Comments on: In Parts of India, Wind Energy Proving Cheaper than Coal

By: sola

sola — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 05:35:00 +0000

You are talking about a pre-Fukushima state of events.

After Fukushima, nuclear plans have changed significantly.

Privately financed nuclear is a dodo. Nobody will finance it and nobody will insure it.

China may be completely scrapping its nuclear plans (e.g.: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_23204.cfm) and has raised its solar expansion plans to 50GW by 2020.

By: kentbeuchert

kentbeuchert — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 18:26:00 +0000

I doubt that the study (produced by wind businesses and wind orgs)
was anything other than a cost analysis based on cost of the wind equipment, versus lifespan expectations versus utilization rates. That
ignores the indirect costs that are attendant anytime an uncontrollable
and unreliable power source is allowed to enter the grid. For one, wind cannot allow for the elimination of any existing, controllable generation plants – wind is not always there or in the amounts required, which requires
continuation of those plants. At best, they realize a reduction in the cost
of fuel. All the other costs (maintenance, staffing, cost of facility and land, etc) remain more or less the same, even though they are producing less power. Adding an uncontrollable power source can therefore almost double
the cost of power for that power supplied via wind inputs. India, the last I heard, was planning (along with China) an enormous number of new nuclear plants (currently the lowest cost provider of power – roughly 39% cheaper than coal in the US. China plans on having up to 600 new nuclear plants by 2030 and 1800 by the end of the century. Britain (one of the first to try wind power) has already approved , I believe, about two dozen nuclear plants. France will completely replace its existing nuclear fleet over the next 35 years, with half being gen 3 and half gen 4 (fast reactors).
Fast reactors are inherently safe and can burn “nuclear wastes”, reducing them to low level, non-weaponizable products that return to background radiation levels in a hundred years or so. Nuclear wastes stored in the US
can provide all the electricity this country needs for the next 1000 years.
I predict that in the future, the biggest business in wind turbines will be in tearing them down and restoring the local environment to its natural state, unblemished by any 10 story steel monstrosities. .

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 11:04:00 +0000

Thanks. Great note!

We actually just posted on wind capacity factor regularly reaching 50%: http://cleantechnica.com/2012/07/27/wind-turbine-net-capacity-factor-50-the-new-normal/

By: Captivation

Captivation — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 16:06:00 +0000

People aren’t acknowledging how unpredictable and unstable our situation is. For example, if the warm Arctic melt waters disrupt the Thermohaline circulation, then Wind might significantly increase as a substitute method of heat transfer. (The hot equatorial waters will want to share their heat with the cooler Arctic waters.) A doubling of wind speed increases power by 8 fold. So things could instantly change for the entire industry.

By: Ronald Brak

Ronald Brak — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:11:00 +0000

As the price of electricity can drop when the wind blows stiffly some people may be skimping on the size of generators in wind tubines as they figure they aren’t going to make money during periods of high winds, so they build a cheaper wind turines that produce less electricity overall but which are pretty good at generating electricity in low winds. This pushes up capacity factor and this may be occuring in India, although I don’t actually know.

By: mohan

mohan — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 13:42:00 +0000

That wind farm reportedly achieves a 30% capacity factor*. New wind turbines can achieve a capacity factor of over 50%. 50% PLANT LOAD FACTOR? Unheard of in the wind industry so far! Especially in India! The maximum that India has seen is around 37% that too in few locations of hilly areas in Karnataka. Even the 30% capacity factor in Maharashtra is ambitious, given the quality and class of wind there!

By: Ceesabc

Ceesabc — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 05:39:00 +0000

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and Sustainability (CEES)”. CEES is an education initiative of Bridging Nations, US, a nonprofit, policy organization based in Washington
D.C. CEES endeavors to bring in energy and environment education and create the energy leaders of tomorrow.
http://www.cees-edu.org/