Wind Prospecting Choosing the Right Location

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Wind ProspectingChoosing the Right Location

• Presented by Jay Haley
• Webcast
• April 10, 2006

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• Wind Resource Assessment
• Wind Farm Siting
• Wind Farm Layout
• Turbine Array Analysis
• Permitting
• Construction Coordination

GE Wind
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Recent Projects
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100 kw
750 kw
1.5 MW
Size Comparison - 1985 to 2006
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Edgeley-Kulm, ND
What makes for a good wind farm site?
Photo by Joy Powers
Photo by Joy Powers
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Site Assessment Considerations

• Wind Resource
• Topography
• Surface Roughness
• Obstacles
• Transmission Capacity
• Interconnection
• Access to Land
• Constructability
• Community Support
• Environmental

GE Wind
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Planning a Wind Project

• Wind Data
• Wind Resource Maps
• Topo Maps
• Plat Maps
• Digital Elevation Models
• Aerial Photos
• Transmission Maps
• Siting Guidelines

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Wind Data

• On-Site Met Masts
• State Websites
• Universities
• POWER
• NREL Anemometer Loan Program

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Wind Maps

• State Websites
• Wind Atlas of the US
• NREL State Maps

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Topo Maps

• State Websites
• TerraServer
• USGS DRGs
• Starting the Hunt
• Commercial Websites

• Typical Map Scales
• 124,000 Quads
• 1100,000

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Plat Maps

• County Courthouse
• Web Search
• Commercial Websites

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Digital Elevation Data

• State Websites
• USGS DEMs
• NASA SRTM 90m DEMs
• Commercial Websites

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Aerial Photos

• State Websites
• TerraServer
• USGS DOQs
• Google Earth
• Starting the Hunt
• Commercial Websites

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Transmission Maps

• State Web Sites
• RTOs
• WAPA
• BPA
• Local Utilities
• Commercial

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Planning a Wind Project

• Wind Resource
• Market
• Transmission Capacity
• Proximity to Transmission
• Constructability
• Community Support
• Environmental

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Recommended Websites

• www.awea.org
• www.topomaps.usgs.gov
• www.seamless.usgs.gov/
• www.libinfo.uark.edu/gis/us.asp
• www.terraserver-usa.com
• www.srtm.csi.cgiar.org/Index.asp
• www.digitalgrove.net/Links.htm
• www.eerc.und.nodak.edu/wind/
• www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringame
  rica/wind_maps.asp

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Thank You!
Jay Haley, P.E., Partner EAPC Architects
Engineers 3100 Demers Ave. Grand Forks, ND
58201 [phone] jhaley_at_eapc.net