Wind Energy Deployment Research Articles

Controlling Wind Energy for Utility Grid Reliability

This article provides an overview of utility grid operation by introducing the fundamental behavior of the electrical system, explaining the importance of maintaining grid reliability through balancing generation and load, and describing the methods of providing ancillary services using conventional utilities. This article also introduces the basic structural components of wind turbines, explains the traditional control systems for capturing maximum power, and highlights control methods developed in industry and academia to provide active power ancillary services with wind energy. As the penetration of wind energy continues to grow, the participation of wind turbines and wind farms in grid frequency stability is becoming more important. The future of wind energy development and deployment depends on many factors, such as policy decisions, economic markets, and technology improvements. Improvements through research and development in areas such as forecasting, turbine manufacturing processes, blade aerodynamics, power electronics, and active power control systems will continue to be a key driver for wind energy technology.

Material Flows Resulting from Large Scale Deployment of Wind Energy in Germany

The ambitious targets for renewable energies in Germany indicate that the steady growth of installed capacity of the past years will continue for the coming decades. This development is connected with significant material flows—primary material demand as well as secondary material flows. These flows have been analyzed for Germany up to the year 2050 using a statistical model for the turbines’ discard patterns. The analysis encompasses the flows of bulk metals, plastics, and rare earths (required for permanent magnets in gearless converters). Different expansion scenarios for wind energy are considered as well as different turbine technologies, future development of hub height and rotor diameter, and an enhanced deployment of converters located offshore. In addition to the direct material use, the total material requirement has been calculated using the material input per service unit (MIPS) concept. The analysis shows that the demand for iron, steel, and aluminum will not exceed around 6% of the current domestic consumption. The situation for rare earths appears to be different with a maximum annual neodymium demand for wind energy converters corresponding to about a quarter of the overall 2010 consumption. It has been shown that by efficiently utilizing secondary material flows a net material demand reduction of up to two thirds by 2050 seems possible, (i.e., if secondary material flows are fully used to substitute primary material demand).

Enabling an environment for solar and wind energy deployment in the Macedonian agricultural sector

The paper deals with the possibility for cross-cutting the agricultural and energy sector, aiming toward better utilisation of the available renewable energy sources. An integrated methodological framework is proposed in order to formulate the possible solutions to the core question, which is “who does what” to improve the utilization of renewable energy potential in the agricultural sector. The methodology includes mainly stakeholder analyses (focusing on importance, knowledge, position, and interests of each stakeholder), as well as problem and objective tree analyses. It is applied for the case of solar and wind energy deployment in the Macedonian agricultural sector. The creation of “enabling environment” is a complex process which involves different stakeholders, with specific roles and assignments, but acting in partnership with one another. Implicitly, some recommendations in a form of priority actions with roles and responsibilities assigned to various stakeholders are proposed in the paper.

Potentials and challenges in implementing feed-in tariff policy in Indonesia and the Philippines

Abstract Located in Southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines are characterized by a tropical climate and high amounts of rainfall that render their high potential for hydro-power and wind energy deployment. The volcanic geography of both countries also indicates their high geothermal potential compared with that of other countries, and their high solar radiation level makes them suitable areas to establish power plants. The present study is an archival-statistical overview of the potential generation of renewable energy in Indonesia and the Philippines and the implementation of the Feed-in-tariff (FiT) policy. This research focuses on the challenges encountered by politicians and policymakers and confirms the insufficient production of energy from wind, solar, and bio-gas sources despite the potential and the attempts to deploy FiT. Results show that the role of the government in providing support to investors is not clear in both countries. In addition, inflation rates have not been calculated. However, FiT has benefitted both countries by preventing degression during the primary years.

EIA FOR WIND FARMS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND GERMANY

In this paper we establish how effectively EIA is currently utilised in the deployment of onshore and offshore wind energy in the United Kingdom (UK) and Germany. In this context, the quality of EIA documentation and the coverage of a range of key EIA aspects of 20 developments are evaluated. Furthermore, the impact of EIA on decision making is established, based on opinions of decision makers and other stakeholders. We find that whilst there are certain weaknesses, overall EIA information is central to decision making, and EIA is resulting in major project modifications. Our results differ from the findings of most previous studies which usually observed a moderate impact on decision making only.

