User:Dougmcdonell/sandbox

List of conventional hydroelectric power stations add the following

Beauharnois Hydroelectric Generating Station La Grande-1 generating station Limestone Generating Station Kettle Generating Station Moses-Saunders Power Dam Long Spruce Generating Station

Coping with variability
Variable_renewable_energy

Variable_renewable_energy_revert The electrical grid for each region must balance supply and demand. If the grid cannot be balanced within seconds, a blackout occurs. Historically grid operators use day ahead forecasting to choose which power stations to make up demand each hour of the next day, and adjust this forecast at intervals as short as hourly or even every fifteen minutes to accommodate any changes. As much as 100% of demand is retained as spinning reserve that can be integrated quickly into the grid to make up for any power failures or unexpected demand increases.

Regional Variability Trading
The power produced by wind and solar can vary dramatically between regions, a still and cloudy day in England can be a windy, sunny day in France. Energy resources are presently traded between countries using long distance transmission lines like the Skagerrak (power transmission system) between Norway, and Denmark. The lines connect the hydroelectric Norwegian grid and the wind and thermal Danish grid. In operation it enables more renewable energy in the energy mix and more efficient use of electricity. Very long transmission lines are possible, the Rio Madeira line in Brazil, used to transport hydroelectricity is 2375 km.

Balancing Variable Sources
Germany has combined control of three wind farms, 20 solar plants, four biogas turbines and pumped storage into a single system. On productive wind or solar days, the pumped storage can store three days of grid power. For still and overcast periods longer than three days, the biogas turbines supply the grid. There is a natural tendency for wind and solar to complement each other, on storm days wind works best and on clear days solar works best.

Backup for Variable Sources
Hydroelectric dams in the Columbia Basin, USA work in concert with wind turbines. When the wind is not generating power, water is released through the dams turbines to balance the grid. When the wind howls, the dams are shut down to save water until it's needed. In a sense, the dams act as a giant water battery that compensates for the intermittency of the wind.

In areas that do not have hydroelectric dams it is increasingly popular to have natural gas-fired “peaker plants,” which run in the absence of wind and solar. If low cost natural gas is unavailable, pumped-storage hydroelectricity can store large amounts of electrical power, sometimes enough for several days. Regions with the highest installed capacity for pumped storage are Europe (41GW), Japan (26 GW), China (23 GW), and the US (20 GW).

Varying Demand to Match Generation
Adjusting the load demand on the grid is common in areas where peak demand electricity costs more. People can change their habits as to when they consume power and how much they pay for it. There are two methods in pilot stages where electrical devices automatically adjust their consumption. Demand response communicates to the loads, which then have the option of turning off during adverse grid conditions such as peak demand, transmission congestion or high prices. Dynamic demand is a type of load that reacts to a slight brownout on the grid by turning itself off. All three approaches intend to motivate millions of consumers with cost savings, in order to help balance the grid. An example is a refrigerator with two temperature settings, when the grid needs help the more economical temperature is used.



A shift in thinking is needed in 2030 when almost all of your energy comes from non-dispatchable sources - you have no control over how much wind or solar power will be available and your job instead of turning on and off available sources becomes one of either storing or transmission of those sources to when they can be used or to where they can be used. Some excess available energy can be diverted to hydrogen production for use in ships and airplanes, a relatively long term energy storage, in a world where almost all of our energy comes from wind, water, and solar (WWS). Hydrogen is not an energy source, but is a storage medium. A cost analysis will need to be made between long distance transmission and excess capacity. The sun is always shining somewhere, and the wind is always blowing somewhere on the Earth, but is it cost effective to bring solar power from Australia to New York?

If excess capacity is created, the cost is increased because not all of the available output is used. For example, ERCOT predicts that 8.7% of nameplate wind capacity will be reliably available in summer - so if Texas, which has a peak summer demand of 68,379 MW built wind farms of 786,000 MW (68,379/0.087), they would generate, at a 35% capacity factor, 2.4 million MWh per year - four times use, but might be sufficient to meet summer peaks. In practice it is likely that there are times with almost no wind in the entire region, making this not a practical solution. There were 54 days in 2002 when there was little wind power available in Denmark. The estimated wind power installed capacity potential for Texas, using 100 meter wind turbines at 35% capacity factor, is 1,757,355.6 MW. In locations like British Columbia, with abundant water power resources, water power can always make up any shortfall in wind power.

