Renewables Helped France Avoid Freezing in the Dark

French Wind Offsets Down Nuclear Reactors
French & German Wind Likely Made the Difference during Arctic Cold Spell

By Paul Gipe
February 10, 2012

In a startling development widely reported across Europe in the English-, French-, and German-language press, France imported electricity to meet peak demand during a brutal cold snap February 7, 2012.  And one of the countries France imported electricity from was Germany.

Post Fukushima, Germany closed two-fifths of its nuclear reactors and there were fears that Germany would not be able to meet its own demand let alone export electricity. Nuclear reactors provided one-fourth of Germany’s electricity before Fukushima.  Available French nuclear capacity was operating flat-out with three reactors off line.

However, France’s famed nuclear fleet delivered only 60% of the 100,000 MW of peak load experienced at 7:00 pm (19:00 hours) as millions of French homeowners switched on their electric heaters. The remainder of demand was met by oil, coal, hydro, imports from neighboring countries, and renewables.

French wind turbines produced 3,600 MW at the time, or 3.6% of demand. There is 6,600 MW of wind capacity installed in France. Thus, wind delivered 55% of its installed capacity during peak demand, indicating good but not exceptional wind in parts of France.

The amount of wind generation during peak demand was roughly equivalent to the three nuclear reactors that were not available at the time. France imported 500 MW or 0.5% of peak demand from Germany.

Both French and German grid operators noted that there was never any danger of a blackout as operators held some hydroelectric capacity on standby as an emergency reserve.

German Supply during French Peak Demand

Meanwhile, Germany was enduring the same Arctic weather as France. The sun had set so Germany’s solar photovoltaic capacity was not contributing to supply.

Winds were lighter in Germany than in France, but Germany’s fleet of 29,000 MW of wind turbines was generating 6,300 MW at the time for about 22% of their potential.
Nevertheless, German wind turbines were providing 9% of total German demand, more than enough for Germany to export 500 MW to France.
Earlier in the day, wind and solar in Germany met nearly 12% of German demand.
It is likely that German biogas and biomass plants also contributed significantly to supply. However, the public data source, EEX Transparency Platform, does not report biogas and biomass separately from conventional generation.

• Craig Morris: French power consumption exceeds 100 GW– Eleven months ago, when Germany shut down 40 percent of its nuclear power capacity, some experts warned of blackouts in the winter, but it turns out that the German grid is one of the most stable in the region. . .
• Liberation: Le Grand Froid Met Le System Electrique en Haute Tension–Un pic passé toutefois “même pas mal”, dit-on du côté d’EDF et de sa filiale RTE chargée de veiller à l’équilibre entre consommation et production. Les moyens disponibles et programmables pouvaient assurer 95 GW, auquel on pouvait ajouter 5 GW de moyens diffus et une prodution éolienne réelle de 3,6 GW. Du coup avec 7 GW importés, soit 7% de la consommation, les marges de sécurité, avec plusieurs GW d’hydraulique mobilisables rapidement étaient conservées. . .
• Brutal cold triggers reserve power plants–”We do not have a problem of supply, of quantity, it’s principally a question of stabilising the network,” a spokeswoman for the Germany electricity market regulator said. . . A recent study showed that Germany is now compensating for the off-line nuclear stations primarily with renewable energy: around three-quarters of the atomic gap. So although it’s been extremely cold recently, sunny weather in Germany helped fill France’s power shortfall caused by the country’s heavy dependence on nuclear energy. . .
• Some Facts on the Electricity Heating Crisis in France December 2009–Two excellent documents have been released by the Association négaWatt in France. These reflect on the electricity crisis in France during a previous cold spell just prior to Christmas, 2009 caused by the unchecked growth of electric heating. . .

Paul Gipe is an author, advocate, and renewable energy industry analyst.  He has written extensively about renewable energy for both the popular and trade press. He has also lectured widely on wind energy and how to minimize its impact on the environment and the communities of which it is a part. The views expressed are his own and are not necessarily those WindShare.

CanWEA disappointed with OFA statement on Wind Energy

Will continue to work to ensure farmers enjoy productive relationship with wind energy

The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) is extremely disappointed that the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has called for a suspension of wind energy development at a time when farmers across the province are actively participating in, and seeking to participate in, wind energy developments throughout Ontario. In fact, many of the issues that the OFA has identified as areas of concern are already being reviewed and examined through processes like the Ontario Government’s Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) Review process.

