Transcript The Potential for Wind Energy in Northwestern North Carolina Presentation to: Blue Ridge Sierra Club March 31,2003 By: Dennis Scanlin www.wind.appstate.edu.

The Potential for Wind Energy
in
Northwestern North Carolina
Presentation to: Blue Ridge Sierra Club
March 31,2003
By: Dennis Scanlin
www.wind.appstate.edu
Overview

Global & National Perspective

Factors Contributing to Growth

Wind Resource Assessment

Technology

Issues
United States Wind Power Capacity (MW)
New Hampshire
0.1
Washington
178.2
Montana
0.1
Oregon
157.5
Wyoming
140.6
North
Dakota
1.3
South
Dakota
2.8
Nebraska
3.5
Utah
0.2
Colorado
61.2
Minnesota
319.1
Vermont
6.0
Wisconsin
53.0
Michigan
2.4
Massachusetts
1.0
New York
48.2
Iowa
324.2
Pennsylvania
34.5
Kansas
113.7
California
1,715.9
Tennessee
2.0
New Mexico
1.3
Texas
1,095.5
Alaska
0.8
Hawaii
1.6
Maine
0.1
4,265 MW as of 04/30/02
Factors Contributing to Growth of
Wind Energy

Low Cost of Wind
Energy
 Public Policies
 Air pollution
 Rising Gas Prices

Improving Technology
 Green Power
programs
 Desire for Greater
Energy Independence
 Creation of a more
sustainable energy
future
Cost of Wind Energy
40
38 Cents
* Assumptions - Excellent w ind
resource, large project size, no
PTC - Typical projects are 4-6
cents in 2002
35
Cents per kWh
30
25
20
15
15
10
10
4 Cents to ?
8
5
6
4
0
'80
'84
'85
'88
'89
'91
'92
'95
'97
'00
'05
Low Cost Electricity
Wind Energy Cost Competitiveness
¢/kWh
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
12.8
Value of
PTC
8.2
4.2
Source: BTM Consult
4.2
5.0
5.2
8.7
Renewable Energy Production
Tax Credit in Energy Policy Act
of 1992
 1.8
cents per KWH in 2001 dollars
 Adjusted annually for inflation
 Good for 10 years
 Must begin operation by December 31,
2003
Reliability of Wind Turbines
100
% Available
80
60
40
20
0
1981
'83
'85
'90
'98 Year
Benefits
•
•
•
•
•
5 million KWH/yr
500 homes
$500,000/yr green power
7.5 million lbs CO2
8.3 tons NOX
Class 6 (4.3%)
NC Class 6 (1.3%, 1700km2)
Class 5 (6.3%)
NC Class 5 (8.0%, 10200km2)
NC Class 4 and Above (13.5%,
17200km2)
Wind Power Classes in Western North Carolina
Ashe & Watauga County Wind Classes
Land Areas of Wind Power Classes
in 24 Western NC Counties
Class @
50m
Power Density
(W/m2)
Area (acres)
Percentage of
Total
1-
< 100
3,889,086
59.32
1+
(100, 200]
1,895,923
28.92
2
(200, 300]
473,175
7.22
3
(300, 400]
159,767
2.44
4
(400, 500]
68,013
1.04
5
(500, 600]
30,374
0.46
6
(600, 800]
24,275
0.37
7
> 800
15,419
0.24
>= 2
(200, > 800]
771,024
11.76
>= 4
(400, > 800]
138,000
2.1
Wind Resource Analysis by County (acres)
Top 5 Counties in Western NC
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
2-7
4-7
Haywood
99484
36769
19294
9360
4576
5120
3242
78361
22298
Watauga
93356
47809
14302
5396
2303
1729
939
72480
10368
Buncombe
191061
33596
13976
6592
3182
2688
2668
62705
15132
Ashe
184824
40000
9162
4190
1877
1877
1166
58277
9113
Avery
79528
27804
9281
4210
2352
1739
1107
46495
9409
Number of Turbines in Class 4/5
Sites @ 80m to produce:
660 KW
All NC
51,000
5% NC
2,500
5% Blue Ridge
18
5% Mt. Electric
10
1.5 MW
23,000
1,200
9
5
Anemometers and Wind
Measurement
• Average wind speeds
for 1 year is ideal
• Frequency
Distributions
• Wind Direction
1996 Vermont Searsburg Ridge Project
11 - 550 KW Turbines
Residential Wind Turbines
500,000 small turbines
installed worldwide
Growing Worldwide Market for Small Turbines
Sales by units of Micro-wind generators under 10kw
40,000
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
Small Residential Examples
Bergey XL.1 (1 KW)

