Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables

Camilty Wind Farm
Table 6.1 Proposed Wind Farm Carbon Balance and Payback (assuming 3.4 MW
turbine)
Payback
Time
Carbon
Gains
(t CO 2 eq)
Carbon
Losses
(t CO 2 eq)
Net
Emissions
of CO 2
(t CO 2 eq)
Total
Payback
Time (Coal
Fired)
Total
Payback
Time
(Grid-Mix)
Total
Payback
Time (Fossil
Fuel)
Expected -71 49519 49448 1.2 2.4 1.7
Minimum 3 21377 20550 0.4 0.8 0.6
Maximum -827 132920 132923 3.9 8.0 5.8
6.5.8 The estimated total carbon payback time of the proposed wind energy development, based
on carbon losses and gains compared with fossil fuel generation, is expected to be 1.7 years,
with a minimum payback time of 0.6 years and a maximum payback time of 5.8 years.
6.5.9 This is increased to an expected 2.4 years against the grid mix of electricity generation, which
includes other renewable electricity sources and the payback is decreased to an expected
1.2 years compared with coal-fired electricity generation.
6.5.10 It should be noted that although the CO 2 emitted during wind farm construction is taken into
account in this calculation, that produced from construction of the other forms of power
stations is not – therefore, in some ways this calculation is biased against wind generation.
Therefore, when considering the 25 year operational period of the proposed wind energy
development, the CO 2 payback time is very short in comparison.
6.6 References
• BWEA (2005), Power of the wind blows away myths, Available at:
http://www.bwea.com/media/news/141105.html
• DECC (2012), Excel Spreadsheet of Sub-National Local Authority Electricity
Consumption Statistics 2005 to 2011. Available at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/energy_stats/regional/electricity/elect
ricity.aspx)
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/49418/4
820-subnat-auth-electricity-cons-2005-2010.xls
• DEFRA (2011), Sustainable Products and Consumers, Available at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/what/index.htm
• European Commission (2000), Towards a European Strategy for the Security of
Energy Supply, European Communities, Italy
• National Records of Scotland (2011), West Lothian Council Area – Demographic
Factsheet, Available at: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files2/stats/council-area-datasheets/west-lothian-factsheet.pdf
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007), AR4 Climate Change 2007
Synthesis Report, Geneva, Switzerland
March 2013 6-7 ES Chapter 6
Climate Change and Atmospheric Emissions
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