Demand (red) vs. Wind Energy (blue): These overlaid graphs shows that the best Wind Energy lags Demand by 4-6 hr. Maximum winds occur at night when air rushes back into the vacuum caused by the night time cooling in the Mojave Desert. It also demonstrates the variability of Wind Energy from one day to the next in a given site and between sites. (Blue Wind Energy = Tehachapi Pass NE of Los Angles; Green = San Gorgonio, a mountain pass area NE of Fresno, CA; Red = Altamont Pass, just East of San Francisco.) |
Avg. Energy vs. Avg. 24hr Demand: The top graph shows the average Electrical Demand per hour for the Third Quarter of 2002 throughout California month to month. The bottom graph depicts the corresponding available Wind Energy, again for the above three CA Wind Hotspots. How can this "wasted night time energy" be saved and used during the following morning when Wind Energy is at its lowest? |