Germany loses more wind energy due to poor grid - report

(SeeNews) – Nov 1, 2011 – The number of forced shutdowns of wind power plants in Germany had increased considerably between 2009 and 2010 due to the poor grid state and despite the strong wind, daily Financial Times Deutschland reported.

According to a study of renewables consulting company Ecofys, in 2010 the number of wind turbines closed temporarily by networks operators amounted to 1,085, while in 2009 the figure stood at 285. Thus, the amount of energy that did not reach consumers increased by 69% on the year.

The high increase is mainly due to the rapid construction of wind farms compared with the slow expansion of the grid.

Most often wind installations in the north are temporarily closed, the study showed.

The German Wind Energy Association placed the order for the study with Ecofys in order to compare it with the recent results of a study by the Federal Networks Agency.

Ecofys announced that some 150 GWh wind energy did not reach the grid in 2010, while according to the Federal Network Agency, the figure stood at 127 GWh.

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