Is Wind Energy the Most Likely Winner in the Alt Energy Stakes?
You have heard it before - there is no one silver bullet for alternative energy sources. Today, we are trying to figure out all possibilities, and we have the following prominent contenders:
1. Solar Energy
2. Wind Energy
3. Biomass and Biofuels
4. Geothermal Energy
5. Tidal & Wave Energy
6. Hydro-power
The first three are indeed where most of the investment and research are going on, though of course geothermal could be a surprise winner.
While on the one hand we might want to derisk alt energy research by not betting on just form of energy, there is a view gaining ground that wind energy might be the single largest source of alternative energy within the next 15 years. Why is this so?
1. It has one of the higest EROI (energy return on input) - about 20, much higher than most other sources
2. It is a well understood form of energy unlike tidal and wave energy.
3. Its contribution to the overall electricity generation worldwide has been increasing tremendously over the past decade years (about 10 GW worldwide capacity in 1998 to 100 GW by 2007!)
4. There are indications that wind could contribute close to 20% of the total electricity in the US by 2020.
5. The cost of wind power is about 10 c per kWh and this could come down further. A few more cents down, and it is competitive with coal-powered grid electricity cost.
Well, if over the next 10 years electric vehicles take off, then wind could become a contributor to transportation energy as well.
I don't have estimates of how much % of world's electricity wind can theoretically supply by 2050, but if it is anything above 30%, I'd bet wind energy to be the biggest winner in this game.
What do you think?
1. Solar Energy
2. Wind Energy
3. Biomass and Biofuels
4. Geothermal Energy
5. Tidal & Wave Energy
6. Hydro-power
The first three are indeed where most of the investment and research are going on, though of course geothermal could be a surprise winner.
While on the one hand we might want to derisk alt energy research by not betting on just form of energy, there is a view gaining ground that wind energy might be the single largest source of alternative energy within the next 15 years. Why is this so?
1. It has one of the higest EROI (energy return on input) - about 20, much higher than most other sources
2. It is a well understood form of energy unlike tidal and wave energy.
3. Its contribution to the overall electricity generation worldwide has been increasing tremendously over the past decade years (about 10 GW worldwide capacity in 1998 to 100 GW by 2007!)
4. There are indications that wind could contribute close to 20% of the total electricity in the US by 2020.
5. The cost of wind power is about 10 c per kWh and this could come down further. A few more cents down, and it is competitive with coal-powered grid electricity cost.
Well, if over the next 10 years electric vehicles take off, then wind could become a contributor to transportation energy as well.
I don't have estimates of how much % of world's electricity wind can theoretically supply by 2050, but if it is anything above 30%, I'd bet wind energy to be the biggest winner in this game.
What do you think?
Labels: wind
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