Energy systems dominated by wind can have significant day-to-day power variations. One solution may be low-wind turbines with oversized rotors, as they also produce power at low wind speed when conventional turbines stand still. But is it cost-efficient to reduce power variations by increasing the rotors of wind turbines compared to other energy balancing measures?

Hodel et al. (2024), use a North European energy system model to study how flexibility measures, such as grid-scale battery storage, compete against low-wind turbines. They find that using low-wind turbines to reduce power variation is not a one-size-fits-all solution— it depends on the context of the energy system. However, reducing power variability with low-wind turbines can be cost-efficient in regions with good offshore wind resources. Combining conventional and low-wind turbines can further mitigate the drawbacks of each design and create the most cost-efficient system.

Hodel, Henrik, Lisa Göransson, Peiyuan Chen, and Ola Carlson. 2024. “Which Wind Turbine Types Are Needed in a Cost‐optimal Renewable Energy System?” Wind Energy, February, we.2900. https://doi.org/10.1002/we.2900.