Japán is nagy reményekkel indult neki a szélenergia hasznosításának, de a hálózata nincs felkészítve a fluktuációkra.  Az akkumlátoros tárolás megnöveli a költségeket 2500$-ra kW-onként.

Japánban az áram átvételi ára 9 jen ( 16,63 Forint ) és ez kevés az akkumlátoros szélerőművek megélhetéséhez.

 

Eurus Energy May Scrap Project as Wind Power Flounders in Japan

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aK5NghVNID6k&refer=japan

 

 

`Unreliable Supply'

Japan's government drafted a plan in May 2005 to boost wind power generation to 3 million kilowatts in the five years to March 2011. As of March, Germany had 14.61 million kilowatts, the U.S. 6.35 million kilowatts and Japan 1.07 million kilowatts. Power from Germany's 17,600 wind turbines can meet about 6 percent of the nation's demand.

 

``It's understandable that power companies are buying less wind power out of concern over unreliable supply,'' said Arakawa.

Power surges can be a problem for industrial customers, said Hirotaka Hayashi, a spokesman at Hokkaido Electric. Utilities often need to cut back power generation at other plants to lessen the effect of excess power from wind energy.

 

``Continental European countries such as Germany and Denmark can transfer excess power from windmills to other countries,'' said Arakawa. ``The electricity networks of Japan's 10 utilities aren't connected like those in Europe. That's the reason why it's difficult to install windmills in Japan.''

To ensure steady supply, Tohoku Electric Power Co., Japan's fourth-biggest generator, in March started requiring owners of new windmills to store energy in batteries before distribution rather than send the electricity direct to the utility, said spokesman Satoshi Arakawa.

 

Increased Costs

 

That requirement has increased wind project installation costs to 300,000 yen ($2,560) per kilowatt, from 200,000 yen, according to Toshiro Ito, vice president of EcoPower Co., Japan's third-biggest wind power supplier.