Renewable Energy Sources: Watt Committee: report number 22

160 Pages·1990·4.079 MB·English

by  Laughton, M.A.

Renewable Energy Sources
Watt Committee Report Number 22
© 2003 Taylor & Francis Books, Inc.
Members of The Watt Committee on Energy
Working Group on Renewable Energy Sources
This report has been compiled by the Working Group on Renewable Energy Sources
The members of the Working Group were:
Professor M.A.Laughton, Queen Mary and Westfield College, Department of Electrical
and Electronic Engineering (Chairman)
A.C.Baker, Binnie & Partners, Redhill
J.H.Boddy, Consultant, Woking
A.T.Chenhall, Scottish Hydro, Pitlochry
R.Clare, Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons Ltd, London
D.A.Gray, Consultant, Harrow
Dr M.J.Grubb, Royal Institute of International Affairs, London
R.S.Hackett, Chairman, Rational Use of Energy Working Group, Watford
Professor D.O.Hall, Kings College, University of London, Department of Biology
D.E.Lennard, D.E.Lennard & Associates, Orpington
Dr C.W.Lewis, University of Strathclyde, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology
Dr D.Lindley, Taylor Woodrow Construction, Greenford
Dr D.L.Lidgate, Thames Polytechnic, School of Engineering
Dr G.Long, Harwell Laboratories, Harwell
Professor J.C.McVeigh, Glasgow College
H.J.Moorhead, Severn Tidal Power Group, Sidcup
Dr P.L.Surman, National Power plc, London
Professor D.T.Swift-Hook, Consultant, Woking
J.F.Walker, National Power Division, Southampton
S.H.Webster, Coopers & Lybrand Associates, London
P.R.Wyman, GEC Hirst Research Centre, Wembley
© 2003 Taylor & Francis Books, Inc.
Renewable Energy Sources
Edited by
MICHAEL A.LAUGHTON
Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Queen Mary and Westfield College,
University of London
Chairman of the Working Group on Renewable Energy Sources appointed by the Watt
Committee on Energy
Report Number 22

Published on behalf of
THE WATT COMMITTEE ON ENERGY
by
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©1990 THE WATT COMMITTEE ON ENERGY
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Renewable energy sources. (Report; no.22)
1. Renewable energy sources
I. Laughton, M.A. II. Watt Committee on Energy III. Series
333.794

ISBN 0-203-21581-8 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-27210-2 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 1-85166-500-5 (Print Edition)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Renewable energy sources/edited by M.A.Laughton
p. cm.—(Watt Committee report; no.22)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-85166-500-5
I. Renewable energy sources. I. Laughton, M.A. II. Watt
Committee on Energy. III. Series.
TJ808.R45 1990
33.79'4—dc20 90–35846
CIP
The views expressed in this Report are those of the authors of
the papers and contributors to the discussion individually and
not necessarily those of their institutions or companies or of The
Watt Committee on Energy. The Watt Committee on Energy
acknowledges with thanks the financial support it has received
from the Department of Energy and from Scottish Power.
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© 2003 Taylor & Francis Books, Inc.
Foreword
Ever since the oil price increases of the 1970s triggered are comparatively free of them. Thus there is justice
a wide-spread awareness of the problems of over- in the linkage, vague though it is, that public opinion
dependence on imported energy supplies, there has tends to see between the renewables and environmental
been increased interest in industrialised countries in improvement, although electrical power generation
the possibilities of obtaining power from locally from renewables is not free from other objections.
available renewable resources. Today, after One of the renewables that seems to be almost
considerable R & D effort, renewable resources are entirely free of objections is passive solar design of
now regarded as capable of supplying a significant buildings. This was the subject of Watt Committee
proportion of energy in the long-term future. In Report No. 17. In principle, the technique is very
addition, recent years have seen the growth in ancient, and the methods of applying it today are well
importance of environmental issues, which in turn are known. Its adoption, however, has to overcome the
influencing the energy scene. public ignorance of what can be done, the attitudes
The Watt Committee on Energy has always been created by a century or two of cheap energy and the
interested in environmental questions concerning indifference expressed in institutional structures. Much
energy. Notable examples were the two Watt the same is true of electricity generation by small-scale
Committee Reports entitled Acid Rain (No. 14) and hydro-electric schemes, which was dealt with in Report
Air Pollution, Acid Rain and the Environment (No. No. 15. The Watt Committee’s studies of these subjects
20), published in 1984 and 1989 respectively. As the received financial support from the Department of
latter neared completion, the Watt Committee Energy. It is not only Government action that affects
Executive considered what further studies might be the decisions of energy suppliers and users, however—
initiated in this area; one of the results was the more important is the effect of informed public
appointment of the working group that planned the opinion.
recent Consultative Conference entitled The development of public opinion on energy
Technological Responses to the Greenhouse Effect’, matters is a primary concern of the Watt Committee.
which will be the subject of a further report, due to to As a body representing the professional community,
be published soon. and as a registered charity, it is both authoritative and
During these years, there has been a marked increase impartial. This was its standpoint when, in 1986, it
in the level of public concern with environmental appointed the working group on Renewable Energy
issues. One of its effects has been a growing awareness Sources, whose results are published here.
of the contribution that might be made by greater This report, like the others, is the result of study by
exploitation of renewable energy sources—frequently a working group leading to a Consultative Conference.
described as alternative energy sources, or ‘the The views expressed at the Conference were taken into
renewables’. Conventional large-scale power account in preparing the final text of the report, and in
generation has been widely thought objectionable a rapidly changing scene the group found it necessary
because it is polluting, causes damage to life and to to go through several stages of revision, especially with
valued buildings, emits radiation or generates more regard to the economic assessment of the renewables.
heavy goods traffic. Whether or not all these objections The group has tried to grapple with the concepts that
are valid, there is no doubt that many of the renewables apply to renewables as a whole. Expertise has been
© 2003 Taylor & Francis Books, Inc.
given freely byall members of the group, and an electricity supply industry I hope that their results,
exceptionally heavy burden has been imposed on the published here, will assist the public to assess the actual
Chairman of the group, Professor Michael Laughton. and potential role of the renewables.
On behalf of the Watt Committee, I am grateful to him
and to them all, and in the period of consolidation that G.K.C.PARDOE
must be expected to follow the restructuring of the Chairman, The Watt Committee on Energy
© 2003 Taylor & Francis Books, Inc.
Contents
Members of The Watt Committee on Energy Working Group on Renewable Energy Sources
Foreword
G.K.C.PARDOE
PART 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE REPORT
1 Introduction and summary
2 The place of renewable energy as an energy source
R.SCHNEIDER
PART 2: TYPES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE
3 Tidal energy
4 Wave energy
5 Wind energy
6 Small scale hydro-electric energy
7 Geothermal energy
8 Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)
9 Solar thermal technologies and photovoltaics
10 Biofuels
PART 3: SYSTEM CONSIDERATIONS
11 Environment
12 Integration of renewable energy sources in electrical power systems
13 Economics of renewable energy sources
The Watt Committee on Energy: Objectives, Historical
Background and Current Programme
Member Institutions of The Watt Committee on
Energy
Watt Committee Reports
© 2003 Taylor & Francis Books, Inc.
Part 1
INTRODUCTION TO THE REPORT
© 2003 Taylor & Francis Books, Inc.
Section 1

