Prior to building a wind turbine installation, a wind speed study should be conducted over the course of a year. Such a study will result in optimum design. The power to be generated, vane diameter and tower height may be determined by studies from meteorological towers.

The University of Delaware has a proposal to conduct such a study. It should proceed. No further work on wind power contracts should proceed until sufficient data is obtained.

It is well known that the amount of power generated by wind mills is proportional to the cube of wind velocity. While wind is free, it is not always available. Sometimes it does not blow at all, other times it blows with gale force that could damage the windmill. Commercial wind turbines are equipped with wind direction and velocity sensors. On-board computers cause them to rotate and the vane pitch to vary in order to maintain power.

There is a lot of down time with windmills due to wind conditions. They also need routine maintenance. Fully study local wind conditions before spending billions of dollars to build wind farms in the ocean or on land.