Wind Cube-Wind Turbine for Wall

10:22 PM 4 Comments

What a creative wind turbine design !! ''Wind cube'' is a modularized wind power system designed for the lifestyle in cities. The concept is to use 3D wind fields to make up the insufficiency of 2D ones. At that point, this new wind cube design differs from the other ones.

Wind cube

The part which is called as nacelle is rotating also to wind direction. The modern turbines has only one certain position for wind(tilt and cones angle), that's why the new design can capture much more power in a sufficient way.

Wind turbine for wall

Through the modularized design, each unit of the '' Wind Cube'' can automatically create a circuit with the power generated by itself. The power can be directly provided to families for the purpose of saving energy and reducing carbon.

Wind Cube

Considerate design for users, ''Wind Cube'' is an All-in-One design which make greenization easy. With only 3 small steps, one can start green energy. Modularized design has honeycomb Structure. The telescopic blades can be activated when there is gentle breeze. In case bad wind conditions, '' Wind Cube '' can retract the blades to avoid possible damage.

Wind cube protection

Wind Cube has 100 Watt generator and each generator has ability to produce 21.6 kWh per month. 15 Wind Cubes can provide the electricity needed by a household(4 person) per month. What's more with more Wind Cubes one can save more energy and sell it to grid companies.

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Bladeless Wind Turbine

9:42 PM No Comments

The new wind turbine concept provides cheaper and more efficient wind energy. This is called bladeless wind turbine which is more economic and environmentally friendly than existing wind turbines which produce lots of noise and kills birds.

Bladeless wind turbine 

Instead of rotating blades, the Saphonian's sail-shaped body collects the kinetic energy of the wind, told by Saphonian's inventor.
How bladeless wind turbine works ?
Inventor explained that the resulting mechanical energy moves pistons which generate hydraulic pressure that can be stored in a hydraulic accumulator or converted into electricity.

Environmentally friendly wind turbine 

Due to Betz Law classical wind turbines can capture 40-50 % of kinetic energy from wind. The new concept has ability to capture up to 80 % of kinetic energy from the wind. What's more it reduces the aerodynamic and mechanical losses associated with rotating blades.
It is claimed that the new bladeless prototype is 2.3 times more efficient and costs half price of conventional wind turbines. Because new bladeless concept has not gearbox, blades and hub.

It is estimated that it would take up to two years until the commercial product reaches the market. However it is also added that the manufacturing step is also important as it will determine how the market will accept it.

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Windspiral Wind Turbines

8:13 PM No Comments

Day by day the number of vertical axis wind turbines growing. Because they are more efficient, easy to install, smaller, and most important one cheaper to build than the common wind turbine designs.

Windspiral Turbine

One of these interesting design is Windspiral turbine which is roughly 10 meters long ant 1 meter width. As the others it is also used for converting wind energy into measurable electrical energy. It has same working principle with vertical axis wind turbines. And it is remote controllable. The owner of that design can track it from computer thanks to wireless modem.

Windspiral wind turbine

Windspiral wind turbines can produce 2 Megawatt hours per year in 5.5 meters per second average wind speed which is approximately half energy used by a regular house. One more advantage of this design is lower rotational speed. It means less noise and less loads on materials. It can be used easily in cities or gardens of houses. With some modifications it can produce more energy which is enough for a home. You can get an impression by watching following short video.

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Why do wind turbines always have three blades?

8:44 PM 1 Comment

If you have seen a wind farm, you have noticed that wind turbines have 3 blades. Why not 1 blade, 2 blades, 4 blades or 5 blades ? Because the aim is when the power is produced not to capture more wind. The aim is capturing wind with greatest efficiency. And as a result it is found that 3 blades is the most efficient and less troublesome way.

 Wind turbine with one blade

It is not common but when you see a wind turbine with one blade, you shouldn't surprise. It looks like a little different from the other common wind turbines even the working principle is same. Due to one blade, it is cheaper from the others. On the other hand the aesthetic of the one bladed turbine is a little worse. Whole wind energy sector compromise about 3 blade wind turbines due to aesthetic. If we look more detail, the efficiency of the one bladed turbine is higher, but the loads are also higher due to unbalance rotor. What's more it tends to spin faster. That's why it is much more noisy.

