In recent years, wind energy development has experienced significant growth in the U.S. In fact, a record amount of wind energy was produced nationwide in 2016 — up nearly 20 percent from the previous year. This is a positive trend for the renewable energy space and its race to power a brighter, cleaner energy future.
But could it produce even more energy using the turbines already installed? Specifically, is wind energy performing at its fullest potential or could it be doing more?
Uptake explored the answers to these questions in its new report, out today: “Untapped Energy: How the U.S. Wind Industry Can Produce More Megawatts Without New Turbines.”
Though major strides have been made in wind energy, the fact remains that the industry is leaving a consequential amount of untapped energy on the table. Why? Because the performance and output of today’s turbines are greatly hindered by key issues like availability and downtime.
The report finds that the untapped energy of the current U.S. wind fleet is enough to power all of the homes in Chicago — Uptake’s hometown — for an entire year. From an environmental perspective, untapped availability and unnecessary downtime also prevent us from removing several million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere annually.
The report shines a light on advanced analytics as a solution that can make all of this a reality for the wind industry. How? By predicting and preventing problems before they occur, by maximizing the time turbines are available, and by ensuring they’re capable of generating as much energy as possible.
Learn how to tap into more wind power and the implications of doing so. Click below to download the full report.