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WIND ENERGY Wind is generated as the fluid and gaseous parts of the atmosphere move across the surface of the earth due to the ever changing temperatures of the oceans, land masses and other features heated by the rays of the sun. The differences in the way these areas are heated allow for the variance in the amount of wind experienced by various locales. The seas and land masses heat up and cool down in different rates so the wind is pretty strong in areas where these two geographical features meet. Despite the abundance of interface between shores and seas in the country we do have over 7,000 islands, the effort to harness the power of the wind isnt that popular as far as the governments priorities are concerned. This sort of ambivalence towards the relative gains that could be gotten through the creation of wind farms is largely apparent in the entire continent of Asia. Other than China, India and Japan who are among leaders when it comes to the construction of wind farms and consumption of clean energy coming from the wind turbines, the rest of Asia lags as far as advocacy for this type of technology is concerned. Enter Bangui The town of Bangui in Ilocos Norte is one of the few shining examples in the region that wind power could be used to provide affordable and clean energy for a vast chunk of a provinces population and industry. Bangui was picked from many other regions in the Philippines through a geological and meteorological survey done by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) when they conducted research to screen out for potential places in the country that could serve as good. There were other areas in the country that were deemedsuitable for the installation of wind farms. The other areas on the list included certain parts of the islands ofMindoro, Samar, Leyte, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Palawan and Eastern Mindanao. As he has proudly featured in his advertisements on the lead up to his run for the Philippine Senate, Ferdinand Bong Bong Marcos Jr. the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos was instrumental in making the vision of having a wind farm in the Ilocos region a reality. Due to its location, the province always suffered from power outages. The power came from a power station in La Union, leaving the entire province vulnerable to inconvenient power failures that hampered not onli the citizens but local businesses and investors who have decided to set up shop in Ilocos. The geography of Bangui is perfect for the wind farms. Much of the coastline is featureless and the ruggedness is virtually zero in the scale used by engineers who surveyed the area. This means that the wind goes through the area pretty much unimpeded and could easily drive the turbines and generators within the shaft of the wind mills. The coast faces the South China Sea a very favorable body of water to face, considering all the monsoon activity that happens in the area. The wind farm itself is operated by an independent power provider called Transco Laoag. Currently, there are 30 wind mill units along the entire stretch of the coast. Each wind turbine is said to be 60 meters high and were manufactured by the Vestas company. The wind farm has an installed capacity of 25 megawatts (MW) and a maximum capacity of 33 MW. At present, the wind farm supports about 40 percent of the power needed by Ilocos Norte, making the province less reliant on the power from La Union, which is still one province away. In 2006, it was computed that the power generated by the wind farm allowed for over USD1 million (P45.46 million) in savings. It would still take time for the project to pay for itself as the entire price tag for the endeavour is said to have reached an eye popping sum of USD23 million (P1.04 billion). There are plans to expand the project further and almost double wind farm's capacity. It is projected that additions to the project made in the next 10 years could boost the ratio serviced by the wind farms to about 70

