The aim is to show that the fuel economy and emissions reduction in the power systems consisting mainly of thermal power plants are not proportional with the electricity production of wind turbines.
Participation of thermal power plants in the compensation of fluctuating production of windmills eliminates major part of the expected positive effect of wind energy.
A method for calculation of real fuel economy and emissions reduction is described and a calculation example basing on Estonian and Danish data is given.
Conclusions
Participation of thermal power plants in keeping the reserve capacity for wind turbines and in compensation of the fluctuations of wind power increases the fuel consumption and emissions substantially. Linear methods of calculation of emission reductions from wind energy use cannot consider this increase and therefore special methods for correct accounting of environmental gain have to be elaborated.
A simplified two-step method for calculation of real fuel consumption and emissions under absence of dynamic input-output characteristics of thermal power plants is proposed in this paper. Estonian case study shows that the integration of considerable capacity of wind turbines would increase the fuel consumption and emissions of thermal stations about 8-10%, which will reduce the environmental effect of windmills substantially. There can be situations where probably no environmental gain can be achieved at all.
It is vitally important to continue the discussion about the ability of power systems to integrate large amounts of wind power and to develop further the methods for the calculation of emission reductions.
26.05.2003 - 
