Tag Archives: Battery Storage

How Wind Energy is subsidizing Albertan Ratepayers

And other insights from the Pembina Institute  

Originally published on Clean Technica

By Roy L Hales

Ben Thibault, of the Pembina Institute, says Alberta’s electricity was 65% less expensive when wind is generating over 600 MW,  than when production fell below 300 MW. Wind energy is subsidizing Albertan ratepayers.

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Hamburg is the gateway for Germany’s Offshore Wind Industry

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For a quarter of a century, HusumWind has hosted one of the World’s largest wind power conferences. This year the conference was held in Hamburg. As might be expected, there were some hard feelings. A PR professional approached my table of North American journalists, in a Hamburg restaurant. He points out that while there are only around 60 wind turbines installed in the city, there are more than 800 in Nordfriesland (which Husum is part of) and 3,100 in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein (which Nordfriesland is part of). It did not take much to uncover the reasons for the switch in venues. More than 1,200 companies from 30 countries will be displaying their products and projects at this year’s event. Even the lady manning Husum’s booth admitted this was to large an event for Husum. Hamburg is the gateway for Germany’s offshore wind industry and a leading center for renewable technology.

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What Does the Expanding Solar Sector Mean to Germany’s Utilities?

By Roy L Hales

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Germany’s renewable sector (RE) is flexing its muscles. Solar production was up 28% and wind 19% during the first half of 2014. As a result, the renewable sector accounted for 31% of the nation’s electricity. If this trend continues, this may be the third year in a row that Germany sets a record for energy exports. The increase in renewables has also been accompanied by a decrease in fossil fuel usage. Gas-fired power plant production is down 25%, compared to last year. Hard coal production fell 11%. Only Lignite power usage rose. So what does the expanding sector mean to Germany’s utilities?

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Developing Germany’s Wind Energy Potential

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Germany has long been one of the world’s leading centers of the wind industry. Thus I welcomed an opportunity to question Esther Frey, renewable energies expert at Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), about this technology’s effectiveness and future development. GTAI is the foreign trade and inward investment promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. Ms Frey provided some valuable insight into some of the issues involved in developing Germany’s Wind Energy Potential.

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