2. I'm not certain how to do the math, but one substantial variance is wind power is not a single spot calculation. When the wind is blowing in Wyoming (most of the time, in my experience) your calculations may be relevant to those turbines. But when the wind stops in Wyoming, there is a pretty high chance it is blowing in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. The overall calculation of grid-wide capacity ought to be the guide for comparison.
Uh, wind blowing in Texas has no impact elsewhere as the ERCOT is not connected to the West or East grid. And the grid does not have the capacity to routinely move large amounts of power long distances. Those HVAC & HVDC lines are all fully utilized.
In fact there's a large problem that companies want to build wind and solar farms and can't because running transmission lines to them is a 7 year approval and permitting process.
A capacity factor of 41% does not mean that the turbine is producing energy at 100% of capacity 41% of the time and not producing any energy 59% of the time.
It will be producing some amount of energy most of the time.
For your 1 GW of demand hypothetical, you assemble a wind farm with 2 or 3 GW capacity. Sometimes it will be overproducing and curtailed (or feed batteries). Sometimes it will be producing roughly the right amount of energy (which can be rounded out with batteries). And sometimes it will need to be backed up by SCGT generation.
I understand capacity factor. It's very useful because instead if you run the math with say the turbine running at 50% for twice the time - the math comes out the same.
Can you provide info on a wind farm that is using batteries? I have not been able to find any. Best as I can tell they're either feeding into the grid or, very rarely, shut off when the grid has excess energy.
I don't see where you calculated or explained how wind turbines produce CO2.
Wind turbines use fuel energy (CO2) to be manufactured initially but after that just rotate ,alther maintenance costs produce CO2 as in every aspect of life.
Two thoughts:
1. NREL has a sophisticated calculator for wind: "Before You Install Wind Energy Technology, Check Out This Database" https://www.nrel.gov/news/program/2024/before-you-install-wind-energy-technology-check-out-this-database.html
2. I'm not certain how to do the math, but one substantial variance is wind power is not a single spot calculation. When the wind is blowing in Wyoming (most of the time, in my experience) your calculations may be relevant to those turbines. But when the wind stops in Wyoming, there is a pretty high chance it is blowing in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. The overall calculation of grid-wide capacity ought to be the guide for comparison.
Uh, wind blowing in Texas has no impact elsewhere as the ERCOT is not connected to the West or East grid. And the grid does not have the capacity to routinely move large amounts of power long distances. Those HVAC & HVDC lines are all fully utilized.
In fact there's a large problem that companies want to build wind and solar farms and can't because running transmission lines to them is a 7 year approval and permitting process.
You are misinterpreting capacity factor.
A capacity factor of 41% does not mean that the turbine is producing energy at 100% of capacity 41% of the time and not producing any energy 59% of the time.
It will be producing some amount of energy most of the time.
For your 1 GW of demand hypothetical, you assemble a wind farm with 2 or 3 GW capacity. Sometimes it will be overproducing and curtailed (or feed batteries). Sometimes it will be producing roughly the right amount of energy (which can be rounded out with batteries). And sometimes it will need to be backed up by SCGT generation.
I understand capacity factor. It's very useful because instead if you run the math with say the turbine running at 50% for twice the time - the math comes out the same.
Can you provide info on a wind farm that is using batteries? I have not been able to find any. Best as I can tell they're either feeding into the grid or, very rarely, shut off when the grid has excess energy.
Are you sure your thinking in not conservative nationalistic
No and WTF does that have to do with energy policy?
I don't see where you calculated or explained how wind turbines produce CO2.
Wind turbines use fuel energy (CO2) to be manufactured initially but after that just rotate ,alther maintenance costs produce CO2 as in every aspect of life.
They require a SCGT as the backup generation when the wind is not blowing. That produces CO2.