Wind Power Generation Technology and Sustainable Development

Zhuoru Li

Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, 266237, Qingdao, China

Keywords: Wind Power Generation, New Energy, Energy Relationship, Economic Feasibility, Sustainable Development.

Abstract: With consumption of the world’s fossil energy, there is an increasingly sharp demand of new energy. Wind

energy is a renewable, pollution-free renewable source, and also is the orientation of future development.

This paper aims to find the connection between wind power and other energy, by analysing the feasibility of

technique and economy and sustainability of environment, to reach the sustainable development goal. This

paper finds that third-generation high-power wind turbine has three major features, namely multiple blades,

variable blade pitch angle, and variable speed control, and the single-unit capacity can reach 2-5 MW,

which means wind power technology has begun to be applied maturely. At the same time, with the

expansion of the wind power market, many governments coincide to implement various policy to stimulate

the wind power developing. They also try to solve the problem caused by wind turbine such as reasonable

site selection, noise reduction technology, and ultrasonic repelling. However, the application the wind

power still needs to solve technical barriers such as energy conversion efficiency and intermittent volatility.

In the future, it is important to settle the above problems through innovation of the technology and energy

integration so that human can achieve the wide application of generation by wind power and the goal of

sustainable development.

1 INTRODUCTION

Humanity has a growing demand in new energy

because of the consumption of fossil fuel. Wind

energy is a renewable, pollution-free new energy

source, which is the orientation of future

development. Although breakthroughs have been

made in wind energy technology, there are still some

problems, such as low energy conversion efficiency,

intermittency and fluctuation, and the impact of

wind turbines on surrounding environment.

Nowadays, China has already formed a

completely industrial chain, including wind turbine

manufacturing, wind farm construction, and wind

farm operation. China's wind power is mainly

distributed in the northwest and northern parts of the

country. Gansu, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia have

the largest installed wind power capacity. China is

trying to achieve their goal that the installed wind

power capacity to reach 600 billion watts by 2030,

accounting for 20% of the total power generation.

Because of the national policies, the wind power is

developing rapidly in China, and by the end of 2020,

the wind power installed capacity of China has

reached 281 million kilowatts, which is the highest

in the world (Geng, 2021). The Chinese government

tries to have more international cooperation, and

more connection to work with other countries and

regions to encourage to develop power by wind. For

example, China and the European Union have

signed the "Supporting the construction of

renewable generation in the EU and China", and the

two sides will cooperate in wind energy technology

and development, wind power construction, and

wind power operation and maintenance and other

parts (Monique, Shi and Zhong, 2020).

This paper analysed the main application

methods of wind power, the influence of wind power

generation on environment, and how to develop this

energy in the future in the background of China’s

goal on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality (Wang

and Zhang, 2020). First, start with the background of

wind energy, and introduce the principle of the

conversion from wind to electricity, also common

technologies and equipment, to explore the current

situation of wind power. Then, explore the market of

it, government’s policies, the feasibility of wind

power generation, and the influence on environment

Li, Z.

Wind Power Generation Technology and Sustainable Development.

DOI: 10.5220/0013847200004914

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Renewable Energy and Ecosystem (ICREE 2024), pages 97-102

ISBN: 978-989-758-776-4

and sustainable development. Finally, this paper

discusses the future and developing trend of the

wind generation, also analyse connection between

wind energy and other energy.

2 DEVELOPMENT AND

PRINCIPLE OF WIND POWER

GENERATION

2.1 History of Wind Power Generation

There are three stages of wind power generation.

The first generation appeared in the 1880s, and each

unit capacity of the wind turbines was small. In the

1990s, the development of the two-bladed wind

turbine technology made a step to the second stage

of wind power, and each unit capacity increased to

hundreds of kilowatts. After the 21st century, the

third generation came out, which equipped with

multiple blades, variable blade pitch angle, and

variable speed control technology, and each unit

capacity can reach 2-5 MW. Wind power technology

has begun to be applied maturely. The 2.5 MW wind

turbine used in Taizhou Wind Farm in China is a

typical third-generation wind turbine.

2.2 Source and Characteristics of Wind

Energy

The power of the wind comes from the sun. It is the

kinetic energy of air movement caused by uneven

solar radiation on the Earth's surface. The wind

speed depends on the difference of the air pressure,

with molecules moving from high-pressure to

low-pressure areas, creating wind. Regions with

higher wind speeds are mainly found in the ocean,

coastal areas, and some high-altitude areas. China's

northwest, northeast, coastal regions, and other areas

have abundant wind energy resources (Chen, 2023).