“We are surprised and disappointed the OFA is proposing to put thousands of jobs at risk in Ontario and limit the ability of farmers to participate in Ontario’s clean energy economy,” said Robert Hornung, CanWEA president. “We will be seeking a meeting with the OFA to better understand their point of view and discuss their concerns and will remain active participants in the processes that are already in place to discuss many of these issues.”

The wind energy industry has a long history of working with the agricultural community and in fact sees farmers as a key partner in wind energy development as thousands of Ontario farmers are participating in Ontario’s clean energy economy through FIT and microFIT programs. CanWEA has worked with leaders within the OFA and other agricultural associations to inform our best practices in stakeholder engagement and to ensure the industry continues to be a good partner.

“We will continue to provide fact-based answers to ensure Ontarians have the information they need to make informed choices as Ontario moves towards a cleaner, stronger and affordable energy system,” added Robert Hornung.

Wind energy plays increasing role in meeting Ontario power demand

 November marks highest output month on record for wind energy

(OTTAWA) Jan. 11, 2012 – Wind energy is playing an increasingly important role in meeting Ontario’s demand for electricity, according to the Independent Electricity System Operator’s annual release of supply, demand and price data. Total wind energy production rang in at 3.9 terawatt hours TWh – up substantially from 2.8 TWh in 2010. November 2011 marked the highest monthly wind output ever seen in Ontario, with production in that month alone exceeding 0.56 TWh. In annual terms, wind generation represented 2.6 per cent of total output across all fuel types of 149.9 TWh.

A record level of new wind energy projects were commissioned in both Canada and Ontario in 2011. In 2011, new wind energy projects were built and commissioned in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. More than 5,000 MW of wind energy projects are already contracted to be built over the next five years.

“Wind energy is proving itself a key partner as Ontario builds a stronger, cleaner and affordable electricity system. Increased growth of wind energy in Ontario means cleaner air, new jobs and local investments for the communities that host wind energy projects,” said Robert Hornung, president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA). “Maintaining Ontario’s leadership position will require continued commitments to aggressive targets for wind energy development and a stable policy framework.”

In 2011, the wind energy industry in Canada represented more than $3 billion in new investments that have created 17,000 person years of employment. Canada is now ranked ninth globally in terms of total installed wind energy capacity.

About CanWEA:
CanWEA is the voice of Canada’s wind energy industry, actively promoting the responsible and sustainable growth of wind energy on behalf of its more than 440 members. A national non-profit association, CanWEA serves as Canada’s leading source of credible information about wind energy and its social, economic and environmental benefits.

To join other global leaders in the wind energy industry, CanWEA believes Canada can and must reach its target of producing 20 per cent or more of the country’s electricity from wind by 2025. The document Wind Vision 2025 – Powering Canada’s Future is available at www.canwea.ca

Auditor General of Ontario Report: Incompetent or Intentionally Misleading?

Glen Estill
December 14, 2011

When I re-read the recent Auditor General’s report on renewable energy, I continued to find significant deficiencies. The report was either written by incompetent people, or was written in a way to intentionally mislead the reader.

On page 104 of the report, it states, “Ontario’s FIT prices were originally designed with the intention of allowing a reasonable rate of return, defined as 11% after-tax return on equity, for developers of all types of renewable energy projects.” Later in that section is states, “The OPA said it initially developed Ontario’s FIT prices based on the long-established and successful FIT programs in Germany and Spain. We noted that the internal rates of return offered to the developers in these countries varied depending on project risks and ranged from just 5% to 7% in Germany to between 7% and 10% in Spain.”

The report is comparing return on equity (ROE) to internal rate of return (IRR). Further, the report offers no explanation to the reader that these are two entirely different concepts. ROE is the return earned on the equity portion of the investment. IRR is the return on all capital, including equity. For example, if you invest $1000, and the IRR is 10%, then the investment will earn $100. But if you can borrow 80% of the $1000, at an interest rate of 7%, then your equity is only $200. The $100 in income goes first to pay the interest – $56. The balance of $44 is your return on equity, or 22% of the equity amount of $200. Internal rate of return is 10%. Return on equity is 22%. (Note that I have simplified things a bit and assumed that the borrowed amount remains borrowed for the life of the investment. In practice, lenders usually like the loan to be paid off over the life of the investment instead of just at the end. This would reduce the return on equity, but the point remains – return on equity is higher than IRR if you can borrow for less than the IRR.)

