alt.energy.renewable

On Oct 8, 11:30 pm, "daestrom"
wrote:
> "Fran" < ...@ > wrote in message
>
> news: @ ...
>
> > On Oct 8, 12:46 pm, Eeyore
> > wrote:
>
> > Intermittency isn't a problem in practice because the desal plants
> > don't have to operate continuously hour by hour to do their job.
>
> > The reality is that the system always has spinning reserve and the
> > addition of wind capacity doesn't significantly alter that need.
>
> > Fran
>
> That is true only so long as wind power is a tiny fraction of total
> generation. As the amount of wind generation rises above 1-2%, so does the
> need for more spinning reserve. So those that get built now don't have much
> problem. But in the future....


In my opinion, if penetration is going to get up around the 15-20%
mark a few things will have to happen:

a) an improvement in energy storage options such as pumped storage,
batteries etc
b) matching of wind resources to usages that tolerate intermittency
. desal, water pumping
c) spreading of wind arrays to take advantage of geographically
distinct wind resources, so as to stay within narrow output parameters
d) Development of baseload technologies that can be ramped up within
the typical 2-hour lead times within which one can predict declines in
wind resources

Fran