Assessing the impact of wind generation on wholesale prices and generator dispatch in the Australian National Electricity Market

Abstract Growing climate change and energy security concerns are driving major wind energy deployment in electricity industries around the world. Despite its many advantages, growing penetrations of this highly variable and somewhat unpredictable energy source pose new challenges for electricity industry operation. One issue receiving growing attention is the so-called ‘merit order effect’ of wind generation in wholesale electricity markets. Wind has very low operating costs and therefore tends to displace higher cost conventional generation from market dispatch, reducing both wholesale prices and conventional plant outputs. This paper extends the current literature on this effect through an empirical study employing a range of econometric techniques to quantify the impacts of growing wind penetrations in the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM). The results suggest that wind is having a marked impact on spot market prices and, while wind is primarily offsetting higher operating cost gas generation, it is now also significantly reducing dispatch of emissions intensive brown coal generation. Great care needs to be taken in extrapolating these results to longer-term implications, however, the study does propose a methodology for assessing this effect, highlights the impacts that wind is already having on NEM outcomes and suggests promising directions for future research.

The determinants of support levels for wind energy in the European Union. An econometric study

The aim of this paper is to identify the factors that drive support levels for wind on-shore electricity in the Member States of the European Union (EU) with the help of econometric techniques. The econometric analysis is based on cross-section linear regressions with ordinary least squares. Four alternative specifications of the model have been estimated. The estimates comply with the basic hypotheses of the lineal model, i.e., absence of multicollinearity, accurate functional form, homokedasticity and normality in the distribution of errors. Thus, the estimations are unbiased, efficient and consistent. The results show that countries with higher wind energy generation costs have higher support levels. The higher support levels in countries with higher carbon intensities suggest that wind energy deployment is regarded as effective to mitigate carbon emissions. The type of support scheme also influences support levels, with feed-in tariffs leading to lower levels of support than other instruments. In addition, a general good investment climate in the country makes higher support levels less necessary, stressing the importance of lowering risks in order to reduce support levels and, thus, financial transfers from consumers to producers. Thus, providing stable regulatory frameworks should be a priority of policy-makers. The rest of variables (renewable energy resource potentials, administrative barriers, energy import dependency, interest rates, share of wind energy in total electricity generation as a proxy of lobbying pressures and electricity demand) are not statistically significant in most specifications and some of them do not have the expected sign.

Diskursive Konstituierung von Kulturlandschaft am Beispiel politischer Windenergiediskurse in Deutschland

There are numerous ways to define ‘landscape’ or ‘cultural landscape’—a fact that can be irritating. We do not propose any “new” notion of landscape. By contrast we examine how ‘landscape’ and ‘cultural landscape’ acquire meaning in political discourses. The objective is to introduce an approach to analyzing the discursive constitution of cultural landscape and methods by means of which it can be implemented. We draw on the post-structural discourse theory of Ernesto Laclau and we take two empirical analyses as examples: a nation-wide survey on issues of local landscape discourses and an in-depth study on landscape concepts and argumentation schemes in political discourses about the deployment of wind energy in Germany. The landscape concepts which are reproduced in the wind energy discourses sound familiar: ‘landscape as a beautiful, valuable area’, ‘landscape as an area under human influence’ and ‘landscape as something which is perceived subjectively’. However, the hegemonic discourse in favour of wind energy constantly disrupts the conservative landscape discourse which relies on the concept of ‘landscape as a beautiful, valuable area’. Certain argumentation schemes are employed to close the discourses and to immunize them against future disruptions. Generally speaking, landscape concepts play a subordinate role in wind energy discourses. In some cases, they are articulated in an instrumental, tactical manner.

The suitability of a feed-in tariff for wind energy in New Zealand—A study based on stakeholders' perspectives

New Zealand (NZ) aims to expand the deployment of wind energy as one means to achieve 90% of electricity generation from renewables by 2025 and in addition to reduce green house gas (GHG) emissions. Due to electricity market regulations that inhibit market entry for independent developers, New Zealand's wind energy development has been limited to primarily large wind farms developed by a handful of electricity utilities. In contrast to many other countries, NZ lacks policy support for entry of smaller investors into the wind generation sector.In order to gage the acceptability of a feed in tariff (FIT) for wind energy in New Zealand, a survey questionnaire (366 respondents) with land owning farmers and semi structured interviews with wind energy stakeholders was conducted. Although international literature suggests that a FIT would be the most suitable policy support scheme to accelerate wind energy deployment, this conclusion was not reached by many influential stakeholders in NZ. However, a majority of the surveyed farmers supported the introduction of a FIT for wind energy. The study also revealed that farmers' acceptance of wind energy in their local area increases with their awareness about climate change issues.

