The inherent variability of wind energy makes it hard
to integrate into the grid (HCN, 5/02/05: The Winds of Change).
Coal, gas, nuclear, biomass, geothermal and hydro plants can all be
dialed up or down to meet the constantly fluctuating electricity
loads. With wind, you get what you get.
At 1 percent of
production, as in California where I live, this variability is not
a big deal. But to get wind to 10 percent or 15 percent, wind
plants must be backed up with conventional resources that can be
dispatched reliably. Another challenge: The best wind sites are
already developed or located far from metropolitan areas.
Developing wind energy in remote areas will require expensive new
transmission systems.
One potential solution is low-wind
speed technology (LWST) — turbines and gearboxes that pump
electrons effectively at slower wind speeds. U.S. Department of
Energy experts say LWST could make wind energy viable on up to 20
times as many sites as current technology, including many areas
near cities.
Earlier this year, the California Energy
Commission funded three pilot projects using new LWST strategies to
manage wind’s inherent variability. The results should tell
us a lot about how we can reap more wind energy in the West and
elsewhere.
Jim Hight
Arcata,
California
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Better technology for harnessing wind.
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