Rotor Diameter: 2.5 m (8.2 ft.)
 Start-up Wind Speed: 3 m/s (6.7 mph)
 Rated Power: 1000 Watts
 Rated Wind Speed: 11 m/s (24.6 mph)
 Furling Wind Speed: 13 m/s (29 mph)
 Output Form: 24 VDC Nominal
Tilt-Up Tower
Bergey XL.1 (1 KW)
Bergey XL.1

1 kW XL.1 Turbine, with
PowerCenter

104’ Tilt Tower

$1,495
$1490
5.3 kWh Battery Bank (B220-4)
$380

500 W Inverter System (TS524,
$465
with fuse)

Total without tax credit

Total after Tax credit
$3,830
$2,489.50
Benefits of the XL.1
$16,000
$14,000
$12,000
$10,000
$8,000
$6,000
$4,000
$2,000
$0
Bergey
XL.1
PV
Cost for 302
KWH/month

PV is 5-6 times as expensive

3,626 KWH/YR = $326 @ .09/KWH

25 year 7% loan would cost
$214/year

7.6 year simple payback
($2,489.50/$326)

$.06/KWH ($214/3,626 KWH)

13% ROI

Removes 5,584 lbs CO2/yr
Large Residential System
Bergey 7.5 KW Excel

Rotor Diameter: 23 ft

Weight: 1050 lbs.

Start-up Wind Speed: 3.4
m/s (7.5 mph)

Rated Power: 10 kW (grid &
pumping), 7.5 kW for batterycharging

Rated Wind Speed: 13.8
m/s (31 mph)
Bergey Excel (7.5 KW)
Bergey Excel

7.5 kW BWC Excel-R/48, with
VCS-10

100 ft. Guyed-Lattice Tower Kit

Tower Wiring Kit


DC Power Center Option, 7
circuit
$18,000
$6,400
$860
$600
53 kWh, 5 String, Battery Bank
$3,800
(5 x B220-8)
5.5 kW Inverter System
$3,995

Total Cost:
$33,655

Total with Tax Credit: $21,875.75

Benefits of Bergey Excel
120,000
100,000
80,000
Bergey
Excel
PV
60,000
40,000
•
PV is more than 5 times as
expensive
•
23,765 KWH/YR = $2,138
•
$1,870/yr for 7% 25 year loan
•
$1,870 / 23,765 kwh/yr =
.08/kwh
•
10 year payback
•
9% ROI
•
36,598 lbs of CO2 saved/year
20,000
0
Cost for
1,980
KWH/month
Wind Turbine
Guyed Lattice Tower
Turbine Disconnect
PV Charge
Controller
Turbine
Charge Controller
2
2
2
.
.
2
.
.
2
2
2
.
2
2
2
2
2
.
2
2
.
.
2
.
2
2
2
DC Source Center
PV Array
Generator
Battery Bank
DC Loads AC Loads
Inverter (bi-directional optional)
Issues for Wind

Legal


“ridge law”
park/forest restrictions
“NIMBY” attitudes
 Visual Impacts
 Noise
 Avian Impacts


