It may seem simple to compare wind turbines by their rated power, which is normally specified by the manufacturer as the maximum power the turbine will produce (e.g. 15-20kW). This however is often not the best comparison, as what really matters is the energy that the wind turbine will generate each year, which is a factor of many different things..
Why choose a Gaia?
The rotor diameter and swept area are a better measure of a wind turbine’s capability, rather than it’s generator rating, as its the swept area of the rotor, and not the generator’s size, that captures the winds energy.
The Gaia 11kW Wind Turbine has a rotor diameter of 13m, giving a total swept area of 133 sq meters, which is twice that of most competitors turbines [To read more about blade size and swept area, please click here]. This is what gives the Gaia its exceptional energy generation capabilities, even at low to moderate wind speeds.
The vast majority of the wind in Northern Ireland is well below 7.5 m/s.
(See here). This is where the Gaia 11kW Wind Turbine makes more power than its competitors, even out-performing other 20kW machines!
Estimated Annual Yield
The Gaia-Wind turbine is configured to give an optimal yield in moderate wind speed sites i.e. those with an annual average wind speed in the range of 4.5- 8.0 m/s. As such it complements the wind conditions found in many rural areas of UK & Ireland.
Avg. Wind Speed
Gaia 11kw
Terrain
4.5 m/s
19,000
Villages, small towns, woods or
agricultural
areas with many high hedges
5.5 m/s
30,000
Agricultural areas with some
windbreaks and
some buildings
6.5 m/s
40,000
Open landscape with few buildings
and no windbreaks
Gaia Power Curve
The graph below shows the typical power produced (in Watts) for the Gaia 11kW at different wind speeds. This turbine is very much at the serious end of the spectrum. Assuming you have a viable wind resource (> 5 m/s), this wind turbine will offset as much as 16 tonnes of CO2 per year, equivalent to the entire energy consumption of a family home.
