Wind News

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

EIA Electricity Power Monthly - June 2020 for April 2020.

Wind generation for April 2020 was slightly down on April 2019, with 29.5TWh compared to 29.7TWh. April 2019 was exceptionally windy, so the decrease is outside the normal trend.

In rolling 12 month generation, wind power is at 312.8TWh and 7.62% of generation, up from 274.9TWh and 6.55% a year ago.

218.3MW of new capacity was added in April 2020. Planned new capacity for the next 12 months, increased by 93.5MW, bringing the planned 12 month total to 22,137.2MW, which would increase total capacity by 20.9%.

As in February 2020, the capacity factor of wind generation in March 2020 was higher than that of coal.

Included estimated solar, solar plus wind has reached 10.39% of generation, and for the first time solar plus wind generation exceeded coal.

Capacity (MW):

Period	Prior	Change	New	Change
Month	105,918.8	218.3	106,137.1	0.21%
YTD	103,584.5	2,552.6	106,137.1	2.46%
Rolling	96,638.1	9,499.0	106,137.1	9.83%
Plan +12mo	22,262.0	93.5	22,137.2	.

Capacity Factor (MW):

Value	Prior	Change	New	Change
Month Capacity	96,636.4	9,220.7	105,857.1	9.54%
Month Factor	42.7%	-4.0%	38.7%	-9.37%
Rolling 12mo Factor	34.0%	1.2%	35.2%	3.38%

Generation (GWh):

Year	Month	YTD	Rolling	Month %	YTD%	Rolling
2019	29,706	103,948	274,933	9.97%	8.00%	6.55%
2020	29,534	116,656	312,778	10.60%	9.34%	7.62%
Difference	-172	12,708	37,845	0.62%	1.34%	1.07%

 

[SmartElectric]

50% of the cost of taking a 23 year old wind site down was paid for by recycling:
Decommissioning Canada’s oldest wind farm

Capacity factor for Ontario Canada wind is <30%, compared to >>30% elsewhere.
Capacity and capacity factor of wind energy - Life by Numbers

^ I have routinely monitored Ontario Wind output on a daily basis.
I choose when to fully charge our Tesla when wind power is scheduled to peak via the following site :
IESO Wind Power Map @IESO_Tweets

For example wind will peak above 3GW tonight, but due to low electricity needs, the wind turbines will spill to avoid overpowering the grid, leading to reduced capacity factor and increased long term costs, but unfortunately the reality is that (supposed) "base load" Ontario Nuclear power dominates the grid until the refit program takes a few 1GW generators offline in a few years time.

 

[RubberToe]

First US monopile foundation installed for the CVOW 2 turbine pilot project:

First Monopile Foundation Stands in US Federal Waters | Offshore Wind

View attachment 545556

Second and final turbine in place. As fast as these can get physically installed, its unfortunate that the follow up larger project won't be running until 2024

Greentech Media News: Second US Offshore Wind Project Finishes Construction Off Virginia.
Second US Offshore Wind Project Finishes Construction Off Virginia

 

[RubberToe]

Second and final turbine in place. As fast as these can get physically installed, its unfortunate that the follow up larger project won't be running until 2024

Greentech Media News: Second US Offshore Wind Project Finishes Construction Off Virginia.
Second US Offshore Wind Project Finishes Construction Off Virginia

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

EIA Electricity Power Monthly - July 2020 for May 2020.

Wind generation for May 2020 was slightly down on May 2019, with 28.2TWh compared to 26.0TWh. May 2019 was exceptionally windy, so the decrease is outside the normal trend.

In rolling 12 month generation, wind power is at 315.0TWh and 7.72% of generation, up from 277.0TWh and 6.62% a year ago.

826.6MW of new capacity was added in May 2020. Planned new capacity for the next 12 months, increased by 226.1MW, bringing the planned 12 month total to 21,536.7MW, which would increase total capacity by 20.1%.

As in April 2020, the capacity factor of wind generation in May 2020 was higher than that of coal.

Included estimated solar, solar plus wind has reached 10.59% of generation.

