Comments on: Utility Scale Wind in the Hawaiian Islands http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=5110 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:36:51 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Renewable Energy With Windmills | DIY Home Power http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=5110&cpage=1#comment-13582 Renewable Energy With Windmills | DIY Home Power Mon, 27 Apr 2009 07:23:55 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=5110#comment-13582 [...] Utility Scale Wind in a Hawaiian Islands [...] [...] Utility Scale Wind in a Hawaiian Islands [...]

]]> By: Windmill Electricity: Cheap Power Alternative | DIY Home Power http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=5110&cpage=1#comment-13325 Windmill Electricity: Cheap Power Alternative | DIY Home Power Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:01:25 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=5110#comment-13325 [...] Utility Scale Wind in a Hawaiian Islands Share and Enjoy: [...] [...] Utility Scale Wind in a Hawaiian Islands Share and Enjoy: [...]

]]> By: paminator http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=5110&cpage=1#comment-13285 paminator Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:02:36 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=5110#comment-13285 Roger, the study you linked to was published in 2003. Since then the cost of wind towers, undersea cables and DC/DC converter stations have all gone up considerably. The numbers in the report were- capital- 3.6 cents/kwh operating- 1.4 cents/kwh total cost- 5.0 cents/kwh US PTC- -1.8 cents/kwh Result- 3.2 cents/kwh This was based on a 40% capacity factor for the turbines. Back of the envelope indicates the costs today will be 10 cents/kwh before the PTC, using the 40% capacity factor. As a scheduled source, the capacity factor is far lower, based on ERCOT's experiences. They use a next-day capacity factor of 8% for day ahead scheduling, and they have wind farms in high-class areas in west Texas. Even with all these considerations, Hawaii's unique energy supply problems may still make this economically feasible as an energy source. Adding pumped hydro storage would help improve the capacity factor, at the expense of building a pumped hydro facility. Who knows, maybe someday wind won't need a 24 cent/MWhr government handout to reach grid parity. Roger, the study you linked to was published in 2003. Since then the cost of wind towers, undersea cables and DC/DC converter stations have all gone up considerably. The numbers in the report were-

capital- 3.6 cents/kwh
operating- 1.4 cents/kwh
total cost- 5.0 cents/kwh
US PTC- -1.8 cents/kwh
Result- 3.2 cents/kwh

This was based on a 40% capacity factor for the turbines.

Back of the envelope indicates the costs today will be 10 cents/kwh before the PTC, using the 40% capacity factor. As a scheduled source, the capacity factor is far lower, based on ERCOT’s experiences. They use a next-day capacity factor of 8% for day ahead scheduling, and they have wind farms in high-class areas in west Texas.

Even with all these considerations, Hawaii’s unique energy supply problems may still make this economically feasible as an energy source. Adding pumped hydro storage would help improve the capacity factor, at the expense of building a pumped hydro facility. Who knows, maybe someday wind won’t need a 24 cent/MWhr government handout to reach grid parity.

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