Development of fuzzy cognitive map (FCM)‐based scenarios for wind energy

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore a very new approach of creating scenarios with fuzzy cognitive maps (FCM); specifically to create scenarios for wind energy deployment.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper a small exercise is conducted to illustrate the usefulness of FCM‐based scenarios.FindingsScenario‐based planning is often used in technology management and scenarios are generated to cater for uncertainty and facilitate development of responsive and robust strategic plans. Scenario analysis helps to identify different alternatives of the future state of technologies, needs, policies and environment. Scenario planning helps to overcome thinking limitations by presenting multiple futures. FCMs are based on causal cognitive maps and combine the benefits of both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Domain knowledge of multiple experts can be integrated into an FCM to present collective knowledge base.Originality/valueThis is a conceptual paper exploring use of fuzzy cognitive maps to create scenarios for wind energy deployment. The paper provides scenarios and a way to integrate them into technology roadmaps.

Adaptive local learning techniques for multiple-step-ahead wind speed forecasting

A massive deployment of wind energy in power systems is expected in the near future. However, a still open issue is how to integrate wind generators into existing electrical grids by limiting their side effects on network operations and control. In order to attain this objective, accurate short and medium-term wind speed forecasting is required. This paper discusses and compares a physical (white-box) model (namely a limited-area non hydrostatic model developed by the European consortium for small-scale modeling) with a family of local learning techniques (black-box) for short and medium term forecasting. Also, an original model integrating machine learning techniques with physical knowledge modeling (grey-box) is proposed. A set of experiments on real data collected from a set of meteorological sensors located in the south of Italy supports the methodological analysis and assesses the potential of the different forecasting approaches.

Comment: If you ask me

The UK's wind energy deployment is somewhat sad at present, but all that is about to change.

Analyzing policy support instruments and regulatory risk factors for wind energy deployment—A developers' perspective

A transition to a renewable energy system is high on the policy agenda in many countries. A promising energy source for a low-carbon energy future is wind. Policy-makers can attract wind energy development by providing attractive policy frameworks. This paper argues that apart from the level of financial support, both the risks stemming from the regulatory environment (legal security, administrative process and grid access) and the ability to finance projects play a critical role in determining the attractiveness of the development environment. It sheds light on how project developers trade off these different aspects and to what extent the attractiveness of a certain policy framework increases with the introduction of specific measures. Conjoint analysis is employed to provide empirical evidence on the preference of wind energy developers in the EU and the US. The analysis shows that developers' preferences are very similar across the studied regions and for different types of developers. Which policy measures could be most valuable depends on the specific existing environment. In some southeastern European countries, a reduction of administrative process duration may yield the highest utility gains, whereas, in the US, improvements in grid access regulation and an increase in remuneration levels may be more effective.

Enhancing information for solar and wind energy technology deployment in Brazil

Brazil's primary energy matrix is based on more than 47% of renewables, and more than 85% of its electricity is generated by hydro power sources. Despite this large fraction of renewable energy resources, less than 0.3% of the national energy supply comes from solar or wind sources. This paper presents a diagnostic review on the penetration of the solar and wind energy technologies in Brazil. It also includes a survey of the latest government policies and incentives for renewable energies deployment by entrepreneurs, industry and commercial and residential consumers. In addition, the paper analyses how to best meet the requirements for policy support and information technology to boost the deployment of solar technology and wind energy in Brazil. This study was mostly based on results of a widely distributed survey covering key issues, and also by personal interviews carried out with key stakeholders in order to better understand the issues highlighted in the survey responses. The study pointed out some of the main obstacles to effectively promote and improve government policies and actions for investment in solar and wind energy market in Brazil.

