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Wind is Not Power at All (Part III – Capacity Value)

By Kent Hawkins -- September 10, 2010

This three-part series assesses utility-scale wind’s ability to provide reliable power, a necessary qualification for its use in electricity systems. After Part I’s introductionPart II dealt with power density, where wind fails to meet today’s standards. This final part will look at the extension to power density, that is, capacity (power) value, which takes into account wind’s randomness and intermittency of supply. Again wind fails to qualify as industrial energy.

Electricity capacity is measured in power terms, for example MW. In this connection it is important to note the importance of the distinction that must be made between capacity factor, capacity credit and capacity value. Compared to capacity value, capacity credit and capacity factor are of small importance. Jon Boone has long called attention to this as follows:

“Modern society exists on a foundation built upon productivity that comes from reliable, controllable, interdependent high-powered machine systems.

Wind Is Not Power at All (Part II – Power Density)

By Kent Hawkins -- September 9, 2010

Part I of this three-part series set the stage for examining intermittent power sources, especially wind, as viable sources of electricity. Part 2 addresses one of the critical power considerations: power density.

In his  MasterResource series, Vaclav Smil compared the power densities of a range of fuels for electricity production, which demonstrates the inadequacies of renewables. David MacKay also makes a useful contribution to this topic.[i] Table 1 summarizes the results, which take into account entire fuel cycles, transportation and transmission requirements for a range of assumptions.

Note that all renewable energy sources are ten to over a thousand times less effective than those serving our needs today, with wind providing one of the poorest performances of the renewable sources shown, outside of wood. Areas required for renewables are large because of the dispersed, and often remote, nature of their energy supply.…

Wind Is Not Power at All (Part I – Overview)

By Kent Hawkins -- September 8, 2010

Based on policy pronouncements of governments, the media, and Left environmentalists, one might believe the world is about to enter the renewable energy era. In reality, however, the “new” is about a long gone era that ended before the dawn of the 20th century. Then the primary fuel was wood. Other renewables, including water and wind, were used because they were available and technologically harnessable for some very localized situations.

However primitive, renewables relating to the sun’s flow was the best our ancestors could do.

Will there be a renaissance of this era? Perhaps there will be, but it will be in a significantly different form and dependent upon a vastly transformed world, in both technological and societal terms, which will not be achievable for many generations. The question is: are we as societies and individuals prepared to make the necessary adjustments to realize the potential opportunities, which we do not currently understand sufficiently, that this may present in the future?…

“Wind Power Won’t Cool Down the Planet” (Robert Bryce exposes windpower’s dirty secret)

By Kent Hawkins -- August 30, 2010

Smart Grid Problems Revealed: The NERC Study

By Kent Hawkins -- August 4, 2010

Subsidizing CO2 Emissions via Windpower: The Ultimate Irony

By Kent Hawkins -- June 10, 2010

Wind Integration Realities: The Bentek Study for Texas (Part IV)

By Kent Hawkins -- May 26, 2010

Wind Integration Realities: The Bentek Study for Colorado (Part III)

By Kent Hawkins -- May 25, 2010

Wind Integration Realities: The Netherlands Study (Part II)

By Kent Hawkins -- May 24, 2010

Wind Integration Realities: Case Studies of the Netherlands and of Colorado, Texas (Part I: Introduction)

By Kent Hawkins -- May 22, 2010