Wind and solar are somewhat complementary. A comparison of the output of the solar panels and the wind turbine at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy shows the effect. Live data is available comparing solar and wind generation hourly since the day before yesterday, daily for last week and last month, and monthly for the last year In winter there tends to be more wind and less solar, and in summer more solar and less wind, and during the day more solar and less wind. There is always no solar at night, and there is often more wind at night than during the day, so solar can be used somewhat to fill in the peak demand in the day, and wind can supply much of the demand during the night. There is however a substantial need for storage and transmission to fill in the gaps between demand and supply.

As physicist Amory Lovins has said: The variability of sun, wind and so on, turns out to be a non-problem if you do several sensible things. One is to diversify your renewables by technology, so that weather conditions bad for one kind are good for another. Second, you diversify by site so they're not all subject to the same weather pattern at the same time because they're in the same place. Third, you use standard weather forecasting techniques to forecast wind, sun and rain, and of course hydro operators do this right now. Fourth, you integrate all your resources — supply side and demand side..." The combination of diversifying variable renewables by type and location, forecasting their variation, and integrating them with despatchable renewables, flexible fueled generators, and demand response can create a power system that has the potential to meet our needs reliably. Integrating ever-higher levels of renewables is being successfully demonstrated in the real world:



What_Wikipedia_is_not

Three items from

Wikipedia is not a crystal ball

3) Articles that present original research in the form of extrapolation, speculation, and "future history" are inappropriate. Although scientific and cultural norms continually evolve, we must wait for this evolution to happen, rather than try to predict it. Of course, we do and should have articles about notable artistic works, essays, or credible research that embody predictions. An article on Weapons of Star Trek is appropriate; an article on "Weapons to be used in World War III" is not.

4) Although currently accepted scientific paradigms may later be rejected, and hypotheses previously held to be controversial or incorrect sometimes become accepted by the scientific community, it is not the place of Wikipedia to venture such projections.

5) Wikipedia is not a collection of product announcements and rumors. Although Wikipedia includes up-to-date knowledge about newly revealed products, short articles that consist only of product announcement information are not appropriate. Until such time that more encyclopedic knowledge about the product can be verified, product announcements should be merged to a larger topic (such as an article about the creator(s), a series of products, or a previous product) if applicable. Speculation and rumor, even from reliable sources, are not appropriate encyclopedic content.

Aerial photo (says 1951)

Former coal-fired power stations
( Stations not "decommisioned" may still operate by natural gas, garbage-biomas or burn coal only for heating.) {|class="wikitable sortable" ! Station !! Country !! Location !! data-sort-type="number"|Capacity in MW !! Status !! Year !! Ref


