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Wind Energy |
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Solving the Energy, Climate, and Air-Quality-Health Crises With Wind [ppt, 9 mb] by Mark Jacobson, JP Morgan’s Fourth Annual Public Power & Gas Conference [2006 May 11]
Sufficient winds are available worldwide to supply all electric power and nonelectric-power energy sources.
- Global overall power demand: 9.4-13.6 TW
- Available global wind over land/near shore > 6.9 m/s: ~72 TW
"UKERC today launches a landmark report on renewable energy, specifically on the costs and impacts of intermittency for the UK. The report concerns the costs and impacts of intermittent energy in the UK and is the most comprehensive assessment on intermittency ever undertaken.Summary Findings
- 100% ‘back up’ for individual renewable sources is unnecessary; extra capacity will be needed to keep supplies secure, but will be modest and a small part of the total cost of renewables. It is possible to work out what is needed and plan accordingly
- The output of fossil fuel plant will need to be adjusted more often to cope with fluctuations in wind output, but any losses this causes are small compared to overall savings in emissions
- Renewable energy, such as wind power, leads to a direct reduction in CO2 emissions
- None of the 200+ studies UKERC reviewed suggested that the introduction of significant levels of intermittent renewable energy would lead to reduced reliability
- If wind power were to supply 20% of Britain’s electricity, intermittency costs would be 0.5 - 0.8p per kilowatt an hour (p/kWh) of wind output. This would be added to wind generating costs of 3 - 5p p/kWh. By comparison, costs of gas fired power stations are around 3p p/kWh
- The impact on electricity consumers would be around 0.1p p/kWh. Domestic electricity tariffs are typically 10 - 16p p/kWh. Intermittency therefore would account for around 1% of electricity costs
- Costs of intermittency at current levels is much smaller, but will rise if use of renewables expands. Wide geographical dispersion and a diversity of renewable sources will keep costs down."
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| One of Mitsubishi Power System's 45-meter class wind turbine blades serves as a sign for VienTek, LLC., in Juarez, Mexico. VienTek, which has announced that it is tripling the capacity of its wind blade manufacturing operation, is a joint venture between MPS and Warren, RI-based TPI Composites, Inc. |