Wind power plants generate electricity when the wind is blowing, and the plant output depends on the wind speed. Wind speeds cannot be predicted with high accuracy over daily periods, and the wind often fluctuates from minute to minute and hour to hour. Consequently, electric utility system planners and operators are concerned that variations in wind plant output may increase the operating (more…)

GE’s WindCONTROL system regulates voltage and power in real time. Like a conventional power plant, the system supplies reactive power to the grid when it is needed, regulating system voltage and stabilizing weak grids. GE provides a simple integrated system of VAR control by utilizing the dynamic VAR capability inherent in GE’s variable speed turbines as the main VAR source—unlike other systems that may require add-on (more…)

This report provides details on the wind power plant monitoring project at the National Wind Technology Center. It describes the project’s structure and the data collected, as well as results of data analyses. In the past 20 years, the application of wind energy has increased steadily in the United States and throughout the world. With continued research and development and improved manufacturing processes, (more…)

•Intermittency Analysis -Integrate the contingency overloads over time to study the impact of wind intermittency on system reliability -Use Simulator’s Time Step Simulation (TSS) to model time-varying wind production -TSS enables collection and analysis of a large amount of data with a modest investment in setup time 2006 Power World Client Conference: Wind Power Intermittency 4 June 14-15, 2006 Intermittency (more…)

Wind power suppliers and consumers span a broad range. Currently, wind power serves primarily large-scale utility markets, and smaller scale community-based projects are playing an increasing role in some regions. In addition, the eastern and Gulf Coast states are considering offshore proposals. If 20% wind energy by 2030 were to be reached, supply and demand markets would need to expand to deliver (more…)

Environmental pollution and the emission of CO2 (carbon dioxide) from the use of fossil fuels constitute a threat to health, the environment and sustainable economic growth. Other major pollutants from conventional electricity, which are avoided through wind power, include SO2,NOx and PM10. The most serious threat comes from accelerating climate change, whose effects are already being seen around (more…)

Denmark has come a long way since the 1980s,when most electricity consumption was basedon coal and when the acidification of forestsand bodies of water was the predominant themein the environmental debate. Today, renewableenergy provides 28% of Danish electricity, inclu-ding 19% from wind power. Wind turbines areproduced by large industrial companies that havecreated growth and jobs in Denmark.It is the Government’s intention that expan-sion of wind power in Denmark, to the (more…)

The impact of wind power facilities on wildlife varies by region and byspecies. Specifically, studies show that wind power facilities in northernCalifornia and in Pennsylvania and West Virginia have killed large numbersof raptors and bats, respectively. Studies in other parts of the country showcomparatively lower levels of mortality, although most facilities have killedat least some birds. However, many wind power facilities in the UnitedStates have not been studied, and, therefore, scientists cannot drawdefinitive (more…)

INTRODUCTION Trading of emissions credits, allowances, andquotas is becoming widely recognized as aneffective means of lowering the cost of achievingair pollution control objectives, but the use ofcredit trading is spreading far beyond emissionstrading. Credits are now being developed toconvey or represent the environmental and otherbenefits that flow from the use of renewableenergy. This report focuses on credits that arederived from wind energy technology, but thesame concepts also apply (more…)

This working paper links the current debate about the ‘intermittency’ of wind power into the widercontext of natural cycles of resource availability of all renewable energy technologies. It investigateswhether there are technical limits to the market penetration of renewable energy technologies dueto these cycles and it discusses some of the economic implications and outlines key cost variables.Being an inherent aspect of the renewable resource, they are, in the case of mature renewable energytechnologies (more…)