2. Offshore Wind Farms

As mentioned previously, the size of wind turbines varies based on their function. Taller wind turbines yield to higher electricity production because of less turbulence the higher the altitude. Offshore wind farms (a collection of several wind turbines off the coast) have higher chances for greater production because of stronger coastal winds. They can be connected to a grid and can produce several megawatts (Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, n.d.). Figure 2, provided by the National Renewal Energy Laboratory, demonstrates wind speed potential off the coast of the US mainland at 90 meters altitude.

Figure 2: Wind speeds at 90 meters altitudes (National Renewal Energy Laboratory, n.d.)

For North Carolina, the average wind speed is near 8.0-8.5 m/s, thus favoring for development of offshore wind farms. While many would favor for the development, local shop owners who depend on tourism worry for the growth of these wind farms as they can ruin the aesthetic view of beaches and drive tourists away. The following post will delve into more recent research on developing offshore wind turbines and how it can worsen the aesthetics.