<<You might do the math on how much ng is going to be saved with 3,000 mw of capacity. If the maximum capacity is 3,000 mw what is the capacity factor? Is it always windy? Do these turbines require down time?
It seems they assume 100% operation at full capacity and that they are replacing very low efficiency units.>>
Average CF of new wind turbines is around 35%, efficiency in the very high 90s. They frequently do replace the older single cycle NG turbines but that depends on where they are, of course.
I believe the PR said the total installed capacity, nearly 10 Gigawatts, could lead to 5% reduction (AWEA estimates that an installed capacity of 9,149 MW of wind power will save over half a billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (Bcf/d) in 2006, alleviating a portion of the supply pressure that is now facing the natural gas industry and is driving prices upward.)
9,149,000 kw x 8760 (hrs) x .35 (CF)= 28 billion kwhs/year
3.3 cf of NG = 1 kWh at 100% efficiency
8.25 cf of NG = 1 kWh at 40% efficiency (reasonable for single cycles??)
8.25 x 28 billion = 231 bcf = 630 million bcf/day
Of course, assumes 100% NG replacement and a variety of other factors, but single cycle NG turbines are at the margin.
The post represents the danger of a calculator and just enough knowledge to be dangerous. If there are holes of sufficient girth that a CNG-powered truck cd drive through, my apologies.
Maybe a better headline to the press release would be: "Wind is helping reduce our reliance on higher cost fossil fuels of which we have a finite supply, but we ain't the panacea so get off our backs"?? Not too catchy, but you get the drift ;-)
Never have figured out the hostility toward renewable energy expressed by some. It's just another arrow in the quiver that, like every other power plant, has benefits and issues--and like the rest, isn't available "24/7." |
