Engineering360: "Wind generation passed hydro in 2019, a first"

There are quite a number of issues with wind generation that make it significantly inferior to most hydroelectric generation systems. These are:

1. A major benefit of hydroelectic generation is that it can rapidly be brought on line during periods of peak demand. This allows fossil fuel and nuclear generation facilities to run at a level and optimum load; producing energy at peak efficiency - particularly important with respect to coal-fired generators. You can't do this with wind generation. Additionally, when there is a surplus of power, water can be pumped from lower to higher reservoirs and then released during peak periods. This is possibly the best use of wind generation facilities, ie, to provide for the needs of pumped hydro.

2. Unreliability and adverse impact on system efficiency/economy. Wind cannot consistently produce energy at all times. For this reason, it is necessary, like it or not, to have conventional generators capable of meeting peak loads. If a system consists of wind and conventional generators, the conventional generators will, at times, be idle whilst at other times they will be required to work at full capacity. When idle or not working close to full capacity they are not returning income on the investment that was expended in constructing them. The consequence of this is that conventional generators become more expensive to operate and electricity prices will rise.

3. Wind generators kill birds; particularly big, endangered birds.

4. Some people see windmills as visual pollution.

In all wind generation, except for specialist needs is not a good idea if the aim is to produce reliable energy at the lowest possible cost.

To pursue wind generation on the basis of it reducing CO2 emissions is folly. Firstly, huge amounts of energy are expended and CO2 emitted making wind generators which have a limited lifespan - far less than a hydroelectric generation facility. Secondly, there is no way in science that CO2, in its present concentration, has any appreciable effect on the temperature of the earth's atmosphere. The only justification for adopting wind generators on a largescale is if they can reliably produce electricity at a cost less than that of coal fired generators.