Intermittent resource
 Grid availability
 Indirect negative
economic impacts


real estate values
roads
 wind turbulence
Mountain Ridge Protection Act of
1983
 “No
building, structure or unit shall
protrude at its uppermost point above the
crest of the ridge by more than 35’
 Protected mountain ridges are all
mountain ridges whose elevation is 3,000
ft and whose elevation is 500 or more feet
above an adjacent valley floor
Summary of Percentage of
Windy Land Above and Below
3000’
16% of land area with class 2 & above is
below 3,000 ft
.08% of land area with class 4 & above is
below 3,000 ft
Exemptions to Ridge Law
 Water,
radio, telephone or television
towers or any equipment for the
transmission of electricity or
communications or both
 Structures of a relatively slender nature
and minor vertical projections of a parent
building, including chimneys, flagpoles,
flues, spires, steeples, belfries, cupolas,
antennas, poles, wires, or windmills
Mountain Ridge Protection
Act
 Mr.
Cooper, the Attorney General of NC,
has indicated that the exemption for
equipment for the transmission of
electricity would not apply to the wind farm
proposed by TVA
Mr. Cooper 2/4/2002 letter to TVA
 “ A wind
farm such as that proposed here
… cannot be construed to fall within the
exemption for “structures of a relatively
slender nature and minor vertical
projection of a parent building,
including chimneys, flagpoles, flues,
spires, steeples, belfries, cupolas,
antennas, poles, wires, or windmills”
Roy Cooper’s Letter
Continued
 The
Legislature in 1983 had in mind, the
traditional, solitary farm windmill which has
long been in use in rural communities, not
windfarm turbines of the size, type, or
certainly number proposed here…”
Boone, NC 2MW Mod-1 Turbine: 1979 - 1983
Natahala & Pisgah National Forests
24% of land area with class 2 or higher
28% of land area with class 4 or higher
Land Ownership
Cherokee
Corps Engineers
National Park
National Forest
State PArk
TVA
Other
National Forest Lands
 High
scrutiny for permanent development
 Very stringent screening process
 1st criteria is why can’t private lands be
used
 Increasing emphasis on visual standards


No cell towers approved in over 8 years
All new power lines are under ground
National Forest Lands
Goals of most recent Forest Management Plan
(Amendment 5, 1994) that could support wind
power development
1) Improve the quality of life for citizens
of western north Carolina….
2) Improve economic prosperity of local
communities
3) Keep public involved in open & honest
dialogue
National Park Lands
Blue Ridge Parkway
Great Smokies National Park
11% of land class 2 & above
18% of land class 4 & above
Land Ownership
Cherokee
Corps Engineers
National Park
National Forest
State PArk
TVA
Other
National Park Lands
 Strong
conservation mandate
 Large wind projects not likely to be
possible
 Possibility for small demo project to power
something in the park
Blue Ridge Parkway

Designed as scenic
drive
 800-1000’ width
actually part of park
 No legal control of
viewshed
 Would like to protect
view shed for 1 mile
out
Blue Ridge Parkway with 1 mile
view shed exclusion zone on either side
Appalachian National Scenic
Trail








Most Important long-distance foot trail in the
world
Longest skinniest national park in the country
Managed by Appalachian Trail Conference
“Trail experience includes a sense of
remoteness and detachment from civilization
Use Forest Service’s Scenery Management
system
Use visual simulation & GIS viewshed mapping
“no-net loss approach
Locating projects near developed sites is better
Appalachian Trail
Very concerned about visual character with ½ mile
and will comment on anything within 5 miles of the trail
Attitudes
 2002





Western NC Survey found:
75% indicating they wanted more wind power
63.5% support for turbines on ridge tops, 19%
against
79% for single turbines, 9% against
57.3% supported clusters of 10 or more
turbines on ridge tops, 27.5% against
66% supported turbines near their home, 21%
against
Noise
 45 decibels at
350 meters
 Complaints are
rare with newer
turbines
 non-mechanical
swishing noise
 Refrigerator
Dips & hollows
downwind
Turbine at ¼ mile
Turbines from ½ mile
Turbines 1.5 miles away
Wind Turbines 3 miles in the Distance
10 Turbines from 6 miles away
Photosimulation
FAA Lighting Requirements

