wind turbine towers: height and Types

The same small turbine can increase its power output by 30% or more if the height of its tower is 30m/100 feet instead of 18m/60 feet.

The turbine towers are an important element of any wind system (except in the experimental urban micro-wind systems). Wind speed increases sharply with the tower height, causing a major increase in the electricity output of the system.

Mega turbine towers

Wind Mega Turbine The mega turbines towers of the wind farms are made of tubular steel, and are rather standardized, though their height depend on specific site conditions.

In the Texan Snyder Wind project, in Scurry County, the 21 Vestas V90 3.0 megawatt wind turbines are mounted on 345 feet (104 m) towers, because the better wind conditions are at that height. That's a record, but usually the height of the towers and the dimensions and capacity of the turbines are intrinsically associated.

Micro turbine towers

As expected, micro turbines dispense complex or tall towers. Towers are most of the time just a mere pipe of 2” diameter or less.

Small turbine towers

The case of small wind systems (more than a 1KW) is less simple, with several types of towers and different heights and configurations: guyed towers and non-guyed towers, cylindrical/pipe and lattice configurations, etc.

Their installation should be done...

- far enough of obstructions, and on the top or on windy hill sides: see Wind Turbines Location;
- with enough room to raise and lower the tower for maintenance and stabilization.

Guyed small cylindrical Towers

Many small wind turbines use narrow pole towers (pipe, tubing) supported by guy wires. It’s a cheap solution, though with some disadvantages: they aren't easy climbable (for inspections or repairs) and require more land than self-supporting towers, due to the guy wires.

Non-guyed cilyndrical towers

Non-guyed tilt-up/cylindrical towers use pipe or tubing and a self-supporting design. They do not use guy wires and have a small footprint. These towers can include climbing pegs but are a relatively expensive type of tower.

Lattice configuration

Lattice towers use welded steel profiles and are a cheap and tested solution. Most lattice towers aren’t guyed, but there are also guyed configurations: three legged lattice structures suspended on all three sides by guy wires. They are usually climbable.

How to calculate the optimum height of a small wind tower

The height of a small turbine tower should take into account the height of the surrounding obstacles: to attain maximum efficiency, the height of the tower should allow the bottom of the turbine blades to be 10 meters (30 feet) or more above the top of any obstacle within 100 meters/300 feet of the tower.

However, the tower height depends also on the turbine model and characteristics. Towers and wind turbines are often supplied together, and manufacturers demand their turbines to be mounted on their towers.

Local and state rules

Local rules may impose height restrictions to wind towers: rules imposing maximums of 30 or 40 feet / 9-12 meters are common, which may have a negative impact on the electric power generated by wind turbines. Pay attention to local rules.