GETTING THE FACTS RIGHT:
Ten things you ought to know about wind energy
Wind energy is not highly subsidised, it simply operates into a subsidised energy market.
In the past, no electricity generating technology has been developed, introduced and become competitive without initial support. Well-established industries such as oil, natural gas and nuclear power have all benefited from significant state backing during their development phase. In 2004, the European Environment Agency assessed direct and indirect energy subsidies in the European Union. The report estimated that total subsidies in 2001 were €29.2 billion, of which €23.9 billion was for fossil fuels and nuclear and €5.3 billion for renewables.
Worldwide, according to the United Nations, conventional energy sources receive an estimated $250-300 billion in subsidies per year. In the United States, for example, the federal government has paid out $35 billion over 30 years to cover the medical expenses of miners suffering from “black lung disease”.
Such distortions mean that the true cost of “conventional” energy sources is not reflected in their market price.
Wind energy can compete with other power generation options.
At good windy sites, wind is increasingly competitive with other new-build generation technologies, especially given the dramatic rise in oil and gas prices. Obviously, wind cannot compete with the cost of producing electricity from an existing power plant that has already been depreciated and paid for by taxpayers or electricity consumers. The current cost of producing electricity from wind energy ranges from approximately 6-8 € cents/kWh at sites with low to medium average wind speeds down to 4-5 € cents/kWh at good coastal sites.
Historically, the costs per produced kWh for new turbines have fallen by between 9 % and 17 % for each doubling of installed capacity. Looking ahead, if wind power’s total installed capacity doubles over the next five years, then by 2010 the cost of production from a medium-sized turbine (up to 1,5 MW) at a coastal site could be as low as 3.1 to 4.4 € cents/kWh.
For comparison, the European Commission puts the cost of new combined cycle gas generation at 3.5-4.5 € cents/ kWh and combined cycle coal at 4-5 € cents/kWh. A 2004 MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) study estimated the cost of nuclear generation at 5.1 € cents/kWh.
Finally, If the “external” costs of damage to health and other environmental effects of different fuels are added in, the European Commission has concluded that the cost of coal-fired generation would double and the cost of gas-fired generation increase by 30 %.
Wind energy is not on a “level the playing field” with other fuels.
The present situation is that environmentally harmful practices are accepted, and indeed often subsidised, and there are few taxes that fully reflect the “external costs” of electricity production (effects on environment, health, etc...). Without mechanisms to internalize these external costs, a second best solution to a level playing field in the electricity markets is to enable adequate incentives to increase the proportion of renewable energy.
According to the European Commission, the cost of producing electricity from coal would double, and that from gas increase by 30%, if external costs in the form of damage to the environment and health were taken into account. The study further estimated that these external costs amounted to 1-2% of EU GDP, or between €85 billion and €170 billion, not including the cost of global warming and climate change.
Wind energy does not need constant back-up.
Because of the way the electricity network is planned, there is no need to back up every megawatt of wind energy with a megawatt of fossil fuel or other power. All networks have enough spare capacity available to deal with disconnections, breakdowns and sudden surges in demand. No power plant is 100 % reliable. The network is designed to absorb many impacts, from electricity generation sources going out of service unexpectedly to industrial customers starting up energy intensive equipment.
The grid operator constantly matches the electricity generation available to electricity demand, and wind energy’s variability is just one more variable in the mix. In Denmark, approximately 20 % of electricity demand is already supplied by the wind, and is managed successfully by the Transmission System Operator.
Wind farms are not noisy.
At a distance of 300 meters, a modern wind turbine is no noisier than a kitchen refrigerator or a moderately quiet room. Improved design has drastically reduced the noise of mechanical components so that the most audible sound is that of the wind interacting with the rotor blades. This is similar to a light swishing sound, and much quieter than other types of modern-day equipment. Even in generally quiet rural areas, the sound of the blowing wind is often louder than the turbines. To avoid potential disturbance to neighbours, strict rules are applied by local authorities to ensure that wind turbines are far enough from nearby houses.
Wind energy benefits the environment.
Wind power has a light footprint. Its operation does not produce harmful emissions or any hazardous waste. It does not deplete natural resources, nor does it cause environmental damage through resource extraction, transport and waste management.
In a wind farm the turbines themselves take up less than 1% of the land area. Once up and running, existing activities such as agriculture and hiking can continue around them. Farm animals such as cows and sheep are not disturbed. Any impacts on the local environment must be set against the much more serious effects of producing conventional electricity.
Wind energy has limited impacts on habitats and wildlife.
Wind farm developers are required to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment for each project. They also work closely with conservation and wildlife groups to ensure that new developments are sympathetic to existing habitats. Extensive efforts are made to avoid putting up wind farms in areas which might attract large numbers of birds or bats, such as migration routes.
In the UK, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds says that “we have not so far witnessed any major adverse effects on birds associated with wind farms.” In Spain, a study in the province of Navarra – where 692 turbines were then operating in 18 wind farms – found that the annual mortality rate of medium and large birds was 0.13 per turbine.
In addition, impacts from wind power are extremely low compared with other human-related activities. US statistics show 1 billion birds are killed by colliding with buildings each year and up to 80 million by vehicles.
By comparison, it’s estimated that commercial wind turbines in the US cause the direct deaths of only 0.01 – 0.02% of all of the birds killed annually by collisions with man-made structures and activities.
Wind energy reduces pollution.
Unlike other forms of power generation, wind energy is clean and renewable. It’s “clean” because its operation doesn’t produce any carbon dioxide, the largest contributor to global warming. There are also no other harmful gases or waste products. By contrast, power stations burning fossil fuels, mainly coal and gas, are responsible for a quarter of the increase in greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere. It’s “renewable” because its fuel source is the wind – freely available and constantly renewed.
Wind energy generates reliable electricity.
Wind turbines generate electricity most (70-85 %) of the time. Their output varies according to the strength of the wind. They start generating power when the wind is blowing at about 4-5 meters per second and then stop again if it reaches gale force strength – about 25 meters/second. Over the course of a year, a wind turbine on land will generate around 30 % of its theoretical maximum output, depending on the specific site. Offshore, the percentage is higher. By comparison, the load factor of conventional power stations averages 50 %. Because of stoppages for maintenance or breakdowns, no power plant generates for 100 % of the time. Wind turbines can carry on generating electricity for 20-25 years. On an average site, a 2 MW wind turbine will produce electricity equivalent to the consumption of 1,375 average EU households.
Wind energy is already making an important contribution to electricity supply.
Over the past decade the global market for wind power has been expanding faster than any other renewable energy source. Since the year 2000 the average annual increase in cumulative installed capacity has been 28 %.
By the end of 2006, the worldwide capacity of wind power generation had reached 74,000 MW. In Europe, it had reached 48,000 MW. This is enough to meet 3 % of European electricity demand. Denmark gets 20 % of its electricity from wind power, Spain 8 % and Germany 7 %.
This content comes from the magazine Wind Directions, published by the European Wind energy Association. As the sector has grown, wind power has attracted a number of myths – commonly-held beliefs that have no foundation in reality. Each month during 2007 Wind Directions has presented the facts behind these misconceptions.
