Mighty wind

If there is anything that fluctuates as much as the wind, it is the forecasts for the wind energy market. A new Harvard University study says that global wind energy potential is considerably higher than previous estimates by both wind industry groups and government agencies.

The study appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States.

Using data from thousands of meteorological stations, the Harvard team estimated the world wind power potential to be 40 times greater than total current power consumption. A previous study cited in the paper put that multiple at about seven times.

While remote regions of Russia and Canada have the greatest theoretical potential, the Harvard study pointed out that there are real gains to be made in high-emission nations, especially China.
Large-scale development of wind power in China could allow for an 18-fold increase in electricity supply relative to consumption reported for 2005, the Harvard study said.

The authors based their calculations on the deployment of 2.5- to 3-megawatt wind turbines situated either in accessible rural areas that are neither frozen nor forested, or relatively shallow offshore locations. They also used a conservative 20 percent estimate for capacity factor (a measure of how much energy a given turbine actually produces).

Wind speeds are greater at higher elevations. Previous wind studies were based on the deployment of 50- to 80-meter turbines. As turbines go taller, more of wind will be captured.

Forty times the present global consumption is no small number. Are we not doing enough to harness this energy?