2 bladed offshore wind turbine

As it seen the previous figure, sometimes two bladed wind turbines can also be seen. The same phenomena about aesthetic is valid for two bladed wind turbine also. But this has higher efficiency than the one bladed and 3 bladed wind turbines. When we compare with 3 bladed wind turbines, the only advantage  is one blade is less, that's why it is cheaper. It is cheaper from the rotor side but on the other hand  because of higher loads the maintenance costs and the life of turbine must be considered also. 

3 bladed wind turbine 

Due to aesthetic, efficient loads 3 bladed wind turbines are much more common. When it is compared with the other types of wind turbines, powerful enough and it is less noisy because of tending to spin slower. Noise issue is also must be considered when a wind turbine constructed. Because of these reasons 3 bladed wind turbines are accepted in wind energy sector.

Wind turbine with 5 blade

When the number of the blades are increasing, normally cost of turbine is also increasing. That's why the turbines which have more than 3 blades seen rarely. If we look from the technical side, when we have more than 3 blades, we must make them lighter. When they are lighter, they will tend to spin faster and they will be broken. That's why generally it is not good idea to use more than 3 blades. 

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Wind Turbines with Solar Panel

7:36 PM 3 Comments

Wind turbine with solar panel

Creative idea !! Wind turbine with solar panel. Working principle is a little bit different from the other ones. Solar energy is used for producing power instead of using wind energy. Whats more the energy from small solar panel is used for rotating the blades. It is just for fun. As it seen this is a wind turbine model for kinds, offices or houses. 

Wind turbine model

Sometimes different types of designs can be seen as the following photo. The energy to rotate the blades is provided again by the mini solar panels on the blades. These designs are only artificial. Due to aerodynamic properties of the blades it is not allowed to use any other materials on blades. If it wouldn't be like that one could think about this idea to produce power even lower wind speeds which normal wind turbines can't produce power. 

Wind blades with solar panel

It is pretty good idea to give this type of presents to the persons who is busy with renewable energy. These gifts are effective and can be found easily from some shopping centers or online shopping sites. 

Wind turbine model

Lastly some persons developed this idea to charge some small devices as mobile phones or chargeable lamps. Basically, the wind turbine part and solar panel part are working together to produce power. And the produced power is regulated with small regulator to use for mobile phones. When there is no sun on the sky, only wind turbine part can be used or vice versa. 

Mobile phone charger

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Maglev Wind Turbine

11:03 AM 176 Comments

The Maglev wind turbine is the one of the type has interesting design. Working principle of the turbine is a little differ from the other ones. Magnetic levitation differs this turbine from the other classical turbines. Why magnetic levitation ? Magnetic levitation is one of the most efficient system for the wind energy.

Maglev wind turbine

As it seen in the picture also, it is a vertical axis wind turbine. Vertically oriented blades of the turbine are rotating above the base of the machine. As a generator, full permanent magnet wind generator is used. Therefore it is not using electricity from the grid to run. The Maglev uses a magnetically levitated low-RPM high-torque power output turbine. As it known, because of the permanent magnets, there is no energy loss through friction. Hence the maintenance costs are automatically dropped when we compare with other classical wind turbines. 

Maglev prototype

Actually Maglev is not new technology. It has same phenomena with high speed trains in Europe and Asia. It is designed to capture winds from any direction. It means this turbine has not yawing issues. That's why we can say the Maglev turbines convert wind energy to electric energy in a extremely sufficient way.

Offshore maglev turbine

 If it is compared with other classical wind turbines, 
Maglev, 

• is producing 50% more power.
• construction is cheaper.
• has no noise.
• can produce with small and high wind speeds.
• Important components are on the ground level.

Vertical axis wind turbine

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Wind Turbine Maintenance and Noise Issue

5:43 PM No Comments

Wind Turbine Noise

Your neighbours' concerns relating to wind turbine noise are important. No matter the size of the wind turbine, the potential for turbine noise to bother other people always exists. Even if a wind turbine does not emit enough sound to violate any noise regulations, the noise it produces may still be objectionable to other people. Before building a wind turbine, familiarize yourself with the types of noise your wind turbine could make:
Aerodynamic noises may be made by the flow of air over and past the blades of the turbine. Such noises tend to increase with the speed of the rotor. For blade noise, lower blade tip speed results in lower noise levels. Of particular concern is the interaction of wind turbine blades with atmospheric turbulence, which results in a characteristic "whooshing" sound.
Mechanical noises may also be produced by components of a wind turbine. Normal wear and tear, poor component designs or lack of preventative maintenance may all be factors affecting the amount of mechanical noise produced.

