ESRI Policy Seminar: Quantifying CO2 Savings from Wind Power

Venue: The ESRI, Whitaker Square, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2

Speaker: Joe Wheatley, Biospherica Risk Ltd.

Abstract: A method of quantifying operational CO2 savings from wind power generation is described with reference to the 2011 Irish electricity grid. Based on an emissions model and 1/2-hourly generation time-series for each grid connected thermal generator, it is shown that wind power saved 0.28tCO2/MWh on average, relative to an implied average carbon intensity in the absence of wind of 0.53tCO2/MWh. These savings are significantly lower than expected. The origin of this result is explained in terms of the response of individual thermal generators to high levels of intermittent generation. The empirical method used here has application to other electricity grids.

Link to Paper