u.s. virgin islands wind energy update, edin-usvi energy workshop, 6-2012

7/31/2019 U.S. Virgin Islands Wind Energy Update, EDIN-USVI Energy Workshop, 6-2012

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USVI Wind Energy UpdateIan Baring-Gould, NRELbased on research by Eric Lantz, Adam Warren, Owen Roberts,Vahan Gevorgian, & Dan Olis

Credit: Warren Gretz, NREL

EDIN-USVI Energy Workshop

June 11, 2012Bjerget House, St. Croix


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Wide Range of Power System Options

Renewable power systems can be used to cover a wide

range of needs, including: Dedicated Use: Power being used at point

sources without regulation

Small or Simple Systems: Power systems forindividual buildings and dispersed generationwhere high level of reliability is not required

Community Power Systems: Utility-providedpower to larger communities or group ofbuildings with larger loads

Wind-Diesel Systems: Large communities orfacilities with large loads

Integrated Systems: Large islanded systemsincorporating conventional and large-scalerenewable generation

PhotoCredit:KentBullard


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High Contribution Renewable Technology

Does notrequire additional capacity

Doeschange the way that the balance of system capacity is utilizedDoesrequire expanded system flexibility

10000

8000

6000

4000

2000

0

MW

160140120100806040200

Hours (1 week)

800

600

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0

-200

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-800

Ram

p(MW/hour)

Net load (load-wind)

Additional ramping needs with wind

Maximum/MinimumLoad Peak Load

There are a number of ways from the demand and supply side to helpsupport this flexibility, with expanded use of inelegant grids important


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Wind Development - SROPTTC

SROPTTCTM framework for project development

Site:A suitable location to implement the projectAccess to transmission,removed from population centers, limited environmental impact

Resource:An economically viable resource to exploitWind resources inSt. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John that can be developed

Off-take: Someone that can use the powerWAPA and other local

organizations interested in using wind technologiesPermitting: The ability to implement projects understanding community

need and competing uses60% goal and community acceptance ofwind development

Technology: Suitable technologyWind turbines that can beimplemented and operated in the USVI (grid integration, challenginginfrastructure and weather)

Team: Team of people that will implement the projectPublic and privateparties willing and able to pursue the implementation of wind projects

Capital:Availability of capital to develop a utility-scale windAttractingneeded capital from private and public sources


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Wind Development SROPTTC Site

Initial siting requires an assessment of many critical issues, some ofwhich are identified in other aspects of the SROPTTC process:

Access to transmission Removed from population centers Limited environmental impact Roads and other infrastructure

Areas with land slope less than 20% and good access Limited visual, sound, cultural heritage impacts

Sites have been identified that could support wind development: St. CroixRidges to the south west of Christiansted, in the

agricultural land on the southern coast or east of the refinery

St. ThomasSeveral potential but Bovoni Point most appropriatebased on initial screening

St. JohnNo currently viable sites identified


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Identified Locations for Potential Development


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Siting Bovoni Point, St. Thomas

Currently used for various public and private generally industrial useswith residences primarily along Route 30

No identified near or long-term conflicting uses on largely private lands

Access to 13.8-kVA transmission and about 2 miles from the East End

Substation


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Wind Development SROPTTC Resource

Long-term data demonstrates wind resource for economically viablewind development in the USVI and is likely bounded by recordedairport and satellite-based SSMI data


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Wind Development SROPTTC Resource

Site-specific measurement tower and SODAR-based resourceassessments being undertaken to help further understand the

available wind resource and its characteristics


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Resource Bovoni Point St. Thomas

Virtual Meteorological Mast (VMM) data obtained from AWS

TruePower to allow initial assessment of potential windVMM data developed from global atmospheric models, surface

observations, satellite observations, and weather balloon data

6.3 m/s annual average with +/- 0.8 m/s accuracy, largely due tothe absence of wind shear data above 30m height


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Resource Bovoni Point St. Thomas

Similar in nature to other locally observed wind data

Very directional datagood for turbine spacing

Consistent winds exceed 5.0 m/s for 70% of the timegood forpower quality

Diurnal profile indicates stronger winds early morning through noon


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Illustrative Site Layout Bovoni Point St. Thomas

Illustrative layout of potential ~12 MW wind farm at Bovoni Point


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Comparative Estimated LCOE Bovoni Point

Initial estimate of LCOE for potential wind development, includingcurrent federal incentives but excluding detailed integration andsystem balancing requirements


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Wind Development SROPTTC Off-Takeand Capital

For utility wind development, WAPA is the only viable off-taker in theabsence of an interconnection to Puerto Rico

Two ownership options exist:

WAPA owner/operator through contracted development Project conducted on WAPA balance sheet Likely disqualified from federal incentives Access to federal low-cost loans Would require a new bond issuance for up to $40 million

