MAIN PUBLICATION :

• APPENDIX
• ABREVIATIONS
• GLOSSARY
• REFERENCES
• EVENTS

Costs

Wind farm costs are largely determined by two factors: the complexity of the site and the likely extreme loads.  The site may be considered complex if the ground conditions are difficult – hard rock, or very wet or boggy ground, for example – or if access is a problem.  A very windy site with high extreme loads will result in a more expensive civil infrastructure as well as a higher specification for the turbines.

The cost of the grid connection may also be important.  Grid connection costs are affected by:

• Distance to a suitable network connection point
• The voltage level of the existing network
• The network operator’s principles for charging for connections and for the use of the electricity system

Costs are covered in Part III: Economics of Wind.