Wind turbine noise 

How Loud Might a Wind Turbine Be?

At a distance of 250 m, a typical wind turbine produces a sound pressure level of about 45 dB(A) (decibels). As following figure shows, this sound level is below the background noise level produced in a home or office. Most small wind turbines, in fact, make less noise than a residential air conditioner.

Small Wind Turbines

The blades rotate at an average range of 175-500 revolutions per minute with some as high as 1150 rpm. Large turbines turbine blades rotate in the range of at 50-15 rpm at constant speed, although an increasing number of machines operate at a variable speed.

 Comparison of decibel levels from a hypothetical wind turbine (from 250 m away) with other sources of noise.

Maintenance

A wind turbine requires periodic maintenance such as oiling and greasing, and regular safety inspections. Check bolts and electrical connections annually; tighten if necessary. Once a year check wind turbines for corrosion and the guy wires supporting the tower for proper tension.
If the turbine blades are wood, paint to protect from the elements. Apply a durable leading edge tape to protect the blades from abrasion due to dust and insects in the air. If the paint cracks or the leading edge tape tears away, the exposed wood will quickly erode. Moisture penetrating into the wood causes the rotor to become unbalanced, stressing the wind generator. Inspect wooden blades annually, and do any repairs immediately.
After 10 years, blades and bearings may need to be completely replaced. With proper installation and maintenance, your turbine can last 20-30 years or longer. Proper maintenance will also minimize the amount of mechanical noise produced by your wind turbine.

Maintenance

Safety Concerns

All wind turbines have a maximum wind speed, called the survival speed, at which they will not operate above. When winds over this maximum occur, they have an internal brake and lock to prevent them from going faster than this survival speed.
For turbines operating in cold winter conditions, be prepared to de-ice as required, and store batteries in an insulated place.
Mounting turbines on rooftops is generally not recommended unless a wind turbine is very small (1 kW of rated output or less). Wind turbines tend to vibrate and transmit the vibration to the structure on which they are mounted. As a result, turbines mounted on a rooftop could lead to both noise and structural problems with the building and rooftop.

Safety Concerns

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How Much Will it Cost Me to Purchase a Wind Turbine?

10:54 AM No Comments

It costs $1,000-$5,000/per kilowatt to purchase a small wind turbine. However, the wind turbine costs represent only 12%-48% of the total cost of a small wind electric system. You also need to pay for other components of your wind energy system, such as inverters and batteries, as well as sales tax, installation charges and labour.
Keep in mind that the costs of wind power, unlike other sources of electrical power, are almost entirely due to the cost of purchasing and installing the system. Once the turbine has been installed, there is no fuel costs associated with its operation; you will only need to pay for maintenance of your wind turbine.
The cost of the energy produced by small (<10 kW) wind turbines over their lifetimes has been estimated to vary from $0.07/kWh, for a low cost turbine constructed in a windy area, to $0.96/kWh, for a high cost turbine constructed in a low wind area.

 Estimated cost for electricity produced by small wind turbines (10 kW).

The performance of a wind turbine is normally described by manufacturers using a performance curve of power output versus wind speed, called a power curve .

Examples of a power curve for a small wind turbine rated at 10 kW. 

One problem with wind turbine ratings is that there is no industry standard for a consistent wind speed at which to measure the output from wind turbines.

Instead, manufacturers choose which wind speed to use for their wind turbine output ratings. Take, for example, the "Wind-o-matic" and the "Mighty-wind", both rated at 1,000 watts. The Wind-o-matic was rated at 5 m/s winds, while the Mighty-wind was rated at 10 m/s. Because the power in the wind is proportional to the cube of its speed a 1,000-watt turbine rated at 10 m/s will only produce 1/8 of that power at 5 m/s. So, at a wind speed of 5 m/s, the Wind-o-matic will produce 1,000 watts, while the Mighty-wind will only produce 125 watts!

Small wind turbine

Rather than comparing the rated outputs advertised for different turbines, compare the swept area of the turbines. Since the electrical output of a wind generator is largely a function of its swept area, the larger the swept area of a rotor, the more electricity the wind generator produces. Doubling the area on the solar panels that is exposed to the sun can double the electrical energy generated by solar panels. With wind turbines, swept area works much the same way.

