I just can't leave well enough alone, and did a quick and dirty very high level analysis:
For a low to middling wind site in the US, with a 7.5 m/s average wind speed represented by a Rayleigh distribution:
Using a GE 1.5-77, the most common turbine in use in the US in the late 2000s, I calculate 40.5% gross capacity factor, and estimate net capacity factor of 33.5%.
Using a GE 2.0-116, one of the most energetic turbines on the market for low-wind sites, I calculate a 53.2% gross capacity factor, and estimate a net capacity factor of 44.1% using the same annual loss parameters as before.
For a hypothetical project of equivalent size we get over 30% more energy every year from the same wind by only changing from the old technology to the new, and we build less infrastructure to support it. The new machines are taller, and we probably need the same amount of total land for the project.
For a low to middling wind site in the US, with a 7.5 m/s average wind speed represented by a Rayleigh distribution:
Using a GE 1.5-77, the most common turbine in use in the US in the late 2000s, I calculate 40.5% gross capacity factor, and estimate net capacity factor of 33.5%.
Using a GE 2.0-116, one of the most energetic turbines on the market for low-wind sites, I calculate a 53.2% gross capacity factor, and estimate a net capacity factor of 44.1% using the same annual loss parameters as before.
For a hypothetical project of equivalent size we get over 30% more energy every year from the same wind by only changing from the old technology to the new, and we build less infrastructure to support it. The new machines are taller, and we probably need the same amount of total land for the project.