Offshore oil vs. offshore wind ... who wins?

Ratty

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Thu May-27-10 10:36 AM
Original message

Offshore oil vs. offshore wind ... who wins?

Edited on Thu May-27-10 10:43 AM by Ratty

http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/blogs/offshore-oil-vs-offshore-wind-who-wins

Fascinating article. Of course I'm no expert and have to take his numbers on faith, but DAMN!

2. How many turbines can $10 billion buy?
Projecting that the next few big offshore projects will drop in price as manufacturing and grid infrastructure improves, let's say a 60 megawatt project will go for $200 million. Divide that by $12 billion and you get sixty 60-megawatt wind projects, or about 33 billion kilowatts of power capacity per year.

Comments are interesting too, calling the author on a number of his assumptions: That a 60-megawatt rated project will always produce 60-megawatts continuously, not figuring in the cost of storing wind power, the amount of gasoline in a barrel of oil. Still it gives one a lot to think about.

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NoNothing

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Thu May-27-10 10:42 AM
Response to Original message

1. Math fail?

1 Megawatt = 1,000,000 watts.

1 Kilowatt = 1,000 watts.

60 * 60 Megawatts = 3,600,000,000 watts.

That's 3.6 Gigawatts. 3600 Megawatts. 3,600,000 Kilowatts.

3,600,000 < 33,000,000,000

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Ratty

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Thu May-27-10 10:52 AM
Response to Reply #1

3. Looks like he forgot a decimal

I'm surprised nobody has called him on it yet.

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NoNothing

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Thu May-27-10 11:14 AM
Response to Reply #3

4. Actually I think he really meant

Edited on Thu May-27-10 11:18 AM by NoNothing

That it would generate around 33 billion kilowatt hours of electricity over a year. ("Power capacity per year" is nonsense. He probably meant just "energy in a year.") Which is true (assuming sufficient wind for 100% generation every hour of the year), and sounds like a lot, but is really only about what a single average coal or nuke plant generates.

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FreeJG

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Thu May-27-10 10:51 AM
Response to Original message

2. My friend in FLA has patented the Wind Hunter...turbines on catamarans

Edited on Thu May-27-10 10:52 AM by FreeJG

When the storms come..the turbines fold down on the sailing vessel....and sail away out of the storm to prevent any damage....then sail back....and provide electricity. We have a constant "gulf Breeze" here...and this is the way! View this masterpiece at the link below. He is a retired engineer, and has been to Switzerland and California...invited by those interested. He did this in 2004, and during the 06 election cycle he was everywhere promoting and showing the "demo" that he built. So....where is the leadership???

www.windhunter.org

Check it out...and get this out to all of your friends and lists!

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meow2u3

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Thu May-27-10 11:26 AM
Response to Reply #2

5. How would the Wind Hunter perform in a hurricane?

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Ex Lurker

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Thu May-27-10 12:50 PM
Response to Original message

6. the Martha's Vineyard NIMBY's set a really bad precedent

if you're serious about weaning this country off its oil addiction, you can't veto the alternatives. Personally, I didn't see the big deal about having some windmills in the distance. Everybody thinks it's picturesque in Holland.

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