• : I'mnovation
    Imnovation
      • Startups
      • esp
      • eng
    • Energy
    • Construction
    • Water
    • dt Created with Sketch. Digital Transformation
    • st Created with Sketch. Science & Technology
    • Society
    • SUSCRÍBETE A NUESTRA RSS
      • Startups
      • esp
      • eng
  • Home
  • Energy
  • Wind energy repowering
Previous Next
  • Wind Energy Repowering: Wind Turbines Come of Age

    After proving their worth over several decades, a new generation of wind turbines is now replacing existing installations with more powerful and efficient units.

In the animal kingdom, creatures like lobsters regularly shed their exoskeletons as they grow. Similarly, snakes shed their skin as they age. Wind energy has undergone a comparable transformation over the past few decades, both in terms of total energy production and the performance of wind turbines. As turbines have increased in size and power, wind energy has essentially been “shedding its skin.” This process of adapting wind farms to accommodate the latest generation of machines is known as repowering, and in this article, we will break down everything you need to know.

In this article you will find the following topics:

  • What is repowering
  • When is the best time to repower
  • What are the main advantages of repowering?
  • The case of El Cabrito: how to do more with much less

This is how it works

Do you like what you see? Download the PDF here

What is wind repowering?

Simply put, repowering involves replacing existing wind turbines at a wind farm with more advanced models that are larger and more powerful, typically after a certain period of time has passed since the initial installation. The concept of repowering is gaining traction as wind farms age and wind turbine technology continues to make significant leaps forward since the first installations in the 1980s.

If Moore's Law applies to microchips—where the number of transistors doubles every two years—wind turbines follow a similar trend. Every five years, they increase in power, size, and height by 50% to 100%. For example, while a standard wind turbine in 1980 produced 50 kW with a diameter of 15 meters and a height of 24 meters, today's latest-generation turbines can generate up to 20 MW, with diameters of 200 meters and heights reaching 250 meters.

Beyond just power, modern wind turbines benefit from better materials, more advanced electronics, and improved aerodynamics, leading to greater efficiency. But when is the best time to upgrade a wind farm?

The best candidates for repowering

Several factors should be considered when deciding to repower, beyond just legal aspects such as regulatory changes:

  • Age of wind turbines: Typically, a wind turbine has a useful life of 25 to 30 years, but it isn't always necessary to wait until the end of this life cycle to consider repowering. In many cases, turbines have been fully amortized after ten years, making it more logical to replace them with newer, more advanced machines.
  • Capacity and efficiency: If existing turbines have low power or efficiency compared to current technologies, repowering can significantly boost energy production. Generally, this applies to turbines with a capacity of less than 750 kW.
  • Location and site conditions. Wind farms located in areas with optimal wind conditions can benefit greatly from installing more modern turbines. Typically, the first wind farms in a country are in the best locations, making them ideal candidates for repowering.

Overall, the most suitable countries for this strategy are those with older wind turbine fleets. In Europe, Denmark, Spain, and Portugal are prime examples, with average turbine ages exceeding twelve years. Repowering is already a fairly common practice across Europe, where 170 wind farms have been repowered to date.

Ten advantages of repowering

Considering the points above, the benefits of repowering are clear. Here are the top ten advantages:

  1. More energy production using the same or less land area, thanks to the introduction of new machines.
  2. Increased energy output with fewer turbines, due to higher power and better aerodynamics.
  3. Improved grid integration, as new systems are better suited to current requirements.
  4. Reduced visual impact with fewer turbines.
  5. Lower maintenance costs with the installation of more modern units.
  6. Faster payback periods for modern turbines, thanks to their higher efficiency.
  7. Reduced environmental impact by utilizing existing access routes and infrastructure.
  8. Lower installation costs compared to building a new farm, by leveraging existing infrastructure.
  9. Creation of local jobs in installation and maintenance.
  10. Progress toward decarbonization goals without the need for additional land dedicated to renewable energy.

