The newest largest wind farms are said to be “1 GW”, even though they will almost never supply that. The real percentage they supply of the advertised “capacity” is called the “capacity factor” and it rarely gets a mention.
Australian wind plants only working at 27% of full capacity and the long term trend is down « JoNova
Taking account of the average capacity factor is nowhere near the heart of the problem which is nights with little or no wind.
ReplyDeleteA chain is only as strong as the weakest link, as everyone knows, likewise the lowest part of a flood levee or a fence or the wall of a dam.
Nights with little or no wind are the weak links in the wind and solar power chain, especially several nights in succession or a month like June 2017 in Australia with no less than 10 nights.
Did someone say STORAGE?
When our Prime Minister and the energy minister are asked how we will get through periods of low sun and wind, they scornfully reply “We store water don’t we!”
Not so fast Ministers. There is a fundamental difference between wind farming and dirt farming to grow crops and pastures.
Dirt farmers have the benefit of natural water storage in the soil.
The amount of water in man-made storage is a minute fragment of one per cent of the water stored in the soil!
Think about the impact of rain droughts without natural storage. Plants would need continuous rainfall to survive because short periods without rain on sunny days would be devastating.
Electricity grids need a continuous input of power and the capacity of storage systems is negligible compared with the amount of power required to ride through a windless night.