Where is wind energy found in India? Investing in wind turbines in less populated regions will reap rewards. Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, say that there are a number of promising locations for wind farms in India. Here are a few locations to look for. These include Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra. Read on to learn more about wind farms in these states!
Wind farms in Maharashtra
The State Industrial and Investment Corporation of Maharashtra (SEIC) has announced plans to develop and promote wind farms in the state. These projects will provide green energy to the state and are expected to generate up to 50 MW of electricity by the end of the financial year. The NEPC and SEIC will be promoting wind farms in the state, and the companies hope to sell the power produced to private clients. As of now, there are three Wind farms in Maharashtra, India.
The wind farms have prompted rapid improvements for the region. However, the loss of agricultural land has created a collective grief among the local population. As a result, the youth hesitate to choose a career in agriculture. However, most of them have at least one relative who is working in a wind or solar farm. In the area, the wind farms have created a new source of income for the owners. Despite these negative impacts, the economic growth of the area has been a positive one for the region.
Gujarat
Where is wind energy found in India? The answer is surprisingly vast and varied. India has a large amount of available wind, but only a fraction of it is used. Wind energy can be harnessed from offshore locations to generate electricity and heat, or used in buildings. The highest potential for wind energy is in Gujarat, where more than 90% of the wind energy potential is found. A study by Berkeley Lab found that the actual potential of wind energy in India is twenty to thirty times higher than the official estimates. Another study, the CSTEP, estimates India’s wind potential to be between 2161 and 2559 GW at 100 and 120 meters.
GE’s 2.7-132 wind turbine was designed specifically for Gujarat’s specific wind speed regime. It builds on the knowledge derived from more than 22,000 GE wind turbines installed worldwide. In 2017, Gujarat had ten WTGs with an average size of 200 kW. The wind turbines will generate around 87 GWh of green electricity annually, resulting in a significant reduction in the demand for coal and gas.
Andhra Pradesh
The answer to the question “Where is wind energy found in India?” is surprisingly varied. There is significant potential in the country and it is not limited to a specific region. Wind power has the ability to generate electricity on vast expanses of land. The National Institute of Wind Energy categorizes Indian wind resources into three tiers: Rank-1 is ‘waste land’, Rank-2 is ‘cultivated land’ and ‘forest land’. The report also shows that India’s wind power capacity increased by 5502 MW in 2018 – a percentage that is almost double what it is today.
Gujarat is home to the second-largest installed wind capacity in the country. In 2018, wind contributed around 19% of the total installed power generation capacity in Gujarat. Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu have the highest percentage of wind power in India, while Kerala is home to the fifth-largest installed wind power capacity in the country. In Rajasthan, wind contributes about 20% of total electricity generation.
Tamil Nadu
The government has provided incentives for wind power projects in Tamil Nadu, and these industries have taken advantage of the government’s support by setting up their own wind farms. Today, the textile industry alone owns 40% of the state’s wind farms. Meanwhile, dozens of research institutes, think tanks, and equipment manufacturers specialize in renewable energy. While new wind turbine technology promises to increase power production and decrease pollution, older windmill models are unsuitable for most sites and cannot produce much energy even in constant winds.
In Tamil Nadu, most wind turbines installed before 2000 are below 600 kW and have reached the end of their useful life. Repowering existing wind energy plants is a popular way to utilise existing wind sites and boost capacity utilization. However, repowering existing wind turbines is challenging, owing to a number of factors, including a lack of transmission infrastructure, structural feasibility, and interconnection process. While this may be the most viable option, it is not without its challenges.
Maharashtra
In rural areas, wind turbines can be seen growing in the paddy fields of India. These wind farms have both positive and negative impacts on local communities. In many cases, wind turbines are a positive influence on the environment, while the disadvantages may be less obvious. Farmers in rural areas say they like the new energy source because it’s cheaper to maintain. And, unlike solar farms, wind turbines are not as intrusive as solar ones.
Wind energy in India is widely available and has high potential. As India is the third largest energy consumer in the world, it is well positioned to meet this goal. During the ‘wind rush’ in India from 1994 to 1996, private investments soared tenfold. This boom was driven in part by tax incentives introduced by the Central Government. These incentives provided zero-tax planning opportunities for private investors. Today, the wind energy market in India has more than doubled, and more investment has been made than ever.
Karnataka
In North Karnataka, there is a belt conducive to wind farms. The states of Hiriyur, Chitradurga, Davangere, Belagavi, and Gadag all have the right climate to develop wind farms. In the early years, many people pooled their money and resources to own wind farms. The state’s current installed capacity of 6.8 GW of coal is also a factor.
While thermal energy still caters to about a third of the demand in the state, renewable energy is filling in the gaps. Wind energy in Karnataka has never faced a coal shortage, and solar energy capacity is growing rapidly. Meanwhile, wind power generation is still under-utilized and underappreciated compared to other sources of energy. It has the potential to grow to over 6800 MW, resulting in a significant employment boost in the state.