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Appendix C
Comparison of Different Power-Generation Methods 271

South Africa has a proposed station situated on the West Coast north
of the Olifants River mouth near the town of Koekenaap, east of
Vredendal in the Western Cape province. The station is proposed to have
a total output of 100 MW, although there are negotiations to double
this capacity. The plant could be operational by 2010.
France has announced a target of 12,500 MW installed by 2010.
Canada experienced rapid growth of wind capacity between 2000 and
2006, with total installed capacity increasing from 137 MW to 1,451
MW, and showing an annual growth rate of 38 percent. Particularly
rapid growth was seen in 2006, with total capacity doubling from the
684 MW at end-2005. This growth was fed by measures including
installation targets, economic incentives, and political support. For
example, the Ontario government announced that it will introduce a
feed-in tariff for wind power, referred to as “Standard Offer Contracts,”
which can boost the wind industry across the province. In Quebec, the
provincially owned electric utility plans to purchase an additional 2,000
MW by 2013.

ptg
Small Scale Wind Power
Small wind-generation systems with capacities of 100 kW or less are
usually used to power homes, farms, and small businesses. Isolated com-
munities that otherwise rely on diesel generators might use wind tur-
bines to displace diesel fuel consumption. Individuals purchase these
systems to reduce or eliminate their electricity bills, or simply to gener-
ate their own clean power.
Wind turbines have been used for household electricity generation in
conjunction with battery storage over many decades in remote areas.
Increasingly, U.S. consumers are choosing to purchase grid-connected
turbines in the 1 to 10 kilowatt range to power their whole homes.
Household generator units of more than 1 kW are now functioning in
several countries, and in every state in the United States.
Grid-connected wind turbines might use grid energy storage, displac-
ing purchased energy with local production when available. Off-grid
system users either adapt to intermittent power or use batteries, photo-
voltaic, or diesel systems to supplement the wind turbine.
In urban locations, where it is difficult to obtain predictable or large
amounts of wind energy, smaller systems might still be used to run low