Grid Integration
Grid integration of renewable energy, especially wind energy, is a controversial topic–and has been for nearly three decades. Frankly, I think the subject has been beaten to death and for my part the questions answered many times over. Nevertheless, those opposed to renewable energy continually raise the subject in the hopes that this is some silver bullet that will put wind and solar energy in its grave. As a consequence, renewable energy advocates ask me for help to rebut the common myths about wind energy’s “unreliability”. For this reason, I occasionally post articles or reports on the topic of grid integration.
The Costs of Wind’s Variability: Is There a Threshold?
By
Joseph F. Decarolis and David W. Keith
Even with the added costs to deal with intermittency, wind is roughly competitive with other generation technologies under a strong carbon constraint.
The Economics and Environmental Impacts of Large-Scale Wind Power in a Carbon Constrained World
By
Joseph Frank Decarolis
When wind serves upwards of 60 percent of demand, the model chooses to install more GT than GTCC capacity because the lower rates of gas utilization dictate the use of lower efficiency, lower capital cost gas turbines.
The economics of large-scale wind power in a carbon constrained world
By
Joseph F. Decarolis, David W. Keith
We find that, with somewhat optimistic assumptions about the cost of wind turbines, the use of wind to serve 50% of demand adds ~1-2¢/kWh to the cost of electricity, a cost comparable to that of other large-scale low carbon technologies.
