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2010
Conference Paper
Titel
Small wind turbine market and performance in Germany
Abstract
Small wind turbines have an enormous potential for decentralized electricity generation. In recent years, there has been an increasing worldwide interest in small wind systems. But so far, there is no flourishing international market for small wind turbines. Among the reasons for this are high up-front costs, insufficient technological maturity, misleading product information, the complex non-transparent market and the poor performance of many small wind systems. Nevertheless, small wind projects can be successful. Key requirements for this are a solid assessment of the wind resource, a thoughtful selection of the turbine type as well as proper siting. Operational experience also shows that small wind turbines are not maintenance-free. In fact, observations of performance of small wind turbines in Germany reveal that regular maintenance and repair are crucial to obtain a good performance and a long life.