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Wind market needs nurturing
The downside? As Astle points out, wind can't really offer us a true capacity rating. Sure, we can say we're building a 100-megawatt wind farm, but that figure is assuming the turbines spin at optimal speed 24 hours a day or on request.
Let's take Ontario during the month of July. Last Thursday, for example, the output of the province's three operational wind farms, which at full output can produce 207 megawatts, only generated between 4 and 42 megawatts depending on the hour.
July 24, 2006
by Tyler Hamilton
in Toronto Star
Tom Astle, energy analyst with National Bank Financial, put out a lengthy report last week citing the huge investment opportunities in the fast-growing wind energy sector, pointing to the United States as a "hotspot" and Canada as an "up and coming" market.
"Several of the companies in this segment are experiencing growth rates of 50 per cent or more," wrote Astle, highlighting the advantages of the technology.
"It is clean, competitive at 5 to 7 cents (U.S.) per kilowatt hour, abundant, quick to install, and the best alternative for most utilities to diversify their energy supplies."
It's estimated, he said,... [continue via Web link]
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