Capacity (MW):

Period	Prior	Change	New	Change
Month	106,137.1	826.6	106,963.7	0.78%
YTD	103,584.5	3,379.2	106,963.7	3.26%
Rolling	96,867.6	10,096.1	106,963.7	10.42%
Plan +12mo	22,137.2	226.1	21,536.7	.

Capacity Factor (MW):

Value	Prior	Change	New	Change
Month Capacity	96,638.2	9,466.1	106,104.3	9.80%
Month Factor	36.0%	-0.6%	35.4%	-1.67%
Rolling 12mo Factor	34.0%	1.1%	35.1%	3.23%

Generation (GWh):

Year	Month	YTD	Rolling	Month %	YTD%	Rolling
2019	25,971	129,922	276,953	7.82%	7.96%	6.62%
2020	28,180	144,836	314,985	9.16%	9.30%	7.72%
Difference	2,209	14,914	38,032	1.33%	1.34%	1.11%

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Link was posted in the Investment subforum, but it's really relevant here:

Offshore wind power is now so cheap that wind farms could soon be paying back subsidies

UK offshore wind farms are set to be the first in the world to have to pay to produce power in what researchers have termed an “astonishing development” for the once-expensive energy technology.

A dramatic drop in the cost of offshore wind power, coupled with a slight rise in wholesale power prices, will likely mean the newest wind farms coming online will operate with “negative subsidy”.

This shift is _extremely_ significant for the UK.

The UK government's Energy in Brief from July 2019 for 2018 (which surely means 2020 for 2019 is soon due!):
https://assets.publishing.service.g..._data/file/857027/UK_Energy_in_Brief_2019.pdf

This shows that the UK is a net energy importer, and the majority of energy is from oil and gas. However:
1) if offshore wind will be the cheapest source of electricity for the UK
2) the UK has abundant offshore wind resources
3) transportation policy supports electric vehicles
4) heating policy supports electric heating using heat pumps
... so the UK has shifted to a much better track for reduction of both petroleum and natural gas use.

In 2019:
The UK was the world's 10th largest consumer of natural gas, 2% of the global market.
The UK was the 19th largest consumer of petroleum, about 1% of the global market.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

EIA Electricity Power Monthly - August 2020 for June 2020.

Wind generation for June 2020 was significantly up on June 2019, with 30.1TWh compared to 22.9TWh. June 2019 wasn't particularly windy and June 2020 seems to have been relatively windy, so the increase is a bit outside the normal trend.

In rolling 12 month generation, wind power is at 322.2TWh and 7.90% of generation, up from 275.2TWh and 6.60% a year ago.

In something of a milestone, rolling 12 month wind generation exceeded the 2011 peak hydroelectric generation of 319.4TWh.

709.1MW of new capacity was added in June 2020. Planned new capacity for the next 12 months, increased by 27.7MW, bringing the planned 12 month total to 20,855.3MW, which would increase total capacity by 19.37%. The relatively small increase may reflect the end of the wind generation subsidy, which should significantly reduce additions.

Included estimated solar, solar plus wind has reached 10.81% of generation.

Capacity (MW):

Period	Prior	Change	New	Change
Month	106,963.7	709.1	107,672.8	0.66%
YTD	103,584.5	4,088.3	107,672.8	3.95%
Rolling	98,111.7	9,561.1	107,672.8	9.75%
Plan +12mo	21,536.7	27.7	20,855.3	19.37%

Capacity Factor (MW):

Value	Prior	Change	New	Change
Month Capacity	96,867.7	10,129.1	106,996.8	10.46%
Month Factor	32.6%	6.3%	38.9%	19.33%
Rolling 12mo Factor	33.5%	2.1%	35.6%	6.29%

Generation (GWh):

Year	Month	YTD	Rolling	Month %	YTD%	Rolling
2019	22,942	152,869	275,198	6.46%	7.69%	6.60%
2020	30,147	174,983	322,185	8.44%	9.14%	7.90%
Difference	7,205	22,114	46,987	1.98%	1.45%	1.29%

 

[SageBrush]

August 2020 for June 2020

These updates are great. Thanks !!

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

EIA Electricity Power Monthly - September 2020 for July 2020.

