SEI Overview - Wind Power Carbondale/Paonia Colorado www.solarenergy.org
WHY WIND (renewables)? Gain energy independence from fossil fuels Ease demand on the power grid Reduce vulnerability to volatile utility prices Reduce air pollution
History of Wind Power 1400 1800 years ago, in the Middle East 800 900 years ago in Europe 140 years ago, water-pumping wind mills 70 years ago, electric power Slide Courtesy of The American Wind Energy Association
US Wind Resource Map
Wind Power
Wind Turbines Sizes Utility-Scale Wind Power 600-1,800 kw wind turbines Installed on wind farms, 10 300 MW Professional maintenance crews 13 mph (6 m/s) average wind speed 1.5 MW Small Wind Power 300 W - 250 kw wind turbines Installed at individual homes, farms, businesses, schools, etc. 0.01 MW On the customer side of the meter, or off the utility grid entirely High reliability, low maintenance 9 mph (4 m/s) average wind speed 150 times the size
GE Wind Energy 3.6 MW turbine Slide Courtesy of Morey Wolfson
Photo Courtesy of American Electric Power
Boeing 747-200 GE WindEnergy 3.6 MW Prototype Spain Slide Courtesy of Morey Wolfson
Modern Small Wind Turbines High Tech, High Reliability, Low Maintenance Small turbines range from 20 W to 100 kw Only 3-4 moving parts means very low maintenance 20- to 40-year design life Proven technology 150,000 installed; over a billion operational hours 10 kw 3 kw 50 kw American companies are the market and technology leaders Substantial cost-reduction potential 400 W (Not to scale) Slide Courtesy of The American Wind Energy Association
How Small Wind Turbines Work Wind Turbine (400 W-100 kw) Guyed or Tilt-Up Tower (60-120 ft) Cumulative Production Meter Safety Switch AC Load Center Power Processing Unit (Inverter) Slide Courtesy of The American Wind Energy Association
Home-Built Wind Turbines For serious do-it-yourselfers only
Typical Applications Farms, Homes, Businesses Offsetting Utility Power Selling Power Back to Utility Net metering utility power 10 kw, 23-ft rotor diameter, 100-ft tower Produces ~ 15,000 kwh/yr Offsets ~ 14 tons CO 2 /yr Costs ~ $35,000 Produces ~120,000 kwh/yr Offsets ~ 91 tons CO 2 /yr Costs ~ $150,000 Slide Courtesy of The American Wind Energy Association
Typical Applications Farms, Homes, Businesses Off-Grid Water Pumping with Wind Supplementing Grid Power Supplies water for 120 head of cattle 1 kw, 9-ft rotor, 30-ft tower Produces ~ 2,000 kwh/yr Offsets ~ 1.5 tons CO 2 /yr Costs ~ $4,000 installed Connected to utility grid through house/farm wiring 3 kw, 15-ft rotor, 23-ft tower* Produces ~ 5,000 kwh/yr Offsets ~ 3.8 tons CO 2 /yr Costs ~ $10,000 * due to zoning restrictions (not recommended) Slide Courtesy of The American Wind Energy Association
Net-metering for Grid-Connected Systems Bank excess energy with the local utility Meter spins backward; customer receives full retail value for each kwh produced Net excess generation (NEG) credited monthly or annually Slide Courtesy of The American Wind Energy Association
Net Metering By State 25 kw 25 kw 15/150 kw 50 kw 100 kw 40 kw 25/125 kw 25 kw 20 kw 25/100 kw 20 25 kw kw 500 kw 30 kw 1,000 No 10 kw kwh/ Limit 25 kw 40 kw mo 10 kw 10/500 kw 10/25 kw 1 MW 100 kw, 10 kw 10 kw 25,000 25/100 kwh/y kw 50 kw 25/ 100 kw 10/100 kw PV Only 100 kw 60 kw 25 kw 100 kw 2 MW 25 kw 80 kw 50 kw Monthly Net Metering Annual Net Metering Varies by Utility or Unknown None Revised: Feb 05 Individual Utilities Investor-Owned Utilities Only, Not Rural Cooperatives Investor-Owned Utilities and Rural Cooperatives
Net Metering of Renewable Energy Energy consumed immediately retail rate Load Excess energy used to offset consumption at another time retail rate Load Net excess energy (determined monthly or annually): retail rate, avoided cost, or given to the utility
On-Grid Wind System without Battery Storage Meter Inverter AC Wind turbine Load
Height or Distance Needed
Tower Height Matters Wind speed increases with height Small increases in wind speed result in large increases in power Tall towers often needed for clearance above obstacles (turbulence) May require a variance or a special use permit
Installation Costs Estimate $2-4/installed watt for typical system Smaller systems require smaller initial outlay, but cost more per watt Taller towers cost more, but help reduce the payback period A 4-10 kw system can meet the needs of a typical home Customers paying 12 cents/kwh or more for electricity with average wind speeds of 10 mph or more can expect a payback period of 8-16 years Slide Courtesy of The American Wind Energy Association
SAFETY FIRST!
Books by Paul Gipe Credits/Resources www.windustry.com The American Wind Energy Association American Electric Power Morey Wolfson