Windenergy Report Germany 2008 written within the research project „Deutscher Windmonitor“ funded by the German federal Ministry for the Environment Nature Conversation and Nuclear Safety German Wind Energy Report 2008 The research and development project behind this report was carried out on behalf of the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Its reference number is 0327584. Responsibility for its content rests with the authors. PUBLISHER’S DETAILS German Wind Energy Report 2008 Publisher: Institut für Solare Energieversorgungstechnik (ISET) Verein an der Universität Kassel e.V. Information und Energiewirtschaft Königstor 59 34119 Kassel Germany E-mail: [email protected] www.iset.uni-kassel.de Editorial team: Stefan Faulstich, Michael Durstewitz, Berthold Hahn, Kaspar Knorr, Kurt Rohrig Typesetting: EDV + Grafik, Kaufungen Printing: PRINTEC OFFSET, Kassel Copyright ISET e.V. / the institute’s commissioning client reserves all rights to reprinting, extraction of illustra- tions and reproduction by photo-mechanical or similar means and to storage in data-processing systems, even where only in excerpt form. 4 German Wind Energy Report 2008 INHALT Foreword ......................................................................................................................... 6 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 7 2 Current state of wind power use ................................................................................... 8 3 Availability of wind power ............................................................................................ 14 4 Site development ............................................................................................................ 18 5 Turbine development ...................................................................................................... 24 6 Grid integration .............................................................................................................. 30 7 Reliability .......................................................................................................................... 36 8 Economics ........................................................................................................................ 42 9 Appendix .......................................................................................................................... 48 10 Sources .............................................................................................................................. 52 German Wind Energy Report 2008 5 Foreword This ‘German Wind Energy Report 2008’ has was provided by around 1,500 wind turbines been produced as part of the ‘German Wind operating within the scheme. All of the subsi- Monitor’ research project. In addition to present- dised turbines were analysed over at least 10 ing the current status of wind power systems, years in the WMEP monitoring programme run it also offers a look back over this technology’s alongside the scheme, making this programme many years of successful development. the most comprehensive examination anywhere in the world of long-term wind turbine behav- This report also sees the continuation of the iour. The WMEP’s aim was to collect statistically regular publication of operating results for the proven empirical data relating to the practical wind turbines monitored in the ‘Scientific Meas- use of wind power on a scale of relevance to the urement and Evaluation Programme’ (WMEP) economics of energy generation and to evaluate run by ISET under the ‘250 MW Wind’ develop- this based on uniform criteria. ment scheme. The German Ministry for the Environment, Na- The ‘250 MW Wind’ scheme was announced ture Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) has (initially as the ‘100 MW Wind’ scheme) in been supporting the ‘German Wind Monitor’ the Federal Gazette in June 1989. Due to the project since 2007. This continues the success- great demand and to German reunification, the ful work of the WMEP on a smaller scale and scheme was extended in 1991 to 250 MW. With presents the development of wind energy use in the total target output achieved, the scheme’s Germany, with particular emphasis on changes operators were able to end its approval stage at in technology, costs and the market, in a trans- the end of 1996, with the scheme then sup- parent and objective way for politicians and the porting a total volume of 350 MW (based on public at large. Its findings are published on the turbine output, i.e. usually maximum output ‘Wind Monitor’ website (www.windmonitor.de) at relatively high wind speed). This capacity and in the ‘Wind Energy Report’. 6 German Wind Energy Report 2008 1 Introduction Over the last two decades, the use of wind Innovation energy has rapidly developed into a technol- In addition to opening up new possibilities for ogy that many believe will play a key role in the the deployment of wind power, it is also neces- future supply of electricity. In terms of utilisation sary for its further expansion to consider aspects of renewable energy, wind power already ranks of developing new turbine sites. Special towers, alongside hydropower as the most used energy for instance, make wooded areas on low moun- form. tain ranges suitable for use. Both the equipment used for utilising wind pow- For the evaluations presented in this report we er and the general environment for this form used several different sources of data, three of of renewable energy generation have changed which warrant specific mention at this point: significantly over the years. Logbooks The aim of this Wind Energy Report is on the one hand to illustrate these changes and on As part of the WMEP programme the operators the other to provide a look forward to future manually recorded all key incidents and data in developments. a logbook. These books contain master data on the turbines and reports on the power supplied, Due to various aspects, the wind power industry maintenance, upkeep and operating costs. As currently has a number of diverse strategic op- part of the German Wind Monitor programme tions for further development, which we aim the logbooks of numerous operators, reporting to look at in more detail in the course of this on a voluntary basis, continue to be maintained. report: ISET wind measurement network Expansion For many years, ISET has been operating a wind Germany has for many years taken a pioneering measurement network spread across the whole role in wind power utilisation. The experiences of Germany. This network was set up as part of gained in the process are now being increasingly the ‘250 MW Wind’ scheme and represents a used to make a mark with this technology on valuable source of information. The network is the international market. described in greater detail in the appendix. Repowering IWET database The replacement of old turbines with more IWET (the ‘Ingenieurwerkstatt Energietechnik’ / powerful ones has to date not been done to any Energy Technology Engineers’ Workshop) regu- meaningful extent. In order to further drive the larly records general project data and technical use of wind power forward, this option needs to data on wind turbines, grid integration and site be given greater attention in the future. topography. This data contains a whole host of information about the ‘German wind power Offshore fleet’. Wind power utilisation is just at the start of large-scale offshore use. The use of wind tur- bines out at sea represents a momentous addi- tion to on-shore sites, but is also associated with a number of challenges. German Wind Energy Report 2008 7 2 Current state of wind energy use Utilisation in Germany The growth in annual construction of new wind turbines in Germany has, as can be seen in il- Wind power is set to play a key role in the future lustration 3, been rapid. While at the start of the supply of energy both in Germany and on a nineties only some 10 MW of new capacity was global scale. According to German Government being installed and taken into operation each plans, wind power’s share of gross annual elec- year, from the late nineties this figure averaged tricity consumption is due to rise to around 15 % over 2,000 MW a year and in 2002 the newly in- by 2020. In comparison with other countries, stalled capacity even reached almost 3,200 MW. Germany has been leading the way for years in Since 2003, however, it is possible to observe a the utilisation of wind power, both in terms of certain saturation of the German market. Net the number of turbines installed, the installed growth in 2007 was, nevertheless, still around capacity, domestic value added and the number 1,600 MW. of directly or indirectly created jobs. The addition of the wind turbines newly installed The reasons for these technological and each year is clearly reflected in the increase in economic successes are largely based on a electricity production. Over recent years, the long-standing, continual policy of support and amount of electricity produced by wind turbines development operated by the relevant govern- has been constantly going up. At 31.1 TWh, ment ministries, which for over 20 years have both initiated and supported R&D projects and also created important legislative framework conditions. The graphic below (illustration 2) shows the trend of development in relation to installed nominal capacity in Germany from 1991 through to the middle of 2008. The forecasts for