The need for wind energy

Niels-Erik Clausen
 Learning objectives

After this lecture you will be able to:

•Explain the global need for wind energy

•Mention the most important issues when planning land-based wind farms

•Mention the most important issues when planning offshore wind farms
Climate change – a global challenge

Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and

NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Oct 2015
The need for wind energy in the energy system

•Climate change (global)

•Environmental concerns (regional and local)
•Security of energy supply (domestic ”fuel”)
•Cost competitiveness with traditional power generation
•Provides local employment, regional economic development
•Can be installed fast, compared with conventional power
plants
 Installed Wind Power in the World - end 2014
- Annual and Cumulative -
54,000 400,000
Installed MW in year Accu. MW

350,000
45,000

300,000

36,000
30+ years experience
250,000
50+ countries

Cumulative MW
MW per year

Offshore market ~ 2%
27,000 200,000

18,000 3.4% of world electricity 150,000

100,000

9,000
50,000

0 0
1983 1990 1995 2000 2005 2011
Year
Source: BTM Consult - A Part ofSource: Navigant
Navigant - March 2015 Research, March 2015
Danish wind energy experience

offshore onshore

Total (Dec 2014) 4849 MW

Land-based 3578 MW
Offshore 1271 MW
Number of turbines 5244 Source: The Danish Energy Agency

Electricity (2014) 13.5 TWh

Penetration 40%
From centralised to de-centralised power system
Example the power system in Denmark

CHP: combined heat and power

…from 15 power plants to 15 CHP, 415 CHP and 5000 wind turbines
Graphics: O. Gehrke, Infrastructures for power system integration and control of small distributed energy resources , Risø DTU PhD Thesis 2008
 Siting of wind turbines on land
• Distance to houses and roads
• Wind resource
• Environmental impact e.g. flora & fauna and protected areas
• Grid connection
• Local acceptability

Distance map Wind resource map

Source: Ringkjøbing-Skjern Municipality, wind turbine planning, 2009

Siting of wind turbines offshore

• Distance to land & to harbour

• Water depth & sea bed properties
• Navigation routes
• Grid connection
– subsea cable
• Wind resource
• Environmental impact Source: Fjord&Bælt

- e.g. marine mammals

Source: DONG Energy A/S Anholt wind farm

Photo Mads Eskesen
Wind resources offshore

Wind speed m/s

Source: South Baltic OFFER project, DTU Wind Energy 2011

Summary

In this lecture you have been introduced to

•The main reasons why we install wind turbines

•Key issues to consider when selecting a location for a wind
farm onshore as well as offshore