Policy analysis of authorisation procedures for wind energy deployment in Spain

The aim of this paper is to analyse the administrative procedures for the granting of authorisations for the siting of wind farms in Spain, currently the competency of regional authorities. The analysis reveals some commonalities and differences between the procedures across regions. Furthermore, some aspects regarding these procedures have raised the concern of different stakeholders, including the central government and wind energy investors. A conflict between the interests of the central and regional governments can be observed. Lack of coordination between the different administrative levels and the “more is better mentality” of regional authorities have led to a significant growth of wind energy requests for the (national) feed-in tariff. In turn, investors have complained about the discretionarity and non-transparency of those procedures and the lack of homogeneity across regions. This is likely to result in delays, uncertainty for investors and higher transaction costs. Although there has been a trend to a model which involves the use of multicriteria bidding procedures with more explicit, objective and precise criteria regarding project selection, the aforementioned problems suggest the need to improve coordination between the different administrative levels.

Networking for climate change: agency in the context of renewable energy governance in India

Climate change has disastrous impacts in the developing world and confronts countries like India with immense challenges. The dilemma of addressing these challenges encourages the appearance of new modes of agency. However, the extent to which new agents are able to address these challenges depends on several factors. The aim of this article is to examine these factors and how they affect the ways in which climate change-related challenges to development are tackled in the case of the Indian wind energy sector. By firstly examining the attributes and capabilities of the different actors and secondly applying a stakeholder network analysis, the article identifies different characteristics that support the effective and efficient deployment of wind energy in one Indian state and hinder it in another.

Accounting for variation in wind deployment between Canadian provinces

Wind energy deployment varies widely across regions and this variation cannot be explained by differences in natural wind resources alone. Evidence suggests that institutional factors beyond physical wind resources can influence the deployment of wind energy systems. Building on the work of Toke et al. (2008), this study takes a historical institutionalist approach to examine the main factors influencing wind energy deployment across four Canadian provinces Canada: Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia. Our case studies suggest that wind energy deployment depends upon a combination of indirect causal factors—landscape values, political and social movements, government electricity policy, provincial electricity market structure and incumbent generation technologies and direct causal factors—grid architecture, ownership patterns, renewable incentive programs, planning and approvals processes and stakeholder support and opposition.

Wind Integration Studies: Optimization vs. Simulation

A variety of circumstances have focused attention in the electricity industry on the large-scale development of renewable energy generation. The motivations for this attention include concerns about the environmental effects of fossil fuel generation as well as the dependence of electricity production on fossil fuels. For all practical purposes these concerns mean the large-scale deployment of wind energy.

Effects of Renewable Energy Policies on Wind Industry Development in the US

ABSTRACT To spur on renewable energy development, some US states have adopted Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) and related policies. Previous studies have examined the factors that lead to such policy adoption, but offer limited empirical evidence on the effects on renewable energy development. We intend to close this gap through empirical analysis. Results suggest that RPS adoption and the stringency of its inherent characteristics were dominant in spurring wind energy development, and that state wind energy potential, economic and market characteristics, energy portfolio, and political structure had significant impacts. Thus, policy and politics matter more than nature in driving wind energy deployment.

It Should Be a Breeze: Harnessing the Potential of Open Trade and Investment Flows in the Wind Energy Industry

This working paper maps out the structure and value chains of the wind industry, analyzes the wind industry's increasing global integration via cross-border trade and investment flows, and offers recommendations to policymakers for the design of investment and trade policies to help realize wind energy's potential. We find that demand for wind energy through longterm government support policies creates the basis for local supply of wind capital equipment and services and associated local job creation; policies that put a price on carbon will further help to make wind energy more competitive and increase the overall demand for turbines and equipment. Cross-border investment rather than trade is the dominant mode of the wind industry's global integration. Principal barriers to global integration are non-tariff trade barriers and formal and informal barriers that distort firms' investment decisions. These include local content requirements, divergent national industrial standards and licensing demands, and in particular political expectations. Intellectual property accounts for only a very small part of cost in the wind industry, and wind technology is widely available for licensing. Intellectual property rights are correspondingly not a major impediment for market participation. Credible long-term commitments coupled with a reduction or elimination of existing barriers to cross-border trade and investment are necessary to harness the full potential of global integration in reducing wind industry prices and increase worldwide deployment of wind energy.