If you do not know the swept areas, you can still make reasonable comparisons between wind turbines by comparing the rotor diameters of the turbines. A modest increase in the rotor diameter will lead to significant increases in both the swept area of a turbine and the amount of electricity that the turbine can generate. Please note that the values for power production shown on the following figure are theoretical values, and only intended for illustrative purposes. The actual power production from a wind turbine will be influenced by many other factors, such as: the efficiency that the wind turbine is able to extract energy from the wind; the elevation at which the turbine is located; and other design characteristics of the wind turbine.

Theoretical power production for small wind turbines when the wind speed is 10 m/s.

Choosing an Appropriate Wind Turbine Size

To determine the appropriate size of wind turbine to use, review your monthly electricity consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh). To do this look at your electricity bills for the last year, add the kilowatt-hours you consumed, and divide by 12. Then compare this total to estimates of the power production for different wind turbines, a figure available from a wind turbine dealer.

To get a preliminary estimate of the performance of a particular wind turbine, use the formula below:

AEO = 1.64 D2 V3

Where:

AEO = Annual energy output, kWh/year 
D = rotor diameter, meters 
V = Annual average wind speed, m/s

By making your home or farm more energy efficient and reducing the size of your peak demand electrical loads, you can reduce the size of wind turbine you'll need, thereby decreasing the purchase cost.

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Wind Availability and Location Optimization for Wind Turbines

12:08 PM No Comments

Wind Availability

Whether constructing a wind turbine is economically viable at your home or farm depends most strongly on the quality of your wind resource. Generally, average annual wind speeds of at least 4.0-4.5 m/s (14.4- 16.2 km/h; 9.0-10.2 mph) are needed for a small wind turbine to produce enough electricity to be cost-effective. A very useful resource for evaluating a site for its wind energy potential is a wind resource potential map. 

Wind Map for Eastern Ontario. (a.g.l. = above ground level) 

It may be useful to check wind speed measurements that have been recorded at a local weather station. It is important to consider that sitting factors at these weather stations, such as nearby trees and buildings, might influence any wind speed measurements. Also, keep in mind that the equipment at these stations is often located close to the ground, and that weather stations located at airports are usually sheltered from the wind.

Wind Map for Southwestern Ontario. 

This means that wind speed measurements recorded at these stations might under represent the wind potential at your site.

For the most precise evaluation of the wind speed at your site, you need to purchase a wind resource evaluation system. While wind resource evaluation systems can be expensive, if your property is hilly and has unusual terrain features then it might be worth obtaining one.

The most important component of a wind resource evaluation system is an anemometer. Anemometers are typically designed with cups mounted on short arms that are connected to a rotating vertical shaft.

The anemometer rotates in the wind and generates a signal that is proportional to the wind speed. If you do purchase an anemometer, you will also need to purchase something to record the readings made by the anemometer, and a tower or tripod to mount the whole system on.

For as little as $500 you might be able to purchase a wind totalizer, which is a very simple type of wind resource evaluation system where the anemometer is linked to an odometer. The odometer is similar to those found in cars. After a period of time, the number recorded on the odometer, which represents the total "distance" the anemometer has turned, can be divided by the time passed since the odometer was last checked in order to determine the average wind speed over a period of time at a location.

If there is a small wind turbine system in your area, you may be able to obtain useful information from its owners about the annual electrical output of the system and, possibly, wind speed data. Such information could be extremely valuable as an alternative to installing a wind resource evaluation system.

 Wind turbine schematic. (Modified image from Natural Resources Canada)

Picking the Best Location for a Wind Turbine

Where you choose to build your wind turbine is important. Remember that if nearby houses, tree lines and silos obstruct the full force of the wind from your wind turbine, you will not be able to generate as much power.

Also keep the following in mind:

• Wind speeds are always higher at the top of a hill, on a shoreline, and in places clear of trees and other structures.
• Remember that trees grow over the years; wind turbine towers do not.
• Inform neighbours of your plans to avoid conflict later on.
• Be courteous. Keep the turbine as far away from neighbours as possible. 250-300 m away is typical.
• Check with the local government for any other laws and regulations about zoning.

Wind speeds tend to be higher on the top of a ridge or hill, and for that reason it is a good idea to locate wind turbines at hilly locations. Just remember to keep your turbine away from high turbulence. Neighbours must also be taken into consideration when picking a spot to build your turbine. The farther your wind turbine site is from neighbouring houses, the better.

