Wind is Not Power 1

8/8/2019 Wind is Not Power 1

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is theoretically large for wind, without the coincident presence of

sufficient, suitable and reliable power capability, negates the value of

any source as a viable means of utility-scale electricity supply.

The reason for this is that reliable electrical power is vital for the

needs of our modern world. It provides the necessary access to

electrical energyin a timely manner. It is an important part of the

foundation of the most developed countries. A reliable supply of

adequate powerenables us to do as much work as we need in the

required time. In other words, the absence of adequate and reliable

power limits our ability to access the energy that could be available to

us. This is a major concern of the developing and undeveloped

countries today.

There are drawbacks to the ability to access energy this effectively. An

important one is the rate of pollution and waste produced in the

process. Another is that economic and easy access can result in

unnecessary and frivolous use. However, we cannot provide

theessentialaspects of the quality of life enjoyed in developed

countries without some appreciable level of access. To start indetermining what a reasonable level of energy use is, we have to ask

ourselves if the profligate use of energy in developed countries has

ensured: national security, sound economies, healthy and prosperous

agriculture, cultural development, social cohesion and the assurance

that the worlds population receives a decent level of physical well-

being, nutrition, education and the basic freedoms.[i] Arguably it

does not.

The time scale to transition, again in technology and societal terms,

to a new energy conversion infrastructure, for example one that more

effectively, and directly, harnesses solar energy, will take many

decades/generations. This may not be compatible with the time

frame of concerns, based on conventional wisdom, of an onset of

substantial climate change impacts, which is, politically at least, a

high profile initiative.
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In this respect, one of the essential challenges for all countries in the

near to medium term of one to three decades or more is to select and

carefully use the most effective, and least harmful, generation means

and invest national wealth in sufficient research and development to

find better future ways of accessing energy. This applies to all energy

uses, not just electricity generation, but the focus here is electricity,

and electricity generation is arguably the most important form of

energy conversion that exists today and for the future. Contrary to

current major policy initiatives in some countries, wind does not

qualify, and may never. This series of posts shows how the current set

of new renewables, especially wind, are not ready for wide-spread

utility-scale use. Two critical reasons are provided for this, both

related to power.

As described above, power can be viewed as the portal through

which energy is accessed. Two important dimensions of power are:

Power density, in this context is the relationship between

power and the land or water area required to sustain thepower source, as explained bySmil. High densities are

measures of the suitability of a power sources capability to

provide any worthwhile share of the total energy need. A

measure of this is energy flux per unit of horizontal surface

and can be measured in watts per square meter (W/m2). Our

energy flux needs, especially those of the large developing

nations, are too great, and our energy conversion and use

infrastructures too established to allow the consideration of

employing significantly lower power densities to access energy

than now being widely utilized, for decades if at all.

Capacity (power) value is the rate at which energy flux can

consistently be provided. In electricity terms it is, again, watt-

hours per hour (or watts), representing the amount of useful

activity that can reliably be performed in a given period of

time (for example, lighting, heating, running computers and
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machines). This extends the view of power beyond power

density considerations.

This three-part series will review how wind electricity productionfails to qualify as a source of power in both respectspower density

and capacity (power) value. Inadequacy in either of these categories,

let alone both, means wind cannot be considered a useful source of

electrical energy. As extensive wind implementation is projected, it

represents a needless diversion of resources, financial and

governance, that produces no benefits, for example, in terms of fossil

fuel or CO2 emissions reductions, costs, andjob creation. An

appropriate label for modern times might be just wind activity.

On a final note, inevitably the issue of utility-scale storage will be

raised as the solution for wind. There is a growing body of

information about this, the bottom line of which is that this is not

feasible for reasons of technology, scalability to the massive sizes

required by projected wind installations, substantial costs, and the

challenging permitting process for the most promising, extensive

expansion of water reservoirs for pumped storage.[ii]

Part II discusses power density and Part III, capacity (power) value.

[i] Smil, Vaclav (2008). Energy in Nature and Society: General

Energetics of Complex Systems. The MIT Press. Pages 386-387. This

book is recommended, and arguably necessary, reading, for an

understanding of the general subject of energetics.

[ii] Readers are directed to the following as starting points in gaining

the necessary understanding of the issues of utility-scale storage:

(a) Smil, pages 383385

(b) MacKay, David (2008). Sustainable Energy without the hot

air.http://www.withouthotair.com/download.html

(c) For an overview of technologies see the Electricity Storage
http://www.withouthotair.com/download.htmlhttp://www.masterresource.org/2010/09/wind-not-power-i/#_ednref2http://www.masterresource.org/2010/09/wind-not-power-i/#_ednref1http://www.masterresource.org/2010/09/wind-not-power-iii/http://www.masterresource.org/2010/09/wind-not-power-ii/#commentshttp://www.masterresource.org/2010/09/wind-not-power-i/#_edn2http://www.juandemariana.org/pdf/090327-employment-public-aid-renewable.pdfhttp://www.masterresource.org/2010/05/cape-wind-approval/#more-9603http://www.masterresource.org/2010/06/subsidizing-co2-emissions/


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Association article

athttp://www.electricitystorage.org/site/technologies/

(d) On the advocacy side, there is an article in the September 2010

issue of Power magazine entitled Bulk Storage Could Optimize

Renewable Energy. It is written by Jason Makansi, executive

director of the Coalition to Advance Renewable Energy through Bulk

Storage. It also chronicles the many problematic issues with wind

production. Suggested solutions should be considered within the

broader context of the first two recommended books.
http://www.electricitystorage.org/site/technologies/http://www.twitter.com/arc90http://www.arc90.com/http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability

Wind is Not Power 1

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