Wind generation for July 2020 was slightly up on July 2019, with 22.7TWh compared to 20.0TWh.

In rolling 12 month generation, wind power is at 322.9TWh and 7.91% of generation, up from 280.8TWh and 6.74% a year ago.

220.6MW of new capacity was added in July 2020. Planned new capacity for the next 12 months, increased by 366.5MW, bringing the planned 12 month total to 21,001.2MW, which would increase total capacity by 19.46%.

Included estimated solar, solar plus wind has reached 10.89% of generation.

Capacity (MW):

Period	Prior	Change	New	Change
Month	107,672.8	220.6	107,893.4	0.20%
YTD	103,584.5	4,308.9	107,893.4	4.16%
Rolling	98,387.3	9,506.1	107,893.4	9.66%
Plan +12mo	20,855.3	366.5	21,001.2	19.46%

Capacity Factor (MW):

Value	Prior	Change	New	Change
Month Capacity	98,111.8	9,579.6	107,691.4	9.76%
Month Factor	30.0%	-1.8%	28.2%	-6.00%
Rolling 12mo Factor	34.0%	1.5%	35.5%	4.47%

Generation (GWh):

Year	Month	YTD	Rolling	Month %	YTD%	Rolling
2019	22,020	174,894	280,776	5.30%	7.28%	6.74%
2020	22,700	197,683	322,861	5.44%	8.48%	7.91%
Difference	680	22,789	42,085	0.14%	1.20%	1.17%

 

[RubberToe]

CVOW is now delivering power to the grid:

Coastal Virginia delivering power

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

CVOW is now delivering power to the grid:

Coastal Virginia delivering power

So new Capacity should be added to the Electricity Monthly in the November report and should provide a small bump to wind power from December's report.
With conservative 30% capacity factor, two 6MW turbines would provide 8.64GWh in a 30-day month.

 

[RubberToe]

So new Capacity should be added to the Electricity Monthly in the November report and should provide a small bump to wind power from December's report.
With conservative 30% capacity factor, two 6MW turbines would provide 8.64GWh in a 30-day month.

Not only that, but the added capacity map will show a nice new green dot off the coast for the first time. Note the green dot illustrated below is NOT to scale, unfortunately

 

[SageBrush]

Note the green dot illustrated below is NOT yet to scale, unfortunately

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

View attachment 558537

The turbines installed for the main project will be bigger ones than those little test turbines.

 

[RubberToe]

The turbines installed for the main project will be bigger ones than those little test turbines.

If they get all 2,640 MW installed by 2028, that green circle is about the right size, all kidding aside. But if it opens in phases then I guess each phase ends up with its own smaller dot. The beautiful thing about the wind power is that once a site actually gets approved, the installation process is only a couple years versus decades for nuclear projects.

RT

 

[ThomasD]

Do you think the wind turbines will be heavily impacted by storms? Such as Hurricanes Tropical storms and Nor'easters

 

[miimura]

Do you think the wind turbines will be heavily impacted by storms? Such as Hurricanes Tropical storms and Nor'easters

Yes, the output will go WAY up.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Yes, the output will go WAY up.

Not if they get a direct hit! I do wonder if they would be damaged, even when feathered in a hurricane.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Not if they get a direct hit! I do wonder if they would be damaged, even when feathered in a hurricane.

Hurricanes are an issue for US offshore wind. In Europe they build for 150mph, but it'll have to be higher for the USA.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

If they get all 2,640 MW installed by 2028, that green circle is about the right size, all kidding aside. But if it opens in phases then I guess each phase ends up with its own smaller dot. The beautiful thing about the wind power is that once a site actually gets approved, the installation process is only a couple years versus decades for nuclear projects.

RT

Hornsea Wind Farm - Wikipedia

Hornsea One, which is a 1.2GW offshore wind farm was approved in 2014, construction started January 2018, was partially generating in Feburary 2019, and was fully running by the end of January 2020.

It's called One because originally 2 and now 3 more are expected in the area, with total power being 4.6 to 6GW. Hard to know because turbines keep becoming more powerful, which increases the possible maximum output.