Wind energy has three main characteristics: (i)

Wind power generation is friendly to environment.

During process of the wind to generate electricity,

carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases will not be

released, so there is a small impact on the

environment. (ii) Wind power generation is

renewable. It relies on the natural circulation of wind

and does not deplete. (iii) The wind energy is

predictable. Through collected meteorological data

and forecasting technology, wind energy generation

can be reasonably predicted.

2.3 Principle of Wind Energy

Conversion

The kinetic energy of the wind drives the impeller in

wind turbine to rotate, and this rotation of the

impeller drives the rotor of the generator through the

main shaft. According to the law of electromagnetic

induction, when there is relative motion between the

generator rotor and the stationary sub winding, an

electromotive force is generated between them.

After rectified and converted, it can be output and

transmitted to the grid, and finally converted into the

form of electricity needed by consumers. Larger

diameter wind turbine rotors rotate slower at the

same wind speed, but capture more wind energy

(Ren, 2023).

There are three steps of wind energy conversion:

(i) The first step is the capture of wind energy. Wind

energy can be captured by wind turbines, which

usually consist of a rotating rotor and a stable

generator. When the wind passes through rotor, the

wind’s horizontal kinetic energy is converted to

rotational kinetic energy of the rotor. (ii) Then, the

rotor is rotating. When the wind blows over the rotor

of a wind turbine, the wind exerts a force on the

blades, generating torque. This torque initiates the

rotation of the rotor (Li, Liu and Tan, 2021). (iii) In

the end, kinetic energy is converted into electricity.

The rotational kinetic energy is converted into

electrical energy by the generator. It contains

conducting wires and magnetic fields, and the rotor

makes the wire cut the magnetic field lines, result in

electromagnetic induction. The current generated by

this process is output through the conducting wires

to form usable electrical energy.

According to the principle of wind power

generation, it can be concluded that the biggest

challenge is to find ways to improve the efficiency

of wind energy capture. To solve this problem,

research can be conducted in several directions: (i)

Research can be conducted on the design of wind

turbine blades to improve their aerodynamic

efficiency, so that wind energy can be captured more

effectively. (ii) Optimize the location selection of

wind power plants. Through the interdisciplinary

approach of meteorology, find the places where the

most wind energy can be captured to build plants,

thereby increasing the utilization efficiency of wind

energy. (iii) Improve the efficiency of generators.

Choosing more efficient generator types, such as

permanent magnet synchronous generators and

doubly fed induction generators, can improve the

quality and quantity of electricity. Optimizing the

generator control system, such as maximum power

ICREE 2024 - International Conference on Renewable Energy and Ecosystem

point tracking control and variable pitch control, can

improve the power generation efficiency.

3 CLASSIFICATION OF WIND

POWER GENERATION

TECHNOLOGIES AND

EQUIPMENT

3.1 Offshore Wind Power Generation

Offshore wind power generation (OWPG), is a wind

power plant built near the sea, usually was built on

the continental shelf. OWPG can capture the energy

of the wind with higher velocity than onshore wind

power generation, so it can convert more energy to

electricity. Two common types of offshore wind

power equipment are horizontal-axis wind turbines

and floating wind turbines. Horizontal-axis turbines

are the most common. They are designed to be more

robust to cope with harsh offshore environmental

conditions. Offshore wind turbines are much bigger

than onshore wind turbines, they are equipped with

longer blades and taller towers to capture more wind

energy. Offshore floating wind turbines are a new

technology in wind power generation. It can

generate wind power in deep water areas by

installing wind turbines on floating platforms at sea.

Floating wind turbines can be developed more

flexibly in deep waters (Liu, Gao and Xue, 2020).

3.2 Onshore Wind Power Generation

Onshore wind power refers to wind farms built on

land, utilizing specific technologies and equipment.

Here are some of the features and common

equipment for onshore wind power generation: (i)

Horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) is the most

common onshore wind generation technology. It is

composed of a large rotating blade mounted on a

horizontal axis, which drives a generator to generate

electricity by rotating. Onshore wind turbines are

typically installed on tall towers to access stronger

winds. (ii) Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWT)

have large rotating blades mounted on a vertical

shaft. They generate electricity by turning the shaft

to drive a generator. Unlike HAWT, VAWT can

capture wind from multiple directions, making them

suitable for complex wind farm environments. The

structure of the VAWT is simple and VAWT is easy

to maintain and repair. In small-scale wind power

systems, VAWT are better suited for urban or

building environments due to their ability to handle

frequent wind direction changes. However, VAWT

cannot capture as much wind energy as HAWT and

are less efficient in conversion. Overall, VAWT

offer an alternative approach to wind power

generation compared to traditional HAWT. They

have specific advantages in certain applications and

can be part of a diversified wind energy generation

system.

