines. If the average annual wind speed is 4.5 meters per second, then more than 7,000 standard hours of electricity generation can be achieved each year; such generation levels can be attained in the areas surrounding cities as well as in rural towns and villages across the country.

Alas... the future is bright, but the path is tortuous. Now, thermal power generation is being promoted, while wind power isn’t allowed to generate electricity and solar power isn’t allowed to be connected to the grid. Even if you manage to develop it, what then?