This blog noted the Argonne study earlier, and in the comments studies were referenced that this Institute for Energy Research article also notes.
What's refreshingly new is the conclusion of the IER piece - keeping in mind the growing championing, in Ontario, of hydrogen as the next prospective energy saviour.
Institute for Energy Research | Government Lab Finds Wind Energy Not Meeting Carbon Emission Goals:
Because wind is an intermittent technology, wind turbines generate power only when the wind is blowing, and that means electric grids will need backup generators to provide base-load power during off-wind periods. Those back-up generators are typically fossil fuel plants that should be run continuously as they were designed to provide base-load power. When they are ramped up and down, conventional plants are being used inefficiently, consuming more fuel and releasing more emissions in the process...
Argonne’s suggested answer to the dilemma caused by forcing more expensive and intermittent renewable energy sources into the grid is to spend more money on the development of storage batteries to store electricity when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. An observant taxpayer or policymaker reviewing the facts might conclude that, rather than continuing to compound government spending and increase consumer costs for energy through government subsidies and mandates, it is government policies which keep causing problems in the first place. If that is the case, the best remedy would be to avoid doing the harm in the first place.The entire article can be read at the Institute for Energy Research website:
Yes.... and just like a car that is operating in stop and go traffic, that fossil fuel plant will have far more maintenance problems.
ReplyDeleteV Martin, that is also true for hydro plants - well, maybe not the "far more", but operating margins are already often quite thin, so another 3-5% of down time is significant.
DeleteHi Scott... I am absolutely sure that hydro plant fluctuations will also have some additional maintenance issues but these will pale in comparison to what happens with a thermal plant. Constant cycles of mechanical stress followed by no stress cause metal fatigue to occur much more quickly (rotating machinery and pressure devices) similarly there are the cycles of high and low temperature that accelerate the degradation of just about everything (thermal fatigue), there are issues of corrosion that result from cool surfaces coming into contact with warm moist air, there are bad furnace conditions that result, poor water treatment and on and on it goes.... Somewhere in my files, I have a couple of good paper that discusses this issue and it’s not a pretty outcome.
ReplyDeleteOn an unrelated issue, I’m going to drop a comment in the ‘Listowel Invenergy’ article and if you get a chance to comment on my thoughts, I’d appreciate your exptertise.....
Right.
ReplyDeleteAs I write this the output report (ending at 6 am) shows nuclear unit Bruce 6 on a steam bypass maneuver, while Halton Hills units 1 and 3 are heating up to be available for the morning uptick in demand
The last unit contains the steam turbines - so, I've learned - two units, at a minimum, operate at these newer CCGT plant. Donald Jones taught me years ago that these plants don't have a lot of room to maneuver (base op at about 60% of capacity), and the IESO seems to be introducing a new term:
Peaking Depth
Which is provided by coal.
I turn to hydro - maybe because I'm a humanities guy and not an engineer.
Hydro is publicly owned for the most part - here, but the BPA region in the US has the same issue in the devaluation of public assets, which are being demoted to servicing private assets.
Did I mention the price was negative this morning as nuclear was being curtailed and gas was heating up?
Just recollected where I saw the technical papers that discussed the impact of fluctuating loads on the life of fossil power plants.... it was on the Claverton Energy Research Group's website... a number of papers there with some by Dr. Fred Starr coming to mind. It appears one of Starr's biggest concern of what the fluctuating load does to the steam sections.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, negative pricing....the consequence of having to deal with the uncertain monster that has been created.