Blowing in the wind

摘要

Part of the answer to rising energy needs and costs may literally be blowing in the wind. Among sustainable sources of electricity, only wind energy has the capacity and technology needed to compete in the open marketplace. The largest onshore wind farm in Europe is being built in Scotland, the largest in the USA is planned for southern California, and the biggest offshore wind farm production in the world is slated for the Thames Estuary. But wind is intermittent. Marc Genton and Amanda Hering explain how advanced statistical techniques will enable wind energy to be more efficiently incorporated into the electrical grid.