Do not expect your wind turbine to generate the same amount of power all the time. The wind speed at a single location may vary considerably, and this can have a significant impact on the power production from a wind turbine. Even if the wind speed varies by only 10%, the power production from a wind turbine can vary by up to 25%!

 Example of wind speed distribution by hour of the day. Values shown are monthly averages of measurements made by anemometers. 

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Small wind turbines and basic components

3:53 PM No Comments

Wind turbines used to generate electricity come in a wide variety of sizes. Large wind turbines, which are usually installed in clusters called wind farms, can generate large amounts of electricity. Large wind turbines may even produce hundreds of megawatts (MW) of electricity - enough to power hundreds of homes. Small wind turbines which are generally defined as producing no more than 100 kW of electricity, are designed to be installed at homes, farms and small businesses either as a source of backup electricity, or to offset use of utility power and reduce electricity bills. Very small wind turbines (20-500 watt units) are used to charge batteries for sail boats and other recreational uses.

Wind turbine.

A small wind energy system could prove to be a practical and economical source of electricity for your home or farm if some or all of the following are true:

• Your property has a good wind resource.
• Your property is at least one acre in size.
• Your local zoning ordinances allow wind turbines.
• Your electricity bills tend to be high.
• Your property does not have easy access to utility lines, i.e. off electrical power grid.
• You are comfortable with making long-term investments.
• Turbine is 250-300 m away from your neighbour's house (closer for small turbines i.e. 1 kW).

Types of Wind Turbines

There are two basic types of wind turbines: horizontal axis wind turbines and vertical axis wind turbines. Horizontal axis turbines (more common) need to be aimed directly at the wind. Because of this, they come with a tail vane that will continuously point them in the direction of the wind. Vertical axis turbines work whatever direction the wind is blowing, but require a lot more ground space to support their guy wires than horizontal axis wind turbines.

 Two basic wind turbines, horizontal axis and vertical axis.

Components of Wind Energy Systems

The basic components of a typical wind energy system are shown on following figure.

Components of a wind energy system.

 These basic components include:

• A rotor, consisting of blades with aerodynamic surfaces. When the wind blows over the blades, the rotor turns, causing the generator or alternator in the turbine to rotate and produce electricity.
• A gearbox, which matches the rotor speed to that of the generator/alternator. The smallest turbines (under 10 kW) usually do not require a gearbox.
• An enclosure, or nacelle, which protects the gearbox, generator and other components of the turbine from the elements.
• A tail vane or yaw system, which aligns the turbine with the wind.

If you plan on building a horizontal axis wind turbine, you will need a tower on which to mount the turbine (vertical axis turbines are usually built on the ground).

Several types of towers are available:

• Guyed lattice towers, where the tower is permanently supported by guy wires. These towers tend to be the least expensive, but take up a lot of space on a yard. A radio broadcast tower is a good example of a guyed lattice tower.
• Guyed tilt-up towers, which can be raised and lowered for easy maintenance and repair.
• Self-supporting towers, which do not have guy wires. These towers tend to be the heaviest and most expensive, but because they do not require guy wires, they do not take up as much space on a yard.

An important factor in how much power your wind turbine will produce is the height of its tower. The power available in the wind is proportional to the cube of its speed. This means that if wind speed doubles, the power available to the wind generator increases by a factor of 8 (2 x 2 x 2 = 8). Since wind speed increases with height increases to the tower height can mean enormous increases in the amount of electricity generated by a wind turbine.

 Relationship between wind speed and wind power.

It has been recommended that towers be 24-37 m (80- 120 ft) high. Installing a wind turbine on a tower that is too short is like installing a solar panel in a shady area. At a minimum, mount a wind turbine high enough on a tower that the tips of the rotor blades remain at least 9 m (30 ft) above any obstacle within 90 m (300 ft).

Make sure to check local laws about height restrictions for wind turbine towers. Use a tower approved by the wind turbine manufacturer otherwise the warranty on the turbine may become invalid. Also ensure the tower is connected to an underground metal object to ground the tower in case of a lightning strike.

You need a disconnect switch that can electrically isolate the wind turbine from the rest of the wind energy system. An automatic disconnect switch is necessary to prevent damage to the rest of the system in case of an electrical malfunction or a lightning strike. It also allows maintenance and system modifications to be safely made to the turbine. There are other system components you may choose or need to purchase. You may need batteries to store excess energy generated by the wind turbine. Because energy is stored in batteries as DC power, you may need an inverter to convert power from the batteries to the AC power required to run electrical appliances in your home.