Lights required on
towers over 200’
 What color is best?
 Can they be
dimmable?
 Would every turbine
need one?
Avian Issues
 160
breeding species in Blue Ridge, most
diverse in the east (250 total)
 DOE funded research began in 1992 after
problems at Altamont Pass
 Consensus on research methodologies
 Avian impact assessments routinely
completed before project approval
 2 birds killed per turbine/year on average
 TVA reporting 9.5 birds per turbine/year
Avian Mortality Issues
 Hard
Structure Kills
 Population Effects
 Electrocutions
 Perspective


33,000 birds vs. 100’s of millions from
vehicles, buildings, powerlines,
cummunication towers and cats
Reduction in air pollution reduces mortality
Questions to answer
 How
many birds use proposed site?
 What kinds of birds use the proposed site?
 How is usage related to time of year/day?
 Are there species of special concern
present?
 Does development have potential to
impact species of high priority?
 Can research identify impacts and develop
mitigation strategies prior to construction?
23 Species of Concern






Whooping Crane
Kirkland’s Warbler
Northern Sawwhet
Owl
Cerulean Warbler
Red Crossbill
Black-capped
Chickadee







Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker
Bewick’s Wren
Bald Eagle
Peregrine Falcon
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Hermit Thrush
Brown Creeper
Mitigation Possibilities
 Turn
turbines off during critical times
 Keep turbines away from escarpment
 Reduction in motion smear
 Noise as a deterrent
 Prey abundance assessment
 Turbine spacing & height
 Avoid Southern slopes, important bird
areas
Audubon’s Important Bird Areas In Western NC
Economic Impacts




Nov 2002 study looked at 22 wind projects and found
that views of wind turbines do not negatively impact
property values
Literature review found a maximum 10% reduction in
property values when transmission lines were in view
and often an increase because of cleared views
Tax revenues increase: $2.6 million annual property
tax/11%
Jobs created



$12.4 million in local spending on construction materials/income
$886,000 for food and lodging
95 full and part-time construction jobs, 22 permanent
Exclusion Zone Possibilities
All Ridges over 3,000’
 National Parks
 National Forests
 State Parks
 Unprotected Wildlands
 Old Growth Forests
 Biological Hotspots


Spruce-Fir Forests



Conservation
easements
Cultural Heritage Areas
High Priority Areas for
Public Acquisition
Conservation Priorities







National Audubon Society
Southern Appalachian Highlands
Conservancy
Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition
(SAFC)
Western North Carolina Alliance
Environmental Defense
Appalachian Voices
Appalachian Mountain Club
Spruce Fir Forests
Appalachian Mountain Club’s Policy
The AMC supports investigation of the potential
of windpower as a renewable and economically
viable energy resource. However, because of
the potential impacts on the region’s mountain
area, support of specific projects is contingent
upon such development leading to a clear and
demonstrable improvement in the overall
ecological health and long term protection of the
region’s mountains, rivers and forests
AMC Policy Toward Wind Power
 Encourages
official state policies and
criteria for determining suitable sites
 Projects should lead to a permanent and
verifiable improvement in the region’s air
quality
 Projects should include provisions to
assure decomissioning when & if no
longer used
AMC Unsuitable Areas




Undeveloped public lands
Ridgelines with steep
slopes, uneven
topography, or large
bedrock outcrops
Roadless areas
Areas with little or no
evidence of past human
disturbance



Areas with a lot of critical
habitat
Areas seen from fore &
midground (0-5 miles) of
public use areas
Areas that currently
receive a high level of
backcountry use
AMC Specific Siting Criteria

Use private land or public
lands already developed
and with existing
infrastructure
 Use land already used for
commercial activity
(timberland)
 Avoid major bird
migration routes &
species of concern
habitats
 View of turbines from
settled areas better

Use sites with relatively
even ridgelines and
gradual approach slopes
 Use areas with existing
permanent & secondary
access
 Use areas with second
growth hardwoods
 Use areas where
evidence of human
development already
noticeable
Conclusions





Excellent wind resources
in mountains and in
coastal areas
1 million acres of windy
land
75% support wind
Significant barriers
Many more opportunities
for Small scale