Wind Energy in Virginia: JMU and Beyond

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Wind Energy in VirginiaJMU and Beyond

• By
• Matthew Heck
• David Strong
• Gregory Allen
• Adam Jones
• Bryan Franey
• Advisor Dr. Jonathan Miles

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The Beginning

• In the spring of 2001 two groups formed thesis
  proposals dealing with wind energy
• The two groups had two distinct goals and
  objectives
• We combined two project proposals to form one
  with two main sections

3
The Virginia State-Based Anemometer Loan Program
(SBALP)

• Purpose - spur the development of the Virginias
  wind resource
• Help facilitate the development of widely
  distributed wind expertise throughout the nation
• Allows landowners to measure their wind energy
  resource
• Help Virginia and the National Renewable Energy
  Laboratory collected data that can be used to
  validate wind resource models

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JMU East (CISAT) Campus Study

• More detailed site assessment dealing with
  issues such as

• Tower siting
• Regulations
• Safety
• Visual impact
• Wind modeling (WAsP)

• Avian mortality
• Maintenance
• Noise
• Grid connection
• Economic analysis

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5000BC Sailboats on the Nile River
1940 First megawatt turbine in operation (Vermont)
1980s Large wind farms in US
1888 First electricity generating turbine
constructed in Denmark
1000AD Grain-grinding windmills in the Middle East
1854 American windmill invented
1300AD Windmills in the Netherlands
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What Is Wind?

• Driven by the sun
• Differences in pressure
• Hadley convection cells
• Coriolis Effect

Hadley Cell Model (Western Illinois University)
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Wind Basics

• 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)

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Wind Classes
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Wind Resource Assessment

• Is there enough wind in a particular spot to
  support a wind turbine?
• A years worth of data is usually the minimum
  study period
• Class II needed for small wind, Class IV for large

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Siting of Wind Turbines

• The concept of micrositing
• Topographical maps
• Freedom from obstructions

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Virginia State-Based Anemometer Loan Program
(SBALP)
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Partners
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Materials

• Loan agreement
• Borrowers eligibility
• Borrowing process
• Application
• Site information
• Purpose
• Contract

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Publicity

• Website
• Press release
• Media relations
• Written in a non-technical language
• Distributed across the state
• Contact information provided

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Criteria

• Topographic maps
• Wind resource maps
• Purpose
• Property characteristics

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Borrowers/Installation Dates

• Rob Preston 10/18/01
• Jaye Baldwin 12/12/01
• Tim Altizer 12/21/01

• Dick Stokes 1/10/02
• Henrys Point 2/24/02
• Northampton County 2/24/02

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(No Transcript)
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Installation Pictures
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SBALP Conclusions

• Virginia interested
• Over 200 inquiries
• Approximately 70 applications
• Expansion of program
• Have groups continue the thesis in upcoming years
• Wind Powering America (WPA) proposal

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SBALP Recommendations

• Better outreach to public
• More stringent application process, include more
  parameters
• Expand website
• Establish school contact, answering machine,
  mailbox, etc.

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Wind Energy Potential at JMU

• 30-meter Meteorological (MET) tower that we have
  now can support a turbine
• East (CISAT) campus in valley, but above
  immediate surroundings
• Wind resource purely anecdotal
• More data necessary
• Potential for small-scale wind turbine exists

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Tower Location
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30-Meter MET Tower

• Installation next week
• Wind speed and direction
• Instruments at 10, 20 and 30 meters
• Manufactured by Rohn
• Specially designed for Bergey WindPower turbines
• 700 Bergey Excel turbines installed

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Objectives

• Analyze
• Relevant issues and public misconceptions
• Preliminary economic analysis of wind turbine
• Non-market benefits

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Regulations

• No restrictions on proximity to roads, parking
  lots, etc.
• Zoning, permitting, etc. handled by JMU
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements

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Turbine Testing and Safety

• Proven technology 150,000 small turbines around
  globe
• Small turbine standards American Wind Energy
  Association
• Dynamic and duration testing through accredited
  test laboratory
• Turbine failure extremely rare
• Bergey passive overspeed protection,
  heavy-weight material, and fiberglass blades

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Visual Perception

• Barrier to wind turbine development
• Misconception turbines will ruin landscape
• Similar to other structures in area
• Location already developed (parking lot, light
  towers)

