| It has been an eventful year in this sector of the | | | | fossil fuel capacity. |
| renewable energy industry and while generating | | | | The evidence also shows a mismatch of supply and |
| capacity is up, solid new evidence suggests that | | | | demand. High pressure weather systems bring cold |
| some of the costs of producing electricity using the | | | | winters and hot summers which unfortunately |
| breeze sometimes mean that wind generation is not | | | | coincide with low wind levels. These meteorological |
| always unambiguously good. So are industry critics | | | | realities mean that wind makes its maximum |
| quoting facts or tilting at windmills? | | | | contribution when demand is lowest and its minimum |
| Capacity in this type of renewable energy increased | | | | contribution when demand is highest. In 2004, wind |
| by 11.3 GW in 2005 to reach a total of 59 GW. | | | | accounted for 20 percent of total electricity |
| Germany is the world leader, with 31% of the world's | | | | production in Denmark but supplied only 6 percent of |
| installed capacity, followed by Spain, the USA, India | | | | consumption, because it produced a surplus at |
| and Denmark. | | | | periods of lowest demand. What's more, 84 percent |
| The big surprise among the five leaders was the | | | | of Danish wind-generated electricity was exported to |
| recovery and surge in wind power production in the | | | | Norway, and sold at a loss for Denmark. |
| USA after years of stagnation. Guaranteed wind | | | | Furthermore, the Norwegian electricity system uses |
| power production tax credits, valid for a three year | | | | carbon free hydro power, so the effect of carbon |
| period instead of annually as before have justified the | | | | reductions realised in power produced by windmills |
| new investment in renewable energy. | | | | was nullified. |
| Growth is expected to continue. As the leaders | | | | Also, because of this variability in wind, back-up fossil |
| consolidate and re-power smaller installations with | | | | fuel plants must be operated at low load to maintain |
| larger turbines, the wind power market is now | | | | system reliability. There is new evidence that shows |
| widening and entering a new phase with many new | | | | that switching base load fossil fuel plants on and off |
| countries entering the market for renewable energy | | | | to balance a system produces higher carbon |
| resources, such as wind. | | | | emissions than continuous operation, certainly not a |
| Studies have given rise to critical concerns challenging | | | | supposed benefit from switching to renewable |
| some of the claims made for wind power. Badly | | | | energy sources. |
| needed evidence is now available after three years | | | | Because wind installations tend to be concentrated in |
| of large scale operation of wind turbines in five | | | | areas with high wind speeds, regional grids are heavily |
| countries. In one such country, Ireland, the | | | | overloaded at times of maximum feed-in. Each |
| government placed a moratorium on wind power | | | | country studied reported extreme difficulties in |
| development, although this has been rescinded. | | | | balancing the grid. A further 2,700 km of costly high |
| These studies are the first real evidence showing | | | | voltage transmission lines will be required in Germany |
| how wind actually works, as opposed to what has | | | | to accommodate new wind capacity. |
| been claimed, and come from some of the most | | | | It is clear that wind-generated electricity can only |
| authoritative voices on energy in the world. Reports | | | | work as part of a generation portfolio. The US |
| from E.On Netz, the system operator with the | | | | Department of Energy advocates small local targets |
| largest wind power feed-in in the world, and Eltra of | | | | within states, most recently proposing targets of 100 |
| Denmark, which had the largest percentage wind | | | | MW in each of the 30 states, rather than the huge |
| power contribution, show disturbing results. | | | | wind parks favoured in Europe. |
| E.On cites a study from the Deutsche-Energie | | | | I am not relegating wind power to the dustbin, but I |
| Agentur. The report was sponsored by the German | | | | do believe that this evidence goes to show how |
| government and all sides of the industry. Among | | | | essential proper analysis is needed to establish what |
| bombshells contained inside, the study suggests that | | | | renewable energy can and cannot deliver and how it |
| while wind power capacity will reach 48 GW by 2020 | | | | must be accommodated within a total electricity |
| in Germany, the source is so intermittent and | | | | generation system. |
| unreliable that it is equivalent to only 2 GW of stable | | | | |