A real case: El Cabrito

A real-world example from Spain—one of the first countries to embrace wind energy—illustrates the impact of repowering. Several Spanish wind farms have now reached 25 years of operation, demonstrating the significant benefits that repowering can bring.

 

 

El Cabrito, an ACCIONA wind farm in Cadiz province, is a prime example. Operating for 24 years, its original setup included 90 turbines, each with a capacity of 330 kW, totaling 29.7 MW. After repowering, the number of turbines was reduced to twelve, consisting of eight 3 MW models and four 1.5 MW models from Nordex-ACCIONA Windpower. The repowering also introduced several key improvements:

  • Removal of 3.4 kilometers of access roads and 31 transformer sheds, restoring a total of 24,000 m² of land.
  • Enhanced environmental conditions due to reduced visual and noise impact from fewer turbines.
  • Easier passage for birds, thanks to the increased spacing between turbines and slower blade rotation speeds.
  • A modest increase in capacity from 29.7 to 30 MW, but with a significant 16% improvement in efficiency.

Apart from these enhancements, the repowering of El Cabrito has utilised the existing transformer substation and power evacuation line.

Repowering is just one of many ways renewable energy efficiency is being improved. Another strategy is hybridization—combining wind and photovoltaic farms within a single site, as explained in this article.

 

Source:

  • Energías Renovables
  • Repowering
  • Renewable energies
  • Wind power

Share on social media

{{CommentsCount}} Comments

Currently no one has commented on the news.
Be the first to leave a comment.

{{firstLevelComment.Name}}

{{firstLevelComment.DaysAgo}} days ago

{{firstLevelComment.Text}}

Answer

{{secondLevelComment.Name}}

{{secondLevelComment.DaysAgo}} days ago

{{secondLevelComment.Text}}

Write your comment

All fields are mandatory.

Name

Email address

Comments

250 max char.

Accept the information on data protection

You must accept the information on data protection

{{btnSendCommentText}}

Thank you for your comment

Information on data protection

In compliance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on Data Protection and with other Data Protection regulations in force, you are hereby informed that your personal data shall be processed by Acciona, S.A. (hereinafter “ACCIONA”), whose identification data are as follows: Tax ID No. (NIF): A08001851, Address: Avenida de la Gran Vía de Hortaleza, 3, 28033 (Madrid), Tel. No.: +34 91 663 28 50, email: protecciondedatos@acciona.com, in order to address and manage your queries, requests, claims and suggestions, as well as to electronically send information regarding our products and services through the contact email address.

The consent given by users when they contact us comprises the legal grounds for processing the data.

The data shall be stored as long as the relationship is maintained and the elimination thereof is not requested, and in any case, never for more than twelve months.

In the event your request is not addressed to ACCIONA but to an entity belonging to the Acciona Group, such entity shall transmit the data to the Group company that can most efficiently address your request for information or a service. Accordingly, when these data are transferred such transfer may be international due to the fact that these companies are located in countries outside the European Union, in order to address the communication needs among the individuals that comprise the Group at the global level. (You can consult a list of Group companies at www.acciona.com/shareholders-investors/financial-information/annual-accounts/. By accepting the privacy terms, you consent to your data being transferred internationally in order for your request to be properly processed. Other data transfers are not anticipated, except where required by law.

The interested party can exercise their rights of portability and to access, correct, eliminate, restrict and oppose the processing of their data before Acciona, S.A. by addressing ACCIONA in writing at the Department of Data Protection located at Avenida de Europa, 18, 28108, in Alcobendas, Madrid or by sending an email to the following address: protecciondedatos@acciona.com. In either case, the interested party must enclose or attach a copy of their National ID (DNI) or other ID. Furthermore, at any time the interested party may withdraw the granted consent by contacting the aforementioned address and file a claim before the Supervisory Authority (the Spanish Data Protection Agency www.aepd.es).

You can find more information in our Privacy Policy on our website.

Subscribe to our newsletter

... and stay informed with the latest news on innovation.

