Lights won't go out because of wind power, report says

In fact, the report – commissioned by WWF-UK, Royal Society For the Protection of Birds, Greenpeace UK and Friends of the Earth – concludes that there are no technical barriers to further wind development and calls on the Government to act now to facilitate a strong, sustainable wind industry in Britain.

The report, ‘Managing Variability’ by independent energy analyst David Miborrow, says the suggestion that every wind farm in the country needs equivalent amounts of fossil fuel back-up to cover the times the wind stops blowing is a myth.

Indeed, Miborrow argues that while instant loss of power from conventional power stations is a real issue, because they can ‘trip’ without warning, it is extremely unlikely that the equivalent amount of wind power would disappear instantaneously. Wind farms all over the country are adding to the grid simultaneously, and while the wind may drop at some sites, it is very rare for the wind to stop blowing everywhere at once.

Besides, says the report, the National Grid is designed to manage fluctuations in supply and demand and the variations in wind power are considerably less than variations in consumer demand, which can go up and down on an hourly basis according to the weather, rush hour and even TV scheduling.

In its own recent consultation document, which looked at the electicity supply system beyond 2020, the National Grid recognised the attractions of assimilating more wind power into the system, saying: “It is important to remember that the wind is blowing somewhere across Great Britain most of the time.”

Chris Bennett, National Grid's future transmission networks manager, welcomed the findings of Managing Variability: "The report complements the consultation document that National Grid issued in June which highlighted the different solutions available to ensure a safe secure and economic supply of electricity is maintained," he said.

Commenting on his own findings, Milborrow added: "Utilities worldwide generally agree there is no fundamental technical reason why high proportions of wind cannot be assimilated without the lights going out."

His report says the costs associated with managing variability also tend to be overstated, suggesting that if the UK sticks to its renewable energy targets and provides 32 per cent if its electricity from wind by 2020, it will only add £2 to every £100 spent by consumers.

These costs are likely to be further reduced with future technological advances. For example, the report suggests that more accurate wind forecasting, which would enable supply and demand to be balanced more effectively by system operators, could reduce the costs associated with wind variability by as much as 30 per cent.

Maria McCaffery, chief executive of the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) warmly welcomed the report, saying: “For some years now BWEA has been saying that managing variability is neither a major technological challenge, nor is it set to significantly impact consumer bills. In fact, added renewable energy capacity on the system will ensure against fossil fuel price volatility.

“This report is the final nail in the coffin of the myth of intermittency. We now need to move on and do more to have increased amounts of wind energy on the system, in as short a time as possible.”

The organisations behind the report are also calling for urgent action. They want the Government to put in place funding and incentives to encourage investment in much more wind power and to grant priority access to the energy market and the electricity grid.

Robin Webster, senior climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: "The claim that renewable power cannot deliver a big portion of our energy needs is dead and buried. The Government needs to deliver a genuine shift in energy policy in its upcoming Renewable Energy Strategy.”

He added: "The Government needs to put renewables and energy efficiency at the centre of its energy policy – not the margins – and deliver a real industrial strategy to enable us to move towards a low-carbon economy."

The report suggest that such action would not just be good for the climate, but for jobs too. It says 400,000 people working in the wind-energy sector worldwide and this could reach one million by the end of the decade.