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