The Problem with Wind Energy

"Thar she blows!"
--Captain Ahab, Moby Dick

The wind power industry is in trouble. For illustration, look no further than the UK. A few days ago, low winds brought the country’s output to less than 1% of total generation. Right now, the UK grid regulator is preparing to start throwing cash at wind turbine operators because the next named storm is coming and it will bring strong winds — likely much stronger than is healthy for grid balance.

Meanwhile, in Germany, total wind capacity additions for last year hit 14 GW or 2,400 turbines but at the same time the country is facing a future of coal for longer, to balance the grid. Reports are using the word “may” but we all know they actually mean “will” because you can’t have an unbalanced grid.

--Irina Slav, "Wind, Wind" 

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One of the many things I learned this past year while researching and writing about energy and the grid has to do with that last highlighted phrase, "because you can't have an unbalanced grid." What does this phrase mean? 

The way the energy grid works is that supply and demand must match. Most people don't understand this. And it is one of the reasons energy is becoming more expensive. When the wind fails to blow and the sun hides its face, the power providers must ramp up the backup generators, which is not free. The cost of electricity would be lower if the natural gas or coal plants were able to run as normal, but this Rube Goldberg complexity is altered by the inconsistent variances in wind and solar. 

The three cornerstones of energy policy are Affordability, Reliability and Safety. The notion that wind and sun are free is a myth. The fears regarding the safety of nuclear power have been blown out of proportion and as nearly all of us have experienced, irrational fears are a challenge to control when we lack facts or understanding. 

Here's a comment on the "Wind, Wind" piece by Irina Slav 

The issue from the very beginning of the push for large-scale wind power was whether wind would be reliable enough to provide continuous input, bearing in mind the ABC of intermittent energy.

A. Supply to the grid must continuously match demand.

B. The continuity of wind and solar input is disrupted by nights with little or no wind.

C. There is no grid-scale storage at present using pumped hydro or batteries or any other known technology.

Therefore intermittent inputs from the sun and wind have no place on the grid.

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Much more can always be said, but this (above) is the basic point for today.