WAPA conducts Power Purchase Agreement (PPA): WAPA does not own infrastructure, thus IPP shoulders most risks Method used for solar PV development Common model used throughout U.S. for wind development Able to take advantage of PTC and other federal incentives Typically treated as a liability on a utilitys balance sheet Likely higher capital cost due to higher risk, likely leading to higher

overall power costs


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Wind Development SROPTTC Permitting

Many federal, territorial, and local permits usually apply to wind projects

AirspaceFAA, DoD, and other agencies Clean WaterActEPA Coastal resource reviewU.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Council on

Environmental Quality, U.S. Coast Guard National historic preservation (location and character of place)

Impacts to wildlife, including birds, bats, and marine mammalsF&Wand DPNR

If a federal nexus occur, compliance with the National EnvironmentalPolicy Act (NEPA) is also necessary

Coastal management and/or marine spatial planning

Territorial zoning and planning (at the territorial or local level), whichincludes safety setbacks, noise, and construction issues

The key is early, frequent, and supportive engagement with all potentialregulatory organizations.


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Wind Development Environmental Impact

Every form of development has impact

Impacts on isolated islanded communities can be more problematicdue to threatened species, more limited habitat that is already highlyfragmented, and increased local stress

Pre- and post-construction impact assessments can greatly reducepotential impacts

Many impact mitigation strategies have been identified toreduce impact

Early consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife and DPNR willbe critical

Although no threatened species have been identified at Bovoni Point, fullassessments should be conducted to identify concerns, such as potentialimpacts on the mangrove swamp east of the area


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Wind Development Public Acceptance

The general publicincluding residents in the USVIare relatively

supportive of wind power, assuming it is appropriately implementedwith community involvement. Wind projects, however, will havecommunity impacts:

Visualturbines will be seen; the impacts on the community,including, tourism must be considered

Noiseturbines create noise which can impact homes

Flickerthe shadow caused by turbine blades

All of these items should be analyzed as part of the projectdevelopment process in close collaboration with the local and islandcommunity

There is a great deal of misinformation available about wind energy(especially on the Internet)open dialog based on trust and progressto mutual goals is important to foster a successful project development


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Key to Public Acceptance Good Information

Common wind myths

Wind energy is more expensive than conventional

energy Wind energy requires huge government incentives to

achieve these economics

Its being forced by an overreaching government

The economic benefits of wind energy arent local

Wind energy is unpredictable and must be backed

up by conventional generation.

If wind energy displaces energy from existing fossilfuel plants, then rates will go up

Wind projects will negatively affect my propertyvalues

Large, utility-grade wind turbines cant be installed onthe distribution grid without expensive upgrades andpower-quality issues

Projects with fewer turbines, that might be suitable forco-ops or small municipal utilities, are not economical

Wind turbines kill birds and bats and fragment habitat

Sound from wind turbines is annoying and will disruptsleep; it may also cause health impacts

The general issue:

As with most things, there are strong beliefs on

the wings of every issue and a large quietmajority that is open to learning. The question ishow to engage the middle majority effectively,providing credible and respectful information

The NIMBY myth:

The concept of NIMBY is rather outdated andgenerally does not capture all of the complexity

of the social issuesThe discussion is not even:

Most people (news organizations and others)want to provide a balanced perspective, even ifthe number of people representing the differentviews is not even (Fox Island Maine: only 26 outof 499 respondents have a negative view since

installation, according to the Island Institute)The key:

Open, clear, and informed dialog in anatmosphere of trust and mutually agreedpurpose


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Public Acceptance Bovoni Point Visualizations

Areas where the hub of the turbine is likely to be visible in the absenceof tree or other local obstructions


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Using the WindProsoftware, visualizations were completed usingphotographs from several locations likely to have direct views of the

turbine sites. These were conducted with different turbine types and sizes.


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Visual simulation of a six-turbine project (~12 MW) from Water GateRoad (Point E)


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Visual simulation of a six-turbine project (~12 MW) from Bolongo Bay(Point F)


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Visual simulation of a six-turbine project (~12 MW) from close to VirginIslands Ecotours on Rt. 32 (Point H)


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Public Acceptance Bovoni Point Noiseand Flicker

Noise, safety, and flicker impacts of turbines are assessed with setbackstandards and computer simulation

Although there are no typical distance standards defined for noise andflicker, the above figure shows a 1,500-ft radius around a purelyhypothetical turbine layout


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Wind DevelopmentSROPTTC Technology

Utility-scale wind technology is commercial and generally highlyregulated (IEC 64000), although many regulations are voluntary and

not all turbines have gone through testing

IEC type certification defines turbines based on the loads expectedunder certain conditions:

