Material Intensity of Growing Wind Turbines

This study evaluated the material intensity (i.e., the raw material requirements) of growing wind turbines by analyzing the correlation between wind turbine capacity and head weight. The research is based on a compositional evaluation of wind turbines using available literature and publicly available data. To determine the material intensity in relation to capacity, three best fit approximations, namely the average, linear, and power methods were utilized. The results show that as the capacity of wind turbines increases, so does the material intensity. However, further analysis suggests that in the 2–4 MW capacity range, the material intensity remained unchanged and might even decrease, while at larger capacities (6+MW) the material intensity clearly increases. The study emphasizes the importance of defining system boundaries and the need for a larger dataset to both improve accuracy and conduct further classifications. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the material intensity of wind turbines and highlights the potential impact of capacity growth on resource utilization.