 Diagram of a grid-tied wind electric system.

If your home or farm is connected to the power grid on windier days you may be able to "sell" excess power generated by your wind turbine to your utility. Then, at other times when your turbine cannot generate all the power you need, you would buy power from the grid. This concept is called "net metering", or "net billing". Net metering is currently unavailable in most parts of Ontario, but may be available fall 2003. Contact your local utility or Hydro One.

Even if net metering is unavailable, you might be able to reduce your power bills by using the electricity you generate using a grid-connected wind turbine. If you do this, then you would not have to buy as much electricity from your utility.

If you do connect your wind turbine to the grid, your utility will require a transfer switch between the wind turbine and the utility line as a well as a two-way meter to keep track of the energy you have stored in and taken from the power grid. It is very important that your wind generator meets certain standards and that it does not pose a risk to your utility's personnel or equipment. It is also important that the quality of power coming from your turbine adequately matches the electrical characteristics in your utility's power grid.

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Wind Turbines and Power Quality Issues

11:55 AM 1 Comment

The buyer of a wind turbine does not need to concern himself with local technical regulations for wind turbines and other equipment connected to the electrical grid. This responsibility is generally left to the turbine manufacturer and the local power company.
For the people who are technically minded, we go into some of the electro-technical issues involved in connecting a turbine to the grid on this page.

Power quality

The term "power quality" refers to the voltage stability, frequency stability, and the absence of various forms of electrical noise (e.g. flicker or harmonic distortion) on the electrical grid. More broadly speaking, power companies (and their customers) prefer an alternating current with a nice sinusoidal shape, such as the one in the image above. 

Starting and Stopping a Turbine
Most electronic wind turbine controllers are programmed to let the turbine run idle without grid connection at low wind speeds. (If it were grid connected at low wind speeds, it would in fact run as a motor). Once the wind becomes powerful enough to turn the rotor and generator at their rated speed, it is important that the turbine generator becomes connected to the electrical grid at the right moment.
Otherwise there will be only the mechanical resistance in the gearbox and generator to prevent the rotor from accelerating, and eventually over-speeding. (There are several safety devices, including fail-safe brakes, in case the correct start procedure fails).

Soft Starting with Thyristors
If you switched a large wind turbine on to the grid with a normal switch, the neighbours would see a brownout (because of the current required to magnetize the generator) followed by a power peak due to the generator current surging into the grid. You may see the situation in the drawing in the accompanying browser window, where you see the flickering of the lamp when you operate the switch to start the wind turbine. The same effect can possibly be seen when you switch on your computer, and the transformer in its power supply all of a sudden becomes magnetized.
Another unpleasant side effect of using a "hard" switch would be to put a lot of extra wear on the gearbox, since the cut-in of the generator would work as if you all of a sudden slammed on the mechanical brake of the turbine.

Grid connection

To prevent this situation, modern wind turbines are soft starting, i.e. they connect and disconnect gradually to the grid using thyristors, a type of semiconductor continuous switches which may be controlled electronically. (You may in fact have a thyristor in your own home, if you own a modern light dimmer, where you can adjust the voltage on your lamps continuously).

Thyristors waste about 1 to 2 per cent of the energy running through them. Modern wind turbines are therefore normally equipped with a so called bypass switch, i.e. a mechanical switch which is activated after the turbine has been soft started. In this way the amount of energy wasted will be minimized.

Weak Grids, Grid Reinforcement
If a turbine is connected to a weak electrical grid, (i.e. it is vary far away in a remote corner of the electrical grid with a low power-carrying ability), there may be some brownout / power surge problems of the sort mentioned above. In such cases it may be necessary to reinforce the grid, in order to carry the fluctuating current from the wind turbine.
Your local power company has experience in dealing with these potential problems, because they are the exact mirror-image of connecting a large electricity user, (e.g. a factory with large electrical motors) to the grid.

Grid connection

Flicker
Flicker is an engineering expression for short lived voltage variations in the electrical grid which may cause light bulbs to flicker. This phenomenon may be relevant if a wind turbine is connected to a weak grid, since short-lived wind variations will cause variations in power output. There are various ways of dealing with this issue in the design of the turbine, mechanically, electrically, and using power electronics.

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