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percent of Ilocos Norte's entire power requirment. It has been estimated that the project would cost over USD75 million (P3.4 billion) once the changes and developments have been made. Aside from the amount saved in the process of making energy cheaper for the people of Ilocos Norte, the creation of the wind farms also allowed the province to be one of the most environmentally-friendly locales in the country. The wind farms hardly emit green house gases and are generally safe for the other ecosystems that exist within the area. The wind turbines themselves have become a big tourist attraction for the once sleepy town of Bangui. The Philippines remains the top wind producer in Southeast Asia with its 33MW wind turbines that started operation in 2005. A study by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (US NREL) shows that there are 10,000 sq.km. of land areas with good-to-excellent wind resources here in the country. Using the conservative assumption of about 7MW per sq. km., these windy areas could support a potential installed capacity of 70,000 MW. Most of these windy areas can be found in the northern part of the country, particularly in the Ilocos region. Market Opportunities Increase in consumption total additional power generation capacity needed (from renewable and non-renewable energy source): 4,0004,350 MW Visayas and Mindanao islands are starting to experience power shortages Around 23 power plants with an estimated total capacity of 557 MW are being targeted by the government by 2014 (333 MW in the Northern Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle, 124 MW in Metro Manila Urban Beltway, 85 MW Central Philippines, and 15 MW in Mindanao). generation of wind energy increased from 25MW in 2005 to 33 MW in 2008 Philippine Advantage Natural Resources Philippines potential for wind energy is attributed to its location in the Asia-Pacific monsoon belt. total wind potential installed capacity of 70,000-76,600 MW over 10,000 sq. km. land areas estimated to exist with a good-to-excellent wind resource potential wind power density at 500 W/m2 Technology Situation wind turbine active stall type resource assessment on selected sites by wind mapping grid-connected wind farms Support industries/infrastructure high voltage backbone system of interconnected transmission lines, sub-stations and related facilities exist in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao Luzon Grid 19,271 MVA, Visayas Grid 3,269 MVA, Mindanao Grid 2,103 MVA National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is a corporate body that is responsible for the planning, construction and centralized operation and maintenance of high-voltage transmission facilities, including grid interconnection and ancillary services Ideal locations the best wind resources are found in the following regions: 1. Higher interior terrain of Luzon, Mindoro, Samar, Leyte, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Palawan, eastern Mindanao and adjacent islands 2. Islands of Batanes and Babuyan, north of Luzon Northwest tip of Luzon (Ilocos Norte) 3. Well-exposed east-facing coastal locations from northern Luzon southward to Samar

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4. Wind corridors between Luzon and Mindoro (including Lubang Island) 5. Between Mindoro and Panay (including the Semirara Islands and extending to the Cuyo Islands) 6. Wind mapping is the process the helps the DOE to determine potential wind farms in the country NATURAL GAS In 2010, Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) reported, The unconventional natural gas revolution has lowered the natural gas price outlook and made gas more competitive while encouraging higher expectations for security of supply a dramatic shift from just half a decade ago.11 Natural gas has increasingly become the fuel of choice. Among the projects proposed for interconnection with New Yorks electric grid, power plants capable of running on natural gas (natural gas units and dual fuel facilities) account for more megawatts of generation than all other fuel sources combined. The production of electricity from natural gas in New York State has grown dramatically since the middle of the last decade. According to the EIA, roughly 27,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity were produced using natural gas in 2004. By 2011, the annual amount of electricity produced using natural gas rose to over 50,000 gigawatt-hours. During the same period, use of oil for electricity production declined dramatically. On a cautionary note, as dependence on natural gas for electric generation increases, the impact of natural gas supply on electric system reliability and power costs will also grow. Disruptions in natural gas supply can affect the ability of gas-fueled generation to provide power, which could impact electric system reliability. (See following discussion, Operational Connections, for more detail.) Likewise, power costs will be increasingly subject to volatility associated with future natural gas prices. Just as electricity prices declined with natural gas prices Natural Gas Power Plants Power plants fueled by natural gas are vital elements of the electric system and their roles are expected to grow. There are three main types of natural gas-fired generation units: 1. Combustion turbines, with rapid start and fast ramping to peak capacity, are most frequently used to address peak demand conditions. 2. Steam boilers that use natural gas to make high pressure steam to drive steam turbines provide peaking and cycling capacity. 3. Combined-cycle gas turbines are combustion turbines that burn gas and capture exhaust to heat water to run a steam turbine. These units are used to serve base-load and can also provide peaking and cycling capacity. Innovations in turbine technology are leading to the production of new power plants that can ramp to peak capacity quickly and possess generating capacity rivaling conventional base-load facilities.

RESOURCES: (Power Trends 2012 State of the Grid)

(http://thepoc.net/thepoc-features/what-on-earth/what-on-earth-features/7959-wind-energy-in-thephilippines.html) (The Philippine Energy Sector)