Wind Power
We are evaluating new turbine technologies that employ considerably smaller land areas and that give out greater power output for a considerably smaller capital outlay. More efficient turbines and structures are the way forward in this arena as traditional technologies are extremely CAPEX intensive.
So far, the cumulative installed capacity of wind power projects is far below their gross potential (≤ 15%) despite very high level of policy support, tax benefits, long term financing schemes etc., for more than 10 years. One of the major barriers is the high costs of investments in these systems and the difficulty of achieving grid connections. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol provides industrialised countries with an incentive to invest in emission reduction projects in developing countries to achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions at lowest cost that also promotes sustainable development in the host country. Wind power projects could be of interest under the CDM because they directly displace greenhouse gas emissions while contributing to sustainable rural development, if developed correctly.
Our estimates indicate that there is a vast theoretical potential of CO2 mitigation by the use of wind energy. The annual potential Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs) of wind power projects could theoretically reach 86 million. Under more realistic assumptions about diffusion of wind power projects based on past experiences with the government-run programs, annual CER volumes by 2012 could reach more than 1000 million and 1000’s of millions by 2020.
So far, the cumulative installed capacity of wind power projects is far below their gross potential (≤ 15%) despite very high level of policy support, tax benefits, long term financing schemes etc., for more than 10 years. One of the major barriers is the high costs of investments in these systems and the difficulty of achieving grid connections. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol provides industrialised countries with an incentive to invest in emission reduction projects in developing countries to achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions at lowest cost that also promotes sustainable development in the host country. Wind power projects could be of interest under the CDM because they directly displace greenhouse gas emissions while contributing to sustainable rural development, if developed correctly.
Our estimates indicate that there is a vast theoretical potential of CO2 mitigation by the use of wind energy. The annual potential Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs) of wind power projects could theoretically reach 86 million. Under more realistic assumptions about diffusion of wind power projects based on past experiences with the government-run programs, annual CER volumes by 2012 could reach more than 1000 million and 1000’s of millions by 2020.