Is wind power reliable? – An authoritative article from David Millborrow who is technically experienced and numerate, unlike many other commentators

The UK has committed itself to a very ambitious target to increase its wind powered generation

capacity by 2020. The EC’s 15% renewable energy target implies that renewable electricity,

much of its wind power, will have to provide between 35-40% of electricity supplies. This has

caused concerns in some quarters that the UK ‘s security of supply will be placed in jeopardy.

However, others say this concern is overplayed. In the following article, David Milborrow*

debunks myths surrounding wind power’s reliability.

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Article in IET queries role of wind power and balancing costs in the UK

David Millborrow is a Claverton participant…. Thanks to Hugh Sharman for forwarding this piece. This article from David Millborrow seems to pretty much demolish this article.. .. http://tx1.fcomet.com/~claverto/cms/download/316/ …………………………………. Quote ” Today, the UK is committed to European Union targets to deliver 35 per cent of electricity from renewables by 2020. Starting from a base of […]

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Electrical Energy Storage: applications, markets and technologies

The energy storage industry is assured of a successful future.  There will be setbacks in these difficult times, of course, in a sector that has many vulnerable pre-commercial technology developers.  However, storage has all the attributes of a cornerstone technology, enabling real progress in areas that are certain to be of huge significance: the effective use of […]

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"UK Energy Risks – Uncertain but not Unimaginable" – Global Energy Advisory

On the 23rd of February it was reported that one of the large six utility companies in the UK lost £172.5mn, in just three months, by trading a gas position. This loss could have been against a background of relatively low gas price volatility; presumably this “increase in wholesale cost” will now be passed on to end consumers? Who trades and who pays? Who invests and who pays?
The new Energy & Climate Change Committee is today taking oral evidence from the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Rt Hon Edward Miliband MP, in the House of Commons in London. The independent Global Energy Advisory White Paper entitled: Investment Failure, Fails Customers, was circulated to the Committee earlier this week.

The paper discusses the potential risks to UK energy security which are well known within the Industry. It also asks pertinent questions regarding the costs and consequences of the energy investment/trading decisions being taken at the current time.

This discussion will be continued at the Global Energy/Advisory Super Derivatives Seminar in London on March 5th – see below for full details.

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BBC talks about Dynamic Demand (smart fridges) and Smart Metering.

BBC programme “You and Yours” discussed the issues in a pretty comprehensive and well researched manner..  A representative from David Hirst’s (A Claverton Member)  RLTek company described how the frequency sensitive device, fitted to fridges, which are now being sold in UK can help the grid. Also talked to the Opposition spokesman on energy about Smart […]

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Potential demand management savings worth $3 billion/yr in USA

+ According to new reference in the Wikipedia article on Demand Response ” study carried out in 2007 by The Brattle Group  for the United States showed that even a 5 percent drop in peak demand would yield substantial savings in generation, transmission, and distribution costs – enough to eliminate the need for installing and running […]

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