Betz and Weibull: Wind and Probability

Have you ever heard of Messrs. Betz and Weibull? 

The German physicist Albert Betz (1885-1968) let us know already in 1920 that a wind turbine cannot completely convert the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical rotational energy. An ideally designed rotor can extract a maximum of 59% of the power available in the wind. This principle must be kept in mind when designing wind turbines. The contribution of the Swedish engineer and mathematician Waloddi Weibull (1887-1979) is also significant in the design of these turbines: Wind naturally fluctuates in its speed. To predict the energy production of a wind turbine, the Weibull distribution formula can be used for statistical modeling of wind speeds or to describe the lifetime of electronic components or materials. 

Wind turbine manufacturers and operators are thus concerned with the probability of wind, aiming for the highest possible efficiency of the turbines.