Wind Power Report 2006
Author:
This is the advertisement for what ABS, a U.K. research firm, believes to be “the most important Wind Report that we have yet produced.” Key Findings:
- The wind power industry is reaching a highly controversial phase in its development as solid operational data becomes available about its performance, limitations and effects on the grid
- The ABS report concludes that governments, developers and operators should seriously consider their options regarding wind power
- Wind power reports have now been published by energy agencies and the network operators in USA, Germany, Spain, Denmark and Ireland, delineating critical problems. Deutsche EnergieAgentur (dena) has published a comprehensive report on German wind power on behalf of the Federal Government, together with the utility and wind and industries
- The dena report assessed the capacity credit of wind power in Germany in 2003 as 890-1,230 MW, i.e. 6% of installed wind capacity of 14,603 MW, rising to 1,820-2,300 MW for 36,000 MW installed in 2015, with a reserve capacity requirement of 7,000 MW
- The claimed savings in GHG emissions has been questioned
- Denmark exported over 80% of wind generated electricity to Norway in 2004, which has 98.5% carbon-free hydro generation, because wind delivered a surplus of 84%, according to the CEO of Eltra, almost nullifying any emissions savings
- Wind’s intermittency places a large strain on system balance
- A new understanding is emerging about the relative efficiencies and emissions of base load operation of fossil fuel plant versus plant used in back up of a variable source
- Wind power has been promoted for politico/environmental reasons and wind developers have benefited from substantial subsidies, leading to exaggerated claims. A reality check is needed.
Many of the sources that ABS used are available here in the National Wind Watch Resource Library — see the Technical Papers section in our list of key documents — and are also excerpted in Eric Rosenbloom’s “The Low Benefit of Industrial Wind.”