Introduction and Summary
oil and hence OPEC supply dependence which turned
1.1 INTRODUCTION
attention initially towards energy efficiency and also
to the development of alternative sources. Subsequently,
in the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear accident,
This report by the Watt Committee concerns the
safety, or rather the potential consequences of power
current status of the technology and opportunities for
plant failure, has become a matter of public concern.
the exploitation of renewable energy sources. Both
More recently, environmental questions related to the
technical and economic aspects are covered, primarily
transformation of energy, especially the carbon dioxide-
in relation to the existing pattern of demand and the
linked ‘greenhouse effect’ and the polluting effects of
organisation of energy supply in the United Kingdom.
acid rain, have received growing public and political
As such the Report complements other recently
attention and thus are assuming greater importance in
published reports, particularly those by the
the planning and operation of energy supply systems.
International Energy Agency (Renewable Sources of
Constraints imposed by such considerations are felt
Energy, OECD, Paris, March 1987), the UK
nowhere more so than in electrical power systems which
Department of Energy (Renewable Energy in the UK:
constitute the main potential outlet for energy derived
The Way Forward, Energy Paper Number 55, HMSO,
from renewable sources. Although some renewable
London, June 1988) and the House of Lords Select
resources can contribute energy effectively directly in
Committee on the European Communities (Alternative
the form of heat, it is through the medium of electrical
Energy Sources: Report with Evidence, HL Paper 88,
energy that most contributions can be made.
HMSO, London, June 1988). Although there are
Finally in this period the test discount rate has been
inevitably areas of overlap with these publications,
changed from 5% to 8% for the public sector since the
nevertheless this Report provides an independent and
completion of the bulk of the work on the Report. In
integrated set of contributions from experts which
addition the decision was taken to privatise the electricity
provides fresh information, opinions and comparative
supply industry. It was considered appropriate not to
analysis of this complex subject. The approach adopted
treat privatisation aspects in the main body of the Report
has been mainly one of a general engineering
because the consequences are still in the future at the
viewpoint, stressing technology, economics and
time of writing. On the other hand with such a major
systems integration, but including also discussions of
change to the electricity supply industry forthcoming
legal and environmental issues as appropriate.
the Working Group believe that some comment, albeit
speculative, is appropriate and hence include a
1.2 BACKGROUND
discussion in this Introduction.
During the period of work of the Committee’s Working 1.3 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT
Group the energy supply scene saw the drifting down
of oil prices on the international markets along with
Each renewable source of energy is considered in turn
growing expectations that such low prices will prevail
in separate sections, viz. tidal, wave, wind, small-scale
until the end of the century. It was the steep oil price
hydro, geothermal, OTEC, solar thermal and
rises of the 1970s coupled with the realisation of undue
photovoltaics, and biofuels. Three overarching sections
© 2003 Taylor & Francis Books, Inc.