Wind Energy

Commercial grade wind in Missouri is concentrated in the northwest corner of the state where four wind farms developed by Wind Capital produce electricity purchased by Associated Electric Cooperative, which provides power to Missouri's 43 electric cooperatives. Much of the rest of the state simply doesn't have enough consistent wind at a high enough speed to produce reliable power.

Nevertheless, there's a lot of interest in wind power in Missouri and so here's some background on wind systems. A wind system uses the force of the wind to turn a windmill, which turns a generator, thus producing power. To begin producing power, you need a wind speed of 10-12 mph. Note, this is just to begin producing power—just because it is turning does not mean anything useful is being produced. To produce any kind of significant power on a sustained basis, you need an average wind speed of at least 25 mph. Few places in Missouri have this kind of wind. See the wind map as an example.

Wind systems come in all shapes and sizes. Some are the traditional pole- mounted propeller type. Others spin horizontally. Because of moving parts, parts will wear over time, and some maintenance will be greater than with a solar system.

In addition, depending on the rotational speed, harmonic vibration is common. So, installing a wind generator away from a house, or houses, is recommended. Finally, the height of installation is critical. The ideal installation will have 360-degree access to clear air. Trees, buildings, hills and other structures can all cause wind turbulence, which will degrade the amount of wind actually reaching the generator’s blades.

For More Information

For details about Missouri's wind capacity, go to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Division of Energy. The U.S. Department of Energy also has a useful wind site that includes a 50-meter wind map for Missouri.