 * Manila Thermal Power Plant || 🇵🇭 Philippines || || align=center | 200 ||decom||2000||
 * Munmorah Power Station || 🇦🇺 Australia || New South Wales || align=center | 2,100 ||decom||2010||
 * Capitol Power Plant || 🇺🇸 United States || Washington DC || align=center | * ||nat gas||2013||
 * Central Islip State Hospital Powerplant || 🇺🇸 United States || || align=center | * ||decom||1996||
 * Cos Cob Power Station || 🇺🇸 United States || || align=center | * ||decom||1986||
 * Elk River Station || 🇺🇸 United States || Minnesota || align=center | 42 ||waste||1989||
 * IRT Powerhouse || 🇺🇸 United States || Manhattan || align=center | * ||steam||1950||
 * Island Station Power Plant b1926 || 🇺🇸 United States || || align=center | * ||decom||1975||
 * Mohave Power Station b1971 || 🇺🇸 United States || Nevada || align=center | 1,580 ||protested||2009||
 * Ottawa Street Power Station || 🇺🇸 United States || || align=center | .815 ||chilling||1992||
 * Thunder Bay Generating Station b1963 || 🇨🇦 Canada || Ontario || align=center | 326 ||biomass||2014||
 * Lakeview_Generating_Station b1958 || 🇨🇦 Canada || Ontario || align=center | 2400 ||decom||2005||
 * Lambton Generating Station || 🇨🇦 Canada || Ontario || align=center | 1,976 ||??||2013 ||
 * Nanticoke Generating Station b1972 || 🇨🇦 Canada || Ontario || align=center | 3,964 ||biomass||2013||
 * Atikokan Generating Station b1985 || 🇨🇦 Canada || Ontario || align=center | 230 || biomass ||2012||
 * Hearn Generating Station b1951 || 🇨🇦 Canada || Toronto || align=center | 1200 ||nat gas||1983||
 * Roosecote Power Station b1954 || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || Cumbria || align=center | 120 ||nat gas||1986 ||
 * Cockenzie power station b1967 || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || Edinburgh || align=center | 1,200 ||decom||2013||
 * Kingsnorth power station B1963 || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || Kent || align=center | 2000 ||decom||2012||
 * Ferrybridge power stations b1966 || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || West Yorkshire || align=center | 2000 ||waste||2016||
 * Wabamun Generating Station b1958 || 🇨🇦 Canada || Alberta || align=center | 582 ||decom||2010||
 * Acton Lane Power Station b1950 || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || London || align=center | 150 ||STATUS||1983||
 * Agecroft Power Station b1962 || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || Manchester || align=center | 360 ||decom||1993||
 * Blackwall Point Power Station || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || London || align=center | 86 ||decom||1981||
 * Athlone Power Station b1962 || 🇿🇦 South Africa || Cape Town || align=center | 180 ||decom||2003||
 * * || COUNTRY ||  || align=center | * ||STATUS||YEAR||
 * * || COUNTRY ||  || align=center | * ||STATUS||YEAR||
 * * || COUNTRY ||  || align=center | * ||STATUS||YEAR||
 * Atikokan Generating Station b1985 || 🇨🇦 Canada || Ontario || align=center | 230 || biomass ||2012||
 * Hearn Generating Station b1951 || 🇨🇦 Canada || Toronto || align=center | 1200 ||nat gas||1983||
 * Roosecote Power Station b1954 || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || Cumbria || align=center | 120 ||nat gas||1986 ||
 * Cockenzie power station b1967 || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || Edinburgh || align=center | 1,200 ||decom||2013||
 * Kingsnorth power station B1963 || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || Kent || align=center | 2000 ||decom||2012||
 * Ferrybridge power stations b1966 || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || West Yorkshire || align=center | 2000 ||waste||2016||
 * Wabamun Generating Station b1958 || 🇨🇦 Canada || Alberta || align=center | 582 ||decom||2010||
 * Acton Lane Power Station b1950 || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || London || align=center | 150 ||STATUS||1983||
 * Agecroft Power Station b1962 || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || Manchester || align=center | 360 ||decom||1993||
 * Blackwall Point Power Station || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || London || align=center | 86 ||decom||1981||
 * Athlone Power Station b1962 || 🇿🇦 South Africa || Cape Town || align=center | 180 ||decom||2003||
 * * || COUNTRY ||  || align=center | * ||STATUS||YEAR||
 * * || COUNTRY ||  || align=center | * ||STATUS||YEAR||
 * * || COUNTRY ||  || align=center | * ||STATUS||YEAR||
 * Acton Lane Power Station b1950 || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || London || align=center | 150 ||STATUS||1983||
 * Agecroft Power Station b1962 || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || Manchester || align=center | 360 ||decom||1993||
 * Blackwall Point Power Station || 🇬🇧 United Kingdom || London || align=center | 86 ||decom||1981||
 * Athlone Power Station b1962 || 🇿🇦 South Africa || Cape Town || align=center | 180 ||decom||2003||
 * * || COUNTRY ||  || align=center | * ||STATUS||YEAR||
 * * || COUNTRY ||  || align=center | * ||STATUS||YEAR||
 * * || COUNTRY ||  || align=center | * ||STATUS||YEAR||
 * * || COUNTRY ||  || align=center | * ||STATUS||YEAR||
 * * || COUNTRY ||  || align=center | * ||STATUS||YEAR||
 * * || COUNTRY ||  || align=center | * ||STATUS||YEAR||
 * * || COUNTRY ||  || align=center | * ||STATUS||YEAR||
 * * || COUNTRY ||  || align=center | * ||STATUS||YEAR||
 * * || COUNTRY ||  || align=center | * ||STATUS||YEAR||