Class I - 10 m/s annual average, Class II - 8.5 m/s, andClass III - 7.5 m/s

Turbine class relate to annual average wind speed, siteturbulence, and maximum wind speedall three should helpdictate turbine choice

Type certification does not account for extreme events, such ashurricanes, cold and hot climates, which must receive special

consideration

In island settings other issues will all determine turbine applicability

Size and quality of port and local lifting capabilities

Available space for installation and equipment laydown

Size, quality, and steepness of roads Ability of the turbines to provide grid support services


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Wind Development Hurricane Considerations

Hurricanes have a potential to greatly

impact wind projects in the USVIfinance and insuring a wind turbineon Bovoni Point are expected todepend on the individual designstandards of specific original

equipment manufacturers Vestas and Vergnet offer anti-

cyclonic technical enhancements

Enercon has a history of installingturbines in extreme climates

Existing projects in Jamaica, Cuba,and Aruba all indicate that projectscan be installed and insured

ReturnPeriod(years)

Extreme WindSpeed(mph)

50 130

100 143

700 167

1700 176

Bovoni Point extreme wind speedsand period of return

Vergnet1-MW HP

turbine with

lowering huband generator

Photo fromVergnet Eolien

LLC


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Wind Development Bovoni Point Logistics

Lift and road requirements will be dependent on turbine selection

Crown Bay Cargo Port would seem to be an obvious potential off-loadingpoint but requires extensive road upgrades

Other options include:

Beach-side drop point,likely in the vicinity of

Bovoni Bay Red Hook Bay

But would requireequipment staging andthe use of ship-based

crane supportInstallation crane andlocal access will also berequired but are not seenas major roadblocks

Possible equipment drop points and overlandtransport routes, including likely problem turns


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Wind Development Wind Integration Concerns

Reliable power system operation

requires balance between load andgeneration within acceptable statisticallimits

Output of wind plants cannot becontrolled and scheduled with high

degree of accuracy Larger wind plants on Isolated grids

have measurable impact on systemoperating cost

System operators concerned thatadditional variability introduced bywindplants will increase systemoperating cost


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Wind Development Grid Integration

Integration of high contributions of renewables into the St. Thomas and St.Croix grids will require careful consideration, especially at higher contributions

Studies have looked at several options including integration into the PuertoRico grid Steady-state and short-circuit analysis by Siemens did not reveal major

issues that can prevent incorporating the renewable resource Dynamic stability studies conducted by Siemens confirm that careful

consideration of grid impacts will be required at higher renewable energycontributions absent a PR interconnection

Careful turbine selection and the potential use of energy-smoothingtechnologies will need to be used at higher wind contributions

Further studies when turbine selection is ongoing will be required

Contribution 10% 20% 30% 40%

Resource Wind PV Wind PV Wind PV Wind PV

St. Thomas 8 MW 3 MW 16 MW 6 MW 25 MW 8 MW 32 MW 12 MW

ST. Croix 5 MW 2 MW 10 MW 4 MW 15 MW 6 MW 20 MW 8 MW


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Wind Development SROPTTC Team

As there are no utility-scale wind power projects currently in operation

in the USVI, it is likely that the most efficient means of completing awind power project will involve some level of external expertise from acompany already engaged in wind power development in the UnitedStates or elsewhere in the world

Leveraging the experience of a developer who has worked in other

island locales may bring additional relevant capability to the projectteam; however:

Close coordination with VIEO and WAPA and will be required

Significant local leadership and actions will be required

Potential activities to reduce project risk (and thus PPA price) include:

Resource assessment (1-year site and high-speed resource data) Open public acceptance dialog facilitated by the EDIN-USVI working

groups

Initial investigations: environmental impact , grid integration,logistics, geotechnical, and land ownership


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Summary of Wind in the U.S. Virgin Islands

SROPTTC analysis indicates several good locations on St. Thomas andSt. Croix for expanded wind development

Installations in Jamaica and Aruba demonstrate other commercially viablewind project developments in the Caribbean

Estimated LCOE is in the range from roughly $0.10/kWh to $0.20/kWh

Bovoni Peninsula/Point on St. Thomas has been identified as a very likelylocation for initial development of a multi-MW wind installation

Although the SROPTTC process identified several key local challenges, theinitial critical flaw analysis was positive, with key issues remaining:

Local infrastructure development needs including roads, offloading, andother civil work

More detailed resource data collection

Community acceptance, including visualization, noise, quality of place,

and flicker Integration into the local distribution infrastructure

Selection of turbines, including consolidation of all system requirements

Development of a commercially viable financing and team approach tobring project to fruition


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Carpe Ventem

Ian [email protected]

(303) 554 6230
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

u.s. virgin islands wind energy update, edin-usvi energy workshop, 6-2012

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