# Wind Energy — The Complete Guide ## The Energy Codex · thecodex.expert/energy/wind/ **Last verified:** April 2026 | **Session:** 7 (2026-04-27) --- ## Key Facts | Metric | Value | Source | |--------|-------|--------| | Global wind capacity end 2023 | 2.1 TW | GWEC Global Wind Report 2024 | | New installed in 2023 | 117 GW | GWEC 2024 | | Share of global electricity | ~7% | IEA Renewables 2024 | | Lifecycle carbon | 11 g CO₂/kWh | IPCC AR6 | | Onshore LCOE | $27–73/MWh | Lazard LCOE 2024 | | Betz limit (theoretical max) | 59.3% | Betz 1919 | | Largest offshore farm | Hornsea Two, UK, 1,386 MW | Ørsted | --- ## Physics Power in wind: P = ½ρAv³ (power scales with cube of wind speed) Betz limit: maximum 59.3% of wind energy can be captured (Betz, 1919) Modern turbine efficiency: ~45–50% in ideal conditions Cut-in speed: ~3–4 m/s · Rated speed: ~12–14 m/s · Cut-out: ~25 m/s --- ## 3 Technology Types **Onshore wind:** Land-based, 2–6 MW turbines, 80–160m hub height. Cheapest. LCOE $27–73/MWh. **Offshore fixed:** Seabed-mounted, depths up to 60m. Stronger/more consistent winds. Higher cost $72–140/MWh. **Floating offshore:** Anchored platforms in deep water (>60m). Opens 80% of global offshore resources. Currently $150–250/MWh. --- ## World's 15 Largest Wind Farms (GPS from GEM Wind Power Tracker CC BY 4.0) | # | Name | Country | GPS | MW | Type | |---|------|---------|-----|----|------| | 1 | Gansu Wind Farm | China | 40.52°N 97.89°E | ~20,000 | Onshore | | 2 | Muppandal | India | 8.28°N 77.61°E | ~1,500 | Onshore | | 3 | Hornsea Two | UK | 53.90°N 1.60°E | 1,386 | Offshore | | 4 | Hornsea One | UK | 54.02°N 1.82°E | 1,218 | Offshore | | 5 | Dogger Bank A,B,C | UK | 54.69°N 2.09°E | 3,600 planned | Offshore | | 6 | Walney Extension | UK | 54.04°N 3.59°W | 659 | Offshore | | 7 | Alta Wind | USA | 34.95°N 118.54°W | 1,547 | Onshore | | 8 | Roscoe | USA | 32.44°N 100.60°W | 781.5 | Onshore | | 9 | Hywind Tampen | Norway | 61.22°N 2.09°E | 88 | Floating | | 10 | London Array | UK | 51.63°N 1.42°E | 630 | Offshore | | 11 | Greater Changhua | Taiwan | 24.18°N 119.79°E | 900 | Offshore | | 12 | Borssele 1&2 | Netherlands | 51.72°N 3.18°E | 752 | Offshore | | 13 | Sheringham Shoal | UK | 53.05°N 1.10°E | 317 | Offshore | | 14 | Jaisalmer Wind Park | India | 27.07°N 70.90°E | ~1,064 | Onshore | | 15 | Nakhon Ratchasima | Thailand | 15.25°N 101.95°E | 207 | Onshore | --- ## India Installed capacity: approximately 46 GW (March 2024) — world's 4th largest Key wind zones: Tamil Nadu (Muppandal), Rajasthan (Jaisalmer), Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh Government target: 500 GW total renewables by 2030 Offshore potential: approximately 70 GW along coastline (NIWE 2023) Largest onshore cluster: Jaisalmer Wind Park, Rajasthan, ~1,064 MW, Suzlon Source: MNRE India 2024 · NIWE 2023 --- ## Companies Vestas (Denmark): Founded 1945. World's largest wind manufacturer by cumulative capacity. 160+ GW installed globally. Siemens Gamesa (Spain/Germany): Formed 2017 merger. Makes Hornsea turbines. SG 14-236 DD = 14–15 MW, 236m rotor. GE Vernova (USA): Haliade-X 14–15 MW turbine. Used at Dogger Bank. Spun off from GE in 2024. Ørsted (Denmark): World's largest offshore wind developer. Transformed from oil/gas (DONG Energy) to wind 2012–2017. Suzlon Energy (India): Founded 1995 by Tulsi Tanti. India's largest wind company. 20,000+ MW installed in India. Equinor (Norway): Built world's first commercial floating wind farm (Hywind Scotland 2017, 30 MW). --- ## Pioneers Charles Brush (1849-1929): Built world's first automatic wind turbine in Cleveland, Ohio, 1888. 12 kW, operated 20 years. Poul la Cour (1846-1908): Danish scientist who discovered aerodynamic blade design in the 1890s. Father of modern wind energy. Albert Betz (1885-1968): Proved the 59.3% theoretical maximum efficiency limit in 1919. The Betz limit governs all wind turbine design. Tulsi Tanti (1957-2022): Founded Suzlon 1995. Built India's wind industry. 20,000+ MW installed. --- ## Costs Onshore: $27–73/MWh (Lazard 2024) · IRENA global average $33/MWh 2023 · 70% cost reduction since 2010 Offshore fixed: $72–140/MWh · Capacity factor 35–55% Floating offshore: $150–250/MWh currently Source: Lazard LCOE 2024 · IRENA 2023 --- ## Future (GWEC 2024 · IEA WEO 2024) GWEC target: 320 GW/year installation rate by 2030 (vs 117 GW in 2023) for 1.5°C pathway Total wind capacity needed: 8.1 TW by 2030, 8–10 TW by 2050 Offshore: 75 GW today → 500 GW by 2030 → 2,000 GW by 2050 Floating offshore: 0.1 GW today → 250 GW by 2035 (high scenario) Largest turbines: 14–15 MW commercially deployed (GE Haliade-X, Siemens SG 14-236) --- ## Sources GWEC Global Wind Report 2024 · IEA Renewables 2024 · IRENA 2023 · GEM Wind Power Tracker (CC BY 4.0) · WRI GPPD (CC BY 4.0) · Lazard LCOE 2024 · IPCC AR6 · NREL · MNRE India · NIWE India · Vestas AR 2023 · Siemens Gamesa AR 2023 · Ørsted AR 2023 · Suzlon AR 2023 · Energinet Denmark --- *The Energy Codex · thecodex.expert/energy/wind/ · Last verified April 2026* *Not advice · Disclaimer: thecodex.expert/energy/disclaimer/*