Surely the Auditor General understands the difference between ROE and IRR. If not, then there is serious incompetence. And surely the Auditor General knows that his writings need to be accessible and understandable to media, politicians, and bureaucrats, most of whom would not understand the difference between ROE and IRR. If the Auditor General doesn’t understand that, then we have a serious problem. Who else reads the reports?

So where are we left? The only plausible explanation is that the Auditor General was writing a report with a strong bias against renewable energy, and the policies designed to enable it. Another word for that is propaganda. Shame.

Reprinted from Wind Blog, http://wind-blog.com/?p=428 by our Colleague & Friend of Wind, Glen Estill.

Improving the Green Energy FIT (2011)

 By Don McCabe, Vice President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Developing green energy and securing sustainable energy sources has been a priority for government, industry, researchers and consumers for decades. In Ontario, we are fortunate to have programs that ensure green energy is a priority today, and for future generations.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) was an early supporter of green energy and joined with the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association and other like-minded groups in 2008 to campaign for a Green Energy and Green Economy (GEGE) Act. The act was passed in 2009 and set a commitment to the Feed in Tariff (FIT) program. Ontario’s FIT program is North America’s first comprehensive guaranteed pricing structure for renewable electricity production offering stable prices under long-term contracts for energy generated from renewable sources including wind, solar, biomass and biogas.

A past provincial Conservative government passed legislation to remove coal fired power from Ontario’s energy mix. A key objective of the GEGE act is to assist in the phase-out of coal-fired generating stations inOntario by the end of 2014. In a recent speech to the Economic Club of Canada, Premier McGuinty commented that, “we know the price of fossil fuels will keep going up, while we know the price of renewable technologies will keep coming down. We know where the world is going. And we choose to lead, not follow.” These words from the Premier indicate a rock solid commitment to the development and implementation of green energy technologies.

With the new act, the government also committed to a FIT program review (this includes microFIT) within two years to evaluate the program’s rules and pricing. The provincial government has kept its promise and OFA is pleased to be involved in the FIT program review process. 

Farmers are in a unique position. All farmers are consumers of energy and rely on an efficient generation and delivery system across the province. But now there is also potential for many farmers to participate in the generation of energy through the FIT and microFIT programs. The OFA’s critical assessment of these programs will identify both strengths and weaknesses in each. The intent will be to recommend changes that enable both of these programs to continue into the future and provide opportunities for Ontario farmers to contribute to Ontario’s long-term goal of generating green energy from renewable sources. The OFA’s submission to the FIT program review is in the final stages of drafting. It will be submitted to the Ontario Ministry of Energy by mid-December and posted to the OFA website. The position will include recognition of the balance of improved technology cost implementation and consumer pricing.

OFA continues to advocate for the development of green energy for farmers, consumer pocketbooks, and the health of the province. All farmers are power consumers. And now they have opportunities to become power generators. We must ensure policies embedded in the FIT programs are in the best interests of all Ontarians. Green energy has an important place in our industry and we’re working to make it a better fit.

We encourage you to leave you own supportive comment at the following link http://www.ofa.on.ca/media/news/Improving-the-green-energy-fit.

CanWEA Opposes Private Members Bill 10

Proposed Bill would create significant uncertainty, put local jobs and investments at risk

Ottawa (Nov. 29) – The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) opposes Private Members Bill 10 which was introduced in the Legislative Assembly  yesterday and proposes to restore municipal bylaw and planning authority as it pertains to clean energy projects. While CanWEA is committed to exploring potential mechanisms to enhance the effectiveness of municipal engagement in such projects as part of the current Feed-in-Tariff program review, the association believes that proposals to change existing legislation will create significant policy uncertainty at a time when investors are seeking stable, long-term policy frameworks to support wind energy development.

“While the Green Energy Act (GEA) has very specific requirements for consultations with municipalities, we acknowledge that opportunities exist to strengthen the process under the GEA, ” said CanWEA President Robert Hornung. “Bill 10, however, would create significant policy uncertainty. The wind energy industry wants to work productively with all levels of government to ensure the jobs and investments continue flowing into rural communities across Ontario.”

