Wind Penetration Update 2006

By Paul Gipe

New Energy reports (2/2006) that on 16 February, 2006 during the peak of consumption in Spain at 9:25 pm, Spanish wind turbines delivered 20% of total generation. This was during a period of low hydroelectric production because of a prolonged drought. At the time there were 10,200 MW of wind generation on line-and most significantly-they were producing 7,000 MW or some 70% of their nameplate capacity.

This should put the lie to charges that wind turbines never deliver their capacity when it’s needed most-during periods of peak consumption.

Moreover, this wasn’t the result of an academic study on one or two wind turbines, but on a fleet of machines scattered across a nation of 40 million people that consumes 250 TWh of electricity per year.