Dive Brief:
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Wind turbines in Iowa and Massachusetts soon could reach the same heights as those operating off-shore.
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Through a $2 million U.S. Department of Energy grant, engineers at two land-locked wind farms are exploring techniques to build the turbines on site or with lighter-weight materials to lower the cost and bulk of shipping.
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Offshore turbines reach as high as 400 feet from their base to the bottom of the blade. Onshore models average 260 feet tall.
Dive Insight:
The taller the tower and the bigger the blade, the more wind a turbine captures. “Through innovative construction processes that will cost-effectively manufacture taller wind turbine towers, these projects in Iowa and Massachusetts will help reduce the cost of wind energy and expand the geographic areas where wind turbines can successfully be deployed in the U.S.,” the DOE said in a news statement.
