Wind turbine payback period claimed to be within 8 months | Watts Up With That?: "Max Hugoson says:
June 16, 2014 at 1:33 pm
Back in my “previous life”, the major utility I worked for was “beaten up” by the state regulators, and to install a certain amount of gas turbine peakers (needed for growth, summers) they had to “subsidize” 100 Megawatts of wind turbines (100 units that is.). That they did, placing them in the WINDIEST PLACE in the STATE (clue, somewhere near, around the Dakotas, a very open and windy area.) Subsequent to development, and for the next 10 years, I was able to watch the Grid Operations System (GOS) system,and see the amount generated. Yep, after 10 years of operation, the wonderful wind power (“free”, don’t you know) produced an AVERAGE of 8.7 Megawatts, orr 8.7% capacity factor. (The gas turbines, of course, produced about a 99% cap factor, not “free”.) Now, what of this? Despite the FIGHT the utility had to go through with the PUC (Public Utilities Commission) the cost figures came out. Installed, each unit was a little under $2 Million. Using STANDARD industrial amortization, the net cost during that 10 years, was…hang on to your hat, about $1.65 per KWHr. If you had a standard cost of $100 a month for your electricity, if you had WIND power you could be paying $2000 a month. Wonderful way to personal bankruptcy and national bankruptcy."
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