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Real power

📘 Theory

While the theoretical wind power represents the maximum kinetic energy available in the wind, in real-world conditions a wind turbine can only convert a portion of that energy into usable electricity. This is due to various losses and limitations, including:

  • The Betz Limit (physical limit of aerodynamic efficiency),
  • Mechanical and electrical losses (friction, gearbox, generator inefficiencies),
  • Environmental factors (turbulence, blade soiling, temperature effects),
  • Suboptimal wind conditions (variable wind speeds, wind shear).

To estimate the actual usable electrical power, we apply an overall efficiency factor to the theoretical wind power.

📐 Formula

The estimated actual power output is calculated using:

\[ P_{\text{actual}} = \eta \cdot \left( \frac{1}{2} \cdot \rho \cdot A \cdot v^3 \right) \]