Wind energy and its exploitation in offshore - an overview

摘要

The present paper gives an overview of wind energy and detailed analysis of a reference generation cost based on an explicit model for wind energy exploitation in offshore installations. It contains the real relevant physical and economic parameters by means of which deviating economic analyses can be made. The paper does not quantitatively address the issue of the value of wind electricity, which includes such things as avoiding fossil fuel, environmental cost, and capacity credit (to be improved by output-forecasting models). Compared with traditional energy sources, wind energy today is competitive at very good sites, even without compensation for the environmental advantages. For less favourable sites, wind energy can compete if carbon dioxide credits are taken into account. Wind energy is mature compared with many of the other renewable energy. Even at today's cost levels, it is close to being competitive with other power generation technologies in some circumstances, and may even be cheaper at good sites as fuel price rises. The pace of research and development has slowed as the technology has matured; however, there is still significant scope for further cost reductions, and a number of promising areas to explore through research and development to achieve these cost reductions.