小風機與大風機：風力技術的二元性

Small and large wind turbine: The duality of wind power technology

再生能源的擁護者，大力鼓吹再生能源的理由，主要有三點：第一、技術面向—再生能源取之不盡、用之不竭；第二、環保面向—再生能源是一種綠色科技，不會破壞美麗的大自然；第三、社會面向—再生能源具有「在地科技」的特性，能夠幫助大家擺脫對高科技的依賴，成為真正獨立自主的自由人。風力發電不但是最具潛力的再生能源技術，更具體展現出上述三項美德，因而成為能源官員、環保人士及社區工作者的最愛。根據筆者的研究，雖然風力發電在技術面向及環保面向的優點，已獲得眾人肯定，但其社會面向的潛能卻長期遭人忽視。不但如此，風力產業近來的發展趨勢，與分散式發電的理念漸行漸遠。風力產業呈現出的雙重面貌，筆者稱之為「技術的二元性」。在本文中，首先筆者會解釋何謂「技術的二元性」。其次，筆者會說明「規模」的不同，如何讓風能技術萌生出二元性。最後，筆者將借用Beder 的「技術典範」及Hughes 的「系統慣性」來解釋，電力公司及電力系統如何攜手改變風能技術的特性。

Renewable energy has been promoted for its inexhaustibility and environmental friendliness. It can also deliver us from the bondage of high-tech equipments. Amongst different forms of renewable energy, wind power is one of the rising stars. As it has the potential to fulfill the three promises listed above, energy officials and environmentalists have been calling for its wide application. The present study shows that, although the inexhaustibility and environmental merits of wind power have long been recognized, the promise of independence from technological control has all too often been neglected. In addition, the recent trend of wind power industry drifts away from the idea of distributed generation of energy. The phenomenon of ’technological duality’ in the wind power industry will be discussed. The ways in which the difference in ’scale’ leads to ’technological duality’ will also be explained. Finally, using Beder’s notion of ’technological paradigm’ and Hughes’ notion of ’system inertia,’ the article analyzes how power companies and electrical grids collaborate to change the characters of wind power technology.