4 MARKET AND

SUSTAINABILITY OF WIND

POWER GENERATION

4.1 Global Wind Power Market

The wind power market of the world witnessed a

significant increase over the past few decades and

wind power now has become a major element of the

renewable energy sector. The growing demand for

energy, government support for renewable energy,

and breakthrough in technology lead to the growth

of the wind power market. Based on the

International Energy Agency (IEA), the global

installed wind power capacity increased from around

17 GW in 2000 to approximately 743 GW in 2020,

representing a more than a 40-fold increase

(Electricity Market Report, 2023). Concurrently,

wind power generation has been increasing its

proportion in the global electricity generation.

4.2 Government Policies and Support

Mechanisms

Support of the government in policy plays an

extremely important role in the wind power market.

Many countries have implemented various incentive

methods, such as subsidy schemes, tax breaks,

preferential policies, and renewable portfolio

standards, to enable a better development of wind

energy. These policies and measures can spend less

expenditure on wind power generation and provide a

stable investment environment. Examples include

the Feed-in Tariff scheme in Germany and the

Production Tax Credit (PTC) and Investment Tax

Credit (ITC) in the United States (Feed-in, 2009).

4.3 Economic Viability and

Competitiveness

With the technological advancements, wind power

generation has made significant progress in terms of

economic viability and competitiveness. According

Wind Power Generation Technology and Sustainable Development

to the International Renewable Energy Agency

(IRENA), the cost of wind power in the whole world

has declined by approximately 70% over the past

decade. This has made wind power increasingly

competitive with conventional energy sources in

regions with suitable wind resources. Additionally,

the sustainability advantages of wind power over

fossil fuels enhances its long-term viability.

Nowadays, in addition to wind energy, two

common renewable energy generation technologies

are solar power and hydroelectric power. The cost of

solar power has significantly decreased in recent

years, but its efficiency is highly dependent on

sunlight duration and weather conditions. Wind

power costs are also decreasing, and its efficiency is

less affected by wind speed. Overall, wind power is

economically competitive with solar power, but in

regions with abundant wind resources, wind power

demonstrates a more pronounced economic

advantage. Hydropower is a mature renewable

energy source with high generation efficiency, but

its construction cost is high, and it is greatly limited

by water resources and terrain conditions. Wind

power has relatively lower construction costs and

fewer geographical restrictions. Generally, wind

power has an economic advantage over hydropower,

particularly in regions with abundant wind

resources. In comparison to wind energy, traditional

coal and gas power generation have lower costs but

result in significant emissions of carbon dioxide and

other pollutants. Nuclear power, on the other hand,

is a traditional non-renewable energy source with

lower generation costs, but it poses safety risks and

has challenges associated with nuclear waste

disposal. Overall, the economic competitiveness of

wind power is continuously improving. Compared to

other renewable and non-renewable energy sources,

wind power is gradually demonstrating its

advantages. With technological advancements,

policy support, and increased environmental

awareness, wind power has enormous development

potential and will play an increasingly important role

in the global energy landscape.

4.4 Environmental Impact and

Sustainability

Wind power generation offers environmental

benefits due to its clean, renewable, and predictable

characteristics: (i) Wind power generation does not

produce greenhouse gases or other pollutants during

operation, as wind turbines do not burn any fuel

during electricity generation. Therefore, wind power

is good for the environment. (ii) Aeolian energy

generation can decrease the dependence on fossil

fuels. Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources, and

their use releases greenhouse gases and other

pollutants. (iii) Wind power generation farms do not

need much space to construct. Wind turbines require

a relatively small land area to generate a significant

amount of electricity.

At the same time, wind power generation also

has some drawbacks: (i) Wind turbines can have a

visual impact on the landscape. For example, in

some mountainous or coastal areas, wind turbines

may disrupt the natural scene. To mitigate the visual

impact of wind power, wind turbines should be sited

away from densely populated areas and important

ecological areas, especially near national parks or

nature reserves. (ii) Wind turbines can generate

noise. For example, in the vicinity of some wind

farms, people may be disturbed by the noise

generated by wind turbines. The noise from wind

turbines mainly comes from the rotating blades and

mechanical transmission systems. To reduce the

noise impact of wind power, wind turbine

manufacturers are continuously developing

low-noise wind turbines. Some wind turbine

manufacturers have developed wind turbines that

can reduce noise to below 40 decibels. (iii) Wind

turbines can pose risks to some animals. For

example, birds and bats may collide with wind

turbine blades and die, and bats may be disturbed by

the acoustic waves generated by wind turbines,

affecting their feeding and roosting. To reduce the

impact of wind power on birds and bats, wind

turbine manufacturers and wind farm operators can

take measures to protect birds and bats, such as

installing bird and bat deterrent devices. Some wind

turbine manufacturers have developed wind turbines

that can emit ultrasonic waves to deter birds and

bats.

