Wind power and hydro power are actually a very good match
By Magnus Korpås, professor at the department of Electric Power Engineering, NTNU
Professor of Economics Hans K. Vide claims falsely in the Norwegian paper Dagens Næringsliv, April 29th, that “Norwegian wind turbines will produce the most electricity when it’s the least needed” (in Norwegian). The fact that winds are at their strongest in the winter – when we have the greatest need of power – is a well-documented and well-known fact. That is when electricity consumption is at its highest, and since the water reservoirs are covered in ice, we cannot count on a refill during this period.
The fact that some days during the winter are without wind is of little importance comparatively, since we can handle these variations with flexible hydro power until the wind starts to blow again – and when that happens, we can reduce hydro power production and save the water for later.
Wind power and hydro power are in other words an excellent combination for the Norwegian energy supply, whether one likes it or not.
See the original op-ed by Magnus Korpås on the DN website (in Norwegian).