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Avian Issues

• Misconception on wind turbine impact
• More problematic where there is a higher
  concentration of raptor species
• Most studies on large-scale wind farms
• Small swept-area

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Bergey Excel Noise

• At 300 ft in 25 mph winds sound was measured at
  54-55 dB
• This means it would only be detectable if the
  ambient background noise were less than 52.5 dB
• Ambient sound at parking lot measured at 65-70 dB
  standing on the tower platform
• Dr. Chen lecture 20 ft away measured at 55-60 dB

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Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program (WAsP)
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Required WAsP Inputs

• Wind Atlas
• Meteorological Tower, Observed Wind Climate
• Turbine Site
• Obstacles, power curve
• Site Description
• Topography, Roughness, Obstacles

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WAsP Wind Atlas and Turbine Site

• Meteorological station
• Observed wind climate
• Turbine site
• Power curve (Excel and XL.1)

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WAsP Site Description

• Topography
• DEM of Harrisonburg Quadrangle
• Surface Roughness
• Roughness Classes

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WAsP Site Description

• Obstacles
• CISAT, HHS
• Potomac
• Chesapeake
• College Center

Turbulence created by obstacles
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WAsP Output

• Annual energy output (11.87 MWh)
• Wind power density (154.5 W/m2)
• Mean speed (5.15 m/s)
• Resource grid

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Economic Analysis

• Turbine cost
• Bergey Excel (10 kW)
• Bergey XL.1 (1 kW)
• Cash flow analysis
• Simple and discounted payback
• Sensitivity analysis

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Turbine Cost
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Cash Flow Analysis
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Cash Flow Diagram
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Simple and Discounted Payback
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Sensitivity Analysis on Wind Resource
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Economic Conclusions

• Bergey Excel and XL.1 are unlikely to pay back
  over lifetime
• Ways the turbine may become more cost-effective
• Reduce JMUs initial investment
• Verify wind resource

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Non-Market Benefits

• Education
• Reputation
• Promotion of renewable energy
• Emissions benefits

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Education

• The college seeks and creates new models through
  innovative curriculum development and uses the
  advancing knowledge of science and ever-evolving
  technologies to integrate the rapidly shifting
  world into the professional lives of faculty and
  students.
• Excerpt from CISAT mission statement
• Growing, sustainable technology
• Hands-on learning experience
• Benefits for a variety of courses

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Reputation

• National and local recognition
• Solar panels and wind turbine technologically
  advanced university
• Visible symbol for prospective students

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Promotion of Renewable Energy

• Raise local and state awareness
• Encourage wind energy use
• Provide opportunity to educate

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Emission Benefits

• Virginias electricity production on average
  emits 1.83 pounds of CO2 per kWh
• Average tree consumes 14.7 pounds of carbon
  dioxide each year
• The combustion of a gallon of gasoline produces
  19.59 pounds of CO2
• The average gas mileage of an American car is 17
  mpg

• WAsP model predicted annual energy output of
  11.87 MWh
• Equivalent to
• 21,722 lbs CO2 from power generation
• 1,478 trees
• 1,108 gallons of gasoline
• 18,850 automobile miles traveled

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East (CISAT) Campus Conclusions and
Recommendations

• Data very preliminary obtain at least one year
• Commonly perceived problems should not obstruct
  development at JMU
• Likely will not pay back economically without
  discounts, grants, or other funding
• Positive impact on education, reputation, and
  promotion of renewables

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Questions?
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Acknowledgements

• Dr. Jonathan Miles
• Mr. Ken Jurman
• Ms. Maryanne Daniels
• Mr. Tony Jiminez
• Mr. Charlie King
• Dr. Doug Brown
• Mr. David Mars
• Ms. Christine Watson
• Mr. Brent Beerley
• Mr. Kevin Schulte
• Mr. Theo de Wolff
• Mr. Mike Bergey
• Mr. Steve Wilke
• Dr. Jack Taylor

• Mr. Rob Preston
• Mr. Tim Hayes
• Mr. Dick Stokes
• Mr. Jaye Baldwin
• Mr. Rick Hall
• Mr. Tim Altizer
• Ms. Tyler Urr
• Ms. Dodge Chrysler Perry
• Ms. Bunty Dharamsi
• Ms. Peter Salmon
• All applicants
• All others