Wind farms criticised by alternative energy expert
Posted on: September 19th, 2008 by Kelsie Morgan
If one is to believe ITM Power’s CEO, Jim Heathcote’s words, wind farms are certainly not a solution to UK’s requirement of green energy. Wind farms are useless when there is no wind. So, in the absence of sufficient wind, a conventional power has to make up for the output loss. Since winds are always intermittent, they cannot compensate for stable energy requirements.
He further pointed out that solar and wind power generation are totally useless, unless there is way to store their excess energy output when the conditions are suitable. It is tragic that proponents of renewable energy are ignoring such a vital part of the issue. Without storage capability, solar and wind power generation do not offer a practical solution to energy security. It is pointless to install new wind turbines, if you also need to simultaneously install conventional power back-up stations when the turbines are not turning.
The practical solution to a reliable green energy source, according to Jim Heathcote, is hydrogen. Electricity can be converted to hydrogen gas and stored. The hydrogen gas can be used directly as a heat source for domestic boilers and cookers. It can be used as fuel for automotives. Also, it can be converted back to electricity through a fuel cell or a generator.
He believes that large scale deployment of solar and wind energy power plants should be held in abeyance till the development of energy storage solutions.
ITM Power is the largest fuel cell development and electrolyser company in Europe.
Please visit www.itm-power.com for more details
