Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The bottom line on wind as an energy source is that it is
small now and growing. It should be encouraged as one of
the systems to generate electricity with no greenhouse gas
emissions. Wind can grow to
% of electricity
supply with no real problems. Above that level, to become
a major component of the nation
%to
s energy
supply, the power grid needs upgrading and critically
important questions about variability and backup need
answering. In Germany today, its utilities are complaining
that it is becoming much more dif
'
s or the world
'
cult to stabilize the
power grid. There is considerable exaggeration about
promises such as
as given in the
DOE report. With the output factor of
% wind by
% in the
United States that would require an installed capacity of
% of the total electricity supply, which is highly
unlikely. Cost estimates do not include the costs of
making up for the wind
firming), and
I would guess that if wind farm operators had to
'
s variability (called
firm their
own power, no large wind farms would be built. Today,
wind electricity sells at a premium, and the system oper-
ator and the public bear the cost of
firming. Also, very few
estimates of emissions include those from the natural gas
power plants that are now used for
firming. There is an
exception that I will discuss in
Chapter
.
.
Solar Energy
There are really three solar-energy systems. The two that
get the most attention are solar photovoltaic and solar
thermal electrical generating systems. The American
comedian Rodney Danger
eld used to complain in his
routine that
“
I don
'
t get no respect.
”
The biggest solar
