The Economics Of Wind Energy

Growing energy demand and environmental consciousness have re-evoked human interest in wind energy. As a result, wind is the fastest growing energy source in the world today. Policy frame works and action plans have already been for- lated at various corners for meeting at least 20 per cent of the global energy - mand with new-renewables by 2010, among which wind is going to be the major player. In view of the rapid growth of wind industry, Universities, all around the world, have given due emphasis to wind energy technology in their undergraduate and graduate curriculum. These academic programmes attract students from diver- fied backgrounds, ranging from social science to engineering and technology. Fundamentals of wind energy conversion, which is discussed in the preliminary chapters of this book, have these students as the target group. Advanced resource analysis tools derived and applied are beneficial to academics and researchers working in this area. The Wind Energy Resource Analysis (WERA) software, provided with the book, is an effective tool for wind energy practitioners for - sessing the energy potential and simulating turbine performance at prospective sites.

First Published in 2009. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Examines the possible societal impacts of wind energyprojects and explains the potential issues faced when siting,constructing, and operating a wind energy project. This book begins with a history of wind power and the socialimpacts of both electricity and wind power from a historicalperspective, a discussion of basic electrical terms, and a primeron the conversion of power in the wind to electricity. Much of thesecond half of the book is devoted to comparing wind energy toother forms of electric generation, both renewable andnon-renewable sources. In order to have a true understanding of theimpact of wind energy on society, one also has to have a thoroughunderstanding of the impacts that other sources of electricgeneration have, such as fossil-fuelled plants or nuclear powerplants. The comparison of electric generation sources includes areview of how such sources are typically utilized within theelectric system, as well as the economic factors and environmentalconsiderations that affect which resources utilities or operatorsof electric grids have to take into account. The authors concludewith a discussion of energy policies in the U.S., individualstates, and foreign nations, how these policies influence the useof renewable energy, and what our future may hold in terms ofenergy supply and demand. Some highlights of this book are: Discussesthe wind energy impacts on the environment, local economy, electricutilities, individuals and communities Providesa visual explanation of wind energy principles through tables,graphs, maps, illustrations and photographs Offersa comprehensive overview of the issues associated with thecreation and use of wind energy Modelschapters around an existing university curriculum Spanning the broad range of environmental, financial, policy andother topics that define and determine the relationships betweenwind energy technology and our energy-dependent society, WindEnergy Essentials is a resource for students, universities, andthe entire wind energy industry.

Wind energy is the great success story of modern renewable energy. Since the industry's rebirth following the energy crisis of the 1970s, thousands of wind energy projects have been installed around the world. The technology today is competitive with traditional fossil-fuelled electricity generation. Wind Energy in the 21st Century explores the current economic, financial, technical, environmental, competitive, and policy considerations facing the wind energy industry. With discussions of the latest electricity industry trends including deregulation, green markets, and tradable renewable credits, this book is a must-read for energy policymakers, researchers, and energy industry professionals.

The book provides an overview of the policy frameworks that have been employed to support offshore wind power, and their efficacy in nurturing sustainable cost reductions across the industry.A growing number of countries are increasingly receptive to the prospect of implementing policies to support the deployment of large-scale renewable energy. The promise of carbon-free, utility-scale power generation from offshore wind farms has incentivised and nurtured offshore wind development. However, the high relative costs of deploying offshore wind compared to alternatives have a history of making it political divisive pursuit. At the same time when many countries are just beginning to explore the possibility of developing an offshore wind industry, many other countries are experiencing what can be described as policy fatigue over supporting offshore wind. If cost reductions are not proven sustainable by the early 2020’s, then government support for offshore wind may start to erode and even completely evaporate in several key offshore wind markets – with global repercussions. This book will provide the reader with a clear picture of the current status and future challenges of the offshore wind industry globally, incorporating both a technical analysis of the cost drivers as well as a detailed analysis of policy design and economics of industry.

In the light of the extensive debate surrounding the economics of scale of wind turbines, this timely work examines the engineering implications of developing lightweight compliant designs. Through the development of a unique modelling approach, the authors quantify the weight and cost of a diverse range of design solutions, enabling systematic quantitative comparisons to be made for the first time. This innovative reference will provide a valuable guide to engineers and consultants involved in wind energy development as well as academic researchers and postgraduate students of wind turbine technology. FEATURES INCLUDE: * Coherent analysis of the inter-relationship between the economics of wind turbines and engineering design configurations. * Discussion of the main factors driving the weight and cost of large wind turbines eg. rotor design, number of blades, blade materials, flexibility and control strategy. * Accessible overview of the development of large wind turbines and the direction that designs are taking now and into the future. * Examination of the cost implications of specific design issues such as vertical versus horizontal axis, fixed or variable speed-rotor strategy, compact versus modular drive train and direct drive configurations. * Evaluation of the economics of onshore and offshore generation sites and the prospects for the deployment of large wind turbines in offshore wind farms.