Overall, wind power generation has a low

environmental impact and is a sustainable form of

energy.

5 FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

TRENDS OF WIND POWER

GENERATION

5.1 Technological Innovations and

Trends

Technological innovation in aeolian energy

generation is a key factor in its future development.

With the continuous advancement of technology,

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aeolian energy generation technology is also

constantly evolving and improving. The following

are some trends in wind power generation

technology innovation: (i) Continuous technological

advancements to improve the design of wind

turbines, to increase the efficiency and reliability.

For example, traditional horizontal axis wind

turbines have evolved to have larger rotor diameters

and higher tower heights to utilize higher wind

speed layers and reduce aerodynamic losses. In

addition, new types of wind turbines such as

VAWT, floating wind turbines, and deep-water wind

turbines have also been researched and applied to a

certain extent (Wang, 2024). (ii) The application of

artificial intelligence and digital technologies brings

higher levels of automation, data analysis

capabilities, and operation and maintenance

efficiency to wind power generation. For example,

wind farm monitoring systems can monitor the

situation and performance of wind turbines in any

time and do predictive maintenance, thereby

improving the reliability and maintenance efficiency

of wind turbines (Li, 2019). (iii) The development of

energy storage technology is very important in

enhancing the reliability and viability of wind power

generation. By combining wind power generation

and energy storage technology, it is possible to solve

the problems of mismatch in grid load demand and

wind speed fluctuations. Energy storage

technologies such as battery storage, pumped hydro

storage, and thermal storage systems can store wind

energy when wind speeds are low or too high, and

release it when needed. (iv) In addition to onshore

wind power generation, the offshore technology also

plays a vital role in the future development

directions. Offshore wind power has more stable

wind resources and greater development potential. In

addition, high-altitude areas, offshore islands, and

areas far from the grid are also potential wind power

generation sites.

5.2 Relationship Between Wind Power

Generation and Other Energy

Forms

The relationship between wind energy and other

energy sources is mainly reflected in the following

aspects: (i) Wind energy is complementary to other

energy sources. Wind energy is an intermittent

energy source, that means the output of this type of

generation is directly influenced by wind velocity,

resulting in its inherent variability. Therefore, wind

power generation needs to be complemented by

other energy sources, for instance, hydropower,

thermal power, nuclear power, to maintain the

stability in the operation of the grid. (ii) Wind

energy also competes with other energy sources. As

the cost of wind power generation continues to

decrease, it is increasingly vying for market share

against other renewable energy sources such as

thermal power and nuclear power. (iii) Wind energy

can also be developed in synergy with other energy

sources. For example, the combination of the aeolian

energy and solar energy is robust to form a

complementary energy system. Aeolian energy

generation can also be combined with energy storage

technology to solve the intermittency problem of

wind power generation.

6 CONCLUSION

Energy progress is an essential part of human

development, and aeolian energy plays a crucial role

in settling climate change problems and achieving

energy transformation. After decades of

development, the efficiency of wind energy

conversion has been continuously improving, and

the capacity of wind power has also been increasing,

making wind energy a technically feasible

alternative energy source. At the same time, wind

power generation has also shown great potential in

the market and sustainability aspects. Governments

around the world are implementing policies that

foster the advancement of wind energy, which has

contributed to the expansion of the global wind

power market. But wind power generation also has

certain shortcomings. The energy conversion

efficiency is an issue that needs to be urgently coped

with in the future. In addition, wind power

generation can cause noise, visual impact, and

hinder the life of flying animals, which is subject to

site selection. Finally, the future development of

wind power generation needs to focus on

technological innovation and the connection with

other energy forms. Through technological

innovation, the wind energy conversion efficiency

will be further improved, and the intermittency and

volatility of wind power generation will be solved.

Finding a way to closely connect wind energy with

other energy sources will promote the mixed use of

energy and the coordinated development of energy

systems, and realize the stable supply of sustainable

energy. In summary, wind power generation has

great potential in the future energy field, but it also

faces technical and economic challenges to achieve

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101

the widespread application and sustainable

development goals of wind power generation.

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