CanWEA believes municipalities have a vital role to play in any new local development, and has always encouraged municipal governments to take full advantage of all opportunities for engagement under the GEA.  Consistent with its mandate to support the responsible and sustainable development of wind energy in Canada, CanWEA has developed and promotes Best Practices for Community Engagement and Public Consultation – which were informed through discussions with dozens of municipal leaders across Ontario.

“This Private Members Bill appears to take a unilateral approach to what is currently a more collaborative process as a fulsome review of the Feed-in-Tariff program takes place.  Adoption of this act would create significant policy uncertainty. The wind energy industry wants to work productively with all levels of government to ensure the jobs and investments continue flowing into rural communities across Ontario.”

In addition to 2,125 MW of signed contracts in place today, applications have already been made for an additional 6,672 MW of wind energy development in Ontario. Ontario is Canada’s wind energy leader with 1,755 MW of current installed capacity, attracting millions in new investments from around the world.

Each 100 MW of wind energy development represents a minimum of 100 jobs, $250 million in private investment, and $300,000 in revenue to municipal governments in the form of taxes and an equal amount to rural landowners in the form of lease payments. Each 100 MW of wind energy also provides Ontarians with enough clean, affordable electricity to power about 30,000 homes.

Chris Forrest
VP, Communications & Marketing
CanWEA

Airborne Turbines Revolutionize Wind Power

(reposted from Silvio Marcacci, The Energy Collective, Nov 21, 2011)

Flying a kite has often been considered child’s play, but a group of inventors think the concept could be used to make wind energy cheaper and more reliable than ever before, potentially revolutionizing wind power forever.

Correspondent Josh Zepps met the innovators working to turn the idea of flying a kite into an airborne wind turbine that’s lighter and more powerful than traditional wind turbines.

If you’ve ever flown a kite, you’re familiar with the strength and consistency of wind hundreds of feet off the ground, higher up than most land-based wind turbines. What if that same concept could be applied to harness wind power – could it help solve the intermittency, siting, and cost problems that have put a damper on wind energy?

Enter the Makani Airborne Wind Turbine, an innovative design that combines the concept of kite surfing with wind turbines. Its goal is to achieve the same motion of a turbine without the structure itself. “The difference between a wind turbine and what we’re doing is we have a wing that is free-flying and tethered to the ground,” said Corwin Hardham, Makani CEO. “You have this kite flying the same pattern as wind turbine blade, but up higher in the sky.”

The secret to the air turbine design lies in using a fraction of the material necessary for a standard wind turbine. A conventional 1-megawatt wind turbine can weigh more than 100 tons, but Makani’s airborne turbine only uses a carbon-fiber wing and lightweight rotors of their own creation. The company says its 1-megawatt airborne turbine system will weigh a tenth as much and have an installed price half a normal turbine, but with the same rated power. “We expect the cost to be around 3 cents a kilowatt-hour,” said Hardham. “That’s getting lower than a lot of coal-fired generation at the moment.”

Imagine a fleet of 26-feet wide, motorized fixed-wing gliders tracing circles in the air at 150 miles per hour, sending a constant stream of electricity to the grid via the tether connecting them to the ground. The wing’s rotors function as both propeller and generator: when the wing launches, it uses backup or stored power to reach its cruising altitude. At about 1,000 feet high, they switch to creating resistance against the high-altitude winds and generate electricity the same way an electric vehicle generates power from its brakes.

But what about when the wind doesn’t blow? The wings can stay aloft using steady breezes or their own power, but once the wind speed drops below nine miles an hour, they become net consumers of electricity, and would be landed if periods of low wind speed are forecast. Makani says the system will generate power twice as consistently as the best wind farms operating today. “The wind is about twice as powerful at that altitude,” says Hardham.

Makani’s future seems bright. Their airborne turbine system won this year’s Breakthrough Award in energy from Popular Mechanics, received a $3 million dollar grant from the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E program, and $20 million in venture capital funding from Google.

But, like all other energy start-ups, the airborne wind turbine will ultimately succeed or fail based on how much power it can generate. That’s why Makani is developing a bigger turbine system to fly at 1,600 feet and produce enough electricity to power 600 homes. It plans to launch a prototype of the new design by 2013 and enter commercial production by 2015.