Wind power in Spain
In my inbox from a campaigner in Spain
"Yesterday wind power broke all previous records in Spain. Because of high wind conditions, we reached 9563 MW of generated power at 15:27 (from a total installed wind capacity of 13908 MW). Wind power met 25% of demand at that hour, well above coal (15%) and nuclear (16%). A new record may be expected today.
You can see the graph in the following press release from the grid operator REE: http://www.ree.es/sala_prensa/web/notas_detalle.aspx?id_nota=53
And real-time wind generation from the same source:
http://www.ree.es/sistema_electrico/detalle_curva_eolica.asp?grafico=&hoy=1
Now some sceptics will say that you can't rely on a power source that only works when the wind is blowing, and they'd be right. That's why a piece of research by German researchers is so important. They've shown how a portfolio of different renewable technologies can be combined to reliably meet Germany's entire energy demand. Read about it - and watch the YouTube explanation here"
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Comments
The irony is that this is not expensive, esoteric science. Green campaigners like you have been saying for years that this is how reliable renewable generation can be achieved. The German researchers have simply (and very effectively) demonstrated that we can adapt existing technology to monitor and control the output of a combination of renewables in the same way that we currently do with coal, oil, gas, nuclear and hydro.
Yet from internet discussion boards up to Government departments, the prevailing opinion still seems to be that plans for 100% renewable energy are pie-in-the-sky. We are up against a large number of people who simultaneously rant about the intermittency of wind power (which no-one denies) and then simply ignore us when we explain - once again - how a mix of renewables solves that problem. It's maddening.
If this study at the University of Kassel only makes these people think again, then it will have been worth it.
Posted by: Peter Barber | January 19, 2008 3:10 PM
It is so unfortunate that windpower that is a clean and cheap source of energy is least developed in poor countries that need it the most.International donor agencies and oil producing countries should pool and divert some of thier resouces to this end via interest free credits and extension of technical knowhow.
Posted by: a.a. islahi | July 12, 2008 3:55 PM