On Renewables Without the Hot Air Estimnates of Off-Shore Wind Generation

[danieldwilliam]

Further to a converation elsewhere I've re-skimmed some Renewables Without the Hot Air estimnates on offshore wind. WOTHA estimate of usage is 195 kwh per person per day. Estimate of shallow offshore wind production is 1 kwh per person per day and deep (25-50m) offshore production at double that, 32 kwh /day / person. Total is 48 kwh /d/p.

Shallow area 40,000 km2 with energy denisity of 3W / m2. 1/3rd of shallow waters to be used. Some vague mumbling about shipping and fishing getting int he way.

Based his assumptionson 3MW turbines. 7MW seems standard now. I reckon we'll see 10-12 as the standard in a few years. Not sure what that does to the energy density by area but it can't hurt.

I've always thought his modelling of the economics was niave in that it did not allow for things to become feasible once the cost started falling. When something becomes cheaper to do than the alternatives it all gets done.

I reckon you could double the estimated output by increasing the turbine size, tower size and increasing the area. That gets you to 98 kwh /d/p.

Use of floating turbines in 50m+ deep waters should get you to double that 98 kwh /d/p or about 200 kwh per person per day.

Building all of this is not a trivial economic or engineering task. I think building solar PV in Morocco and shipping the power north will prove cheaper and quicker.

Comments

[andrewducker]

Thank you!

So the figures look much better than he thought because the technology has greatly improved.

(Shame he's not about to update the book)

[cmcmck]

They've been experimenting up off Orkney with wave turbine power for some years. The EMEC platform is just off the island of Eday and we'll be spending time up there again this year.