Comments on: Gone with the wind http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/05/gone-with-the-wind/ Trends, happenings and innovations in the clean technology market Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:28:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/05/gone-with-the-wind/comment-page-1/#comment-723 Anonymous Fri, 01 Dec 2006 23:48:00 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/05/gone-with-the-wind/#comment-723 The "need for storage" myth continues. Until wind approaches 15-20% load, there's simply no need for storage. But the unfounded myth will no doubt continue. The “need for storage” myth continues. Until wind approaches 15-20% load, there’s simply no need for storage. But the unfounded myth will no doubt continue.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/05/gone-with-the-wind/comment-page-1/#comment-722 Anonymous Sun, 12 Nov 2006 18:38:00 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/05/gone-with-the-wind/#comment-722 Wind is a fantastic clean energy source, but has to be paired with a storable source. Fortunately Ontario has vast water power resources which can be paired with wind today (it would help if our politicians and regulators shared this vision). In the future we could replace decommissioned nuclear and coal with CHP and/or dedicated combined cycle natural gas plants (with sequestration) and twin these "storable" sources with wind and solar. The more intermittent sources you have, and the more spread out they are, and the smarter your grid becomes, the more the intermittent sources begin to behave like firm power. If we want it, the Ontario grid could be 80-90% from renewable sources with no coal and no nuclear within 20 years.... The question isn't "can Ontario have clean electricity generation?", the quesiton is "do we want to have clean electricity generation?" Wind is a fantastic clean energy source, but has to be paired with a storable source. Fortunately Ontario has vast water power resources which can be paired with wind today (it would help if our politicians and regulators shared this vision). In the future we could replace decommissioned nuclear and coal with CHP and/or dedicated combined cycle natural gas plants (with sequestration) and twin these “storable” sources with wind and solar. The more intermittent sources you have, and the more spread out they are, and the smarter your grid becomes, the more the intermittent sources begin to behave like firm power. If we want it, the Ontario grid could be 80-90% from renewable sources with no coal and no nuclear within 20 years…. The question isn’t “can Ontario have clean electricity generation?”, the quesiton is “do we want to have clean electricity generation?”

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/05/gone-with-the-wind/comment-page-1/#comment-721 Anonymous Wed, 08 Nov 2006 22:06:00 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/05/gone-with-the-wind/#comment-721 I'm a real fan of wind, but it serves little purpose until you have the ability to store the power it produces. You can count on the average, but without storage you cannot use it for base load. The new flow battery installation in Ireland (IIRC) is a VERY big deal. Mike I’m a real fan of wind, but it serves little purpose until you have the ability to store the power it produces. You can count on the average, but without storage you cannot use it for base load. The new flow battery installation in Ireland (IIRC) is a VERY big deal.

Mike

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/05/gone-with-the-wind/comment-page-1/#comment-720 Anonymous Wed, 08 Nov 2006 16:43:00 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/05/gone-with-the-wind/#comment-720 In 2004(?) Stanford University created a wind energy map finding that North America has the world's greatest wind energy potential, and that the Great Lakes Basin has the highest power producing winds in NA. The numbers were based on off-shore lake-based installations. In 2004(?) Stanford University created a wind energy map finding that North America has the world’s greatest wind energy potential, and that the Great Lakes Basin has the highest power producing winds in NA. The numbers were based on off-shore lake-based installations.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/05/gone-with-the-wind/comment-page-1/#comment-719 Anonymous Tue, 07 Nov 2006 04:45:00 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/05/gone-with-the-wind/#comment-719 Offshore wind is the only reliable wind source. The Europeans are going to offshore wind because they have tapped most onshore wind but also because wind yields are much, much higher than onshore and there is a lot less NIMBY. Offshore wind is the only reliable wind source. The Europeans are going to offshore wind because they have tapped most onshore wind but also because wind yields are much, much higher than onshore and there is a lot less NIMBY.

]]>