Large Wind Turbine

Rated output power of a wind turbine

The rated output power (rated power, power rating, nominal output) of a wind turbine is declared for a particular rated wind speed (nominal wind speed). As power varies directly with the cube of wind speed, the rated power of a wind turbine varies significantly with the wind speed at which the rate power is stated.

A larger or a smaller generator can be fitted to turbine rotors of the same construction and diameter. Therefore two wind turbines of the same rotor construction and diameter may have rather different rated power values, depending on whether the turbine is designed for higher wind speed locations (fitted with a larger generator) or for lower wind speed locations (fitted with a smaller generator).