How Wind Power is Saving Millions During Polar Vortex

[eridani]

http://www.nationofchange.org/how-wind-power-saving-millions-during-polar-vortex-1391007993

For the second time in two weeks, wind power once again kept consumers’ energy costs down as extreme cold drove energy prices to record highs across much of the eastern U.S.

Electricity and natural gas prices skyrocketed to 10 to 50 times normal across parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes states as extreme cold drove demand for electric and gas heating to near-record levels late last week. Fortunately, regional wind energy output was strong throughout these periods of peak demand, producing around 3,000 megawatts (MW) on the evening of Jan. 22 when supply was particularly tight, and roughly 3,000 to 4,000 MW for nearly all of Jan. 23 as electricity prices remained very high.

The savings that wind energy provided for consumers last week likely tally in the millions if not tens of millions of dollars, as wind energy reduced consumers’ energy costs in several major ways. Wind energy always provides these savings for consumers, which is why more than a dozen state government, grid operator, and other studies have confirmed that wind energy reduces consumers’ electricity prices.

[exboyfil]

1. I was curious about heating

your own house with solar power. A solar panel yields approximately 10 watts/sq. foot. Space heaters should be sized with wattage 10x that of sq ft. of the room. So you need to have approximately 10x for immediate heating and probably 25x with an energy storage system.

We have gone big in wind here in Iowa. One of the leaders of the effort from Iowa State discussed how the big problem is that the available future wind resources are not where the people are located, and current methods of transmitting the energy hurts the efficiency.

[kristopher]

2. Is your home already as effectively insulated as it needs to be?

I was curious about heating your own house with solar power. A solar panel yields approximately 10 watts/sq. foot. Space heaters should be sized with wattage 10x that of sq ft. of the room. So you need to have approximately 10x for immediate heating and probably 25x with an energy storage system.
We have gone big in wind here in Iowa. One of the leaders of the effort from Iowa State discussed how the big problem is that the available future wind resources are not where the people are located, and current methods of transmitting the energy hurts the efficiency.

For the problem you've posed the most important part of the solution is insulation.
http://www.zerohomes.org.php53-27.dfw1-2.websitetestlink.com/zero-energy-home-design/
From the site: http://www.zerohomes.org

So the first thing you'd want to do is substantially upgrade the energy efficiency of your home. A ground or air source heat pump with a high efficiency heat exchanger in the fresh air circulation system would ideally be one of the core parts of this upgrade.

As for wind, the "big problem" is that we need to erect more wind turbines. There is wind everywhere and we will be exploiting it everywhere. Some places have better resources than other places, but that's a matter of what resource is most economic to develop first. Transmission does incur losses, but those losses aren't crippling. If you are in an area with a high proportion of wind on the grid, it might make sense to put in a heating/cooling system designed around thermal energy storage. That allows the system to "charge up" in a way that helps balance electricity demand with supply - most utilities already have programs using hot water heaters to do the same thing. These types of systems are expected to emerge as renewable penetration rises.

Those are only a few points. Our entire approach to energy requires a systemic change and if you don't look at total package, the individual pieces might seem like they don't make sense.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

4. K n R your post!

And the OP

[Hestia]

6. I went to a Sustainability Conference a couple of years ago and found

out that our state is not conducive to wind energy - I think the dude said that the turbine would have to be built 200 feet minimum to capture wind for wind output of the turbines. Not cost effective at all.

===

When Discovery Science aired actual science shows, Eco Tech was one of their best shows. Instead of of blade turbines, this guy built tubes that laid horizontal on the tops of buildings, Chicago specifically, and wind generated all the time with his tubes because of the air flow and bats & birds were not being killed because of the design plus the tubes were more economical feasible.

Why not something like that for new turbines rather than the expensive pole & blades where doable?

[riqster]

3. K and R

[mackerel]

5. a lot the complaints i here are more to do with

wildlife. a lot of birds get caught in the turbines and die. ( not that I'm against the turbines just pointing that out)

[Hestia]

7. I had a question about that too up thread --

On Eco Tech, there was a guy who built horizontal turbines vs. pole & blade which doesn't kill birds & bats. I guess he's not on the good side of hedge funds and private equity funds.

[awoke_in_2003]

8. Much more wildlife...

dies from pollution caused by burning fossil fuels.

[diane in sf]

9. running into windows and cats are orders of magnitude more dangerous to birds than wind towers