Send me the newsletter
{{ btnSendText }}

Wrong email format

Accept the information on data protection

You must accept the information on data protection

The subscription can't be done

YOU'RE JUST ONE STEP AWAY!

Please, confirm your subscription on the email we have sent you and your registration will be completed.

YOU ARE ALREADY SUBSCRIBED TO THE NEWSLETTER!

If you've missed our content, try checking your junk mailbox and add us to your address book so you can enjoy them without any problem.

Information on data protection

In compliance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on Data Protection and with other Data Protection regulations in force, you are hereby informed that your personal data shall be processed by Acciona, S.A. (hereinafter “ACCIONA”), whose identification data are as follows: Tax ID No. (NIF): A08001851; Address: Avenida de la Gran Vía de Hortaleza, 3, 28033 (Madrid); Tel. No.: +34 91 663 28 50; email: protecciondedatos@acciona.com. Your data shall be processed in order to send you information, through the subscription to our Newsletter through electronic means, regarding our latest technological innovation of ACCIONA´s initiative "I’MNOVATION #Hub", which aims to bring the general public main news, advances and curiosities of the innovation technology of all the companies that make up the ACCIONA Group.

 

The consent given by the data subject by indicating that they have read and accept this data protection information comprises the lawfulness of processing. The data provide is your email address. If you fails to provide the required data, the subscription Request cannot be satisfied. We may also process your satisfaction or preferences, if you voluntarily respond to surveys. Data shall be stored until the elimination is requested.

In order to carry out our purpose, we may give access to your data to service providers (such as technology service providers) who assist us in fulfilling this purpose. Some of its service providers, may be located outside of the European Economic Area in territories that do not offer a level of data protection that is comparable to that of the European Union. In such cases, we transfer User data with appropriate safeguards and always ensuring the security of the same.

 

The data subject can exercise their rights of portability and to access, correct, eliminate, restrict and oppose the processing of their data to Acciona, S.A. by writing the Department of Data Protection located at Avenida de Europa, 18, 28108, Parque Empresarial La Moraleja, in Alcobendas, Madrid or by sending an email to the following address: protecciondedatos@acciona.com. If we consider it necessary in order to be able to identify you, we may ask you for a copy of an identity document. Furthermore, at any time the data subject may withdraw the granted consent by contacting the aforementioned address and file a claim to the Supervisory Authority (Agencia Española de Protección de Datos www.aepd.es). You can also unsubscribe from the Newsletter communication.

 

For any further information you can visit the Privacy Police on the website https://www.acciona.com/privacy-policy/.

More about Energy

  • Energy

    Kirigami-inspired solar panels

    The ancient art is inspiring the design of solar cells so they can change shape to catch the sun

  • Energy

    This is how the first neighbourhood capable of self-generating its energy requirements will work

    This village, capable of generating its own lighting and food production, will be ready to be inhabited as of 2017

  • Energy

    Solar glass, a window to the future of energy

    Renewable energy is about to become a part of our daily lives, with a host of new power-generating surfaces such as windows or canopies

Featured topics

Read the most discussed articles

  • Renewable energies
  • Solar energy
  • Sustainability
  • Innovation
  • Green Hydrogen
  • Wind power
  • Technology
  • Electricity
  • Recycling
  • Mobility
  • Biomimicry
  • Solar glass

Categories

  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Water
  • Digital Transformation
  • Science & Technology
  • Society

Featured topics

  • Renewable energies
  • Innovation
  • Sustainability
  • Technology
  • New materials
  • Robots

Innovation is a change that introduces new features. The concept is generally used in the sense of inventions, new ideas, devices, methods and processes, and the application of improved solutions meeting fresh economic or societal requirements. Strictly speaking, however, ideas can only be termed “innovations” once they have imposed themselves as successful new products, services or procedures.

About us
Subscribe to our RSS
Imnovation
Acciona

An ACCIONA innovation initiative

  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Legal notice
  • Site map
  • Contact
  • ACCIONA's websites
  • Ethical Channel