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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015AEAWindStudy-1302382DE-FG36-05GO85038 Alaska Wind Energy Project Alaska Energy Authority FY2015, Q2 Final Report Page 1 of 9 Final Technical Report COVER PAGE Federal Agency to which Report is submitted: DOE EERE – Wind & Water Power Program Recipient: Alaska Energy Authority 054072608 Award Number: DE-FG36-05GO85038 Project Title: Alaska Wind Energy Project Project Period: Jan 2008 thru Dec 2014 Principle Investigator: Rich Stromberg, Wind Program Manager, rstromberg@aidea.org 907-771-3053 Report Submitted by: Same Date of Report: Mar 26, 2015 Covering Period: Jan 1, 2015 - Mar 31, 2015 Report Frequency: Final Working Partners: Aleutian Wind Energy – Phase I only Paul Wiltse CFO (907) 762-8450 pwiltse@tdxpower.com Alaska Village Electric Cooperative – Phase I only Brent Petrie / Steve Gilbert Community Development and Ke y Accounts Manager (907) 565-5358 / 565-5357 bpetrie@avec.org sgilbert@avec.org Alaska Center for Energy and Power / Wind-Diesel Applications Center (WiDAC) / Univ of Alaska Fairbanks – Final reporting period was FY2013 Q4. No new updates henceforward. Gwen Holdmann Director (907) 590-4577 gwen.holdmann@alaska.edu Cost-Sharing Partners: Aleutian Wind Energy – Phase I only Paul Wiltse CFO (907) 762-8450 pwiltse@tdxpower.com DE-FG36-05GO85038 Alaska Wind Energy Project Alaska Energy Authority FY2015, Q2 Final Report Page 2 of 9 Alaska Village Electric Cooperative – Phase I Only Brent Petrie Community Development and Key Accounts Manager (907) 565-5358 bpetrie@avec.org DOE Project Team: DOE HQ Program Manager – Jose Zayas DOE Field Contract Officer – Pamela Brodie DOE Field Grants Management Specialist – Jane Sanders DOE Field Project Officer – Gary Nowakowski DOE/CNJV Project Monitor – Stephanie Hodge Signature of Submitting Official: _________________________________________________ (Electronic signature is acceptable) DE-FG36-05GO85038 Alaska Wind Energy Project Alaska Energy Authority FY2015, Q2 Final Report Page 3 of 9 ACCOMPLISHMENTS Project Objective: To support design and construction of wind energy power plants that demonstrate the feasibility and methods necessary for widespread adoption of wind energy systems in rural Alaska. Phase I Project Goals: Phase I funding has been completed since 2011. This activity extends back to mid-2005, but the current principal investigator did not begin working at AEA until Sept. 2009 and his predecessors on this award are no longer with the agency. Major expenditures under Phase I included construction funding for wind turbine installations in the remote communities of Chevak (four NPS 100-kilowatt turbines) and Sand Point (two Vestas 500-kilowatt turbines), through sub recipients Alaska Village Electric Cooperative and Aleutian Wind Energy, respectively. Some Sand Point activity extended into Phase II of this award. A trend chart of the net capacity factor for both projects is shown below. Both projects are experiencing significant curtailment due to excess energy in the system. To address the curtailment of wind turbines in Chevak, the State of Alaska awarded $240,260 in 2013 to install an electric boiler that serves the city water treatment and storage facility. When completed in summer 2015, this will greatly reduce turbine curtailment and increase the net capacity factor. DE-FG36-05GO85038 Alaska Wind Energy Project Alaska Energy Authority FY2015, Q2 Final Report Page 4 of 9 TDX Power, the parent company of Aleutian Wind Energy, has completed a 65-percent design to install a 100-kilowatt electric boiler at the Sand Point health center and a 500-lilowatt boiler at the school. AEA has recommended funding to the legislature of $307,120 to construct this project. In addition, TDX Power is working to install a variable speed diesel genset at their own cost that would allow for the engine to run down to 10% loading while maintaining good fuel efficiency. Both of these efforts will reduce the present turbine curtailment to very low levels. Phase II Project Goals: Phase II was initiated following a major rescoping and budgeting effort. The goals are as follows:  Lower and/or stabilize the cost of power generation in rural Alaska.  Increase the knowledge base of wind resource data and wind energy systems for Alaska.  Increase the understanding of current foundation performance and challenges in soils with a deep active layer.  Complete construction/integration of a wind project in Sand Point, a rural community in Alaska. Task 1& 7- Wind Program Outreach  AEA has provided early-engagement support to the following communities considering wind energy options by providing resource mapping, simple modeling/analysis of energy systems and other consultation: Adak, Akhiok, Akiachak, Atmautluak, Bethel, Chefornak, Chignik, Chignik Lagoon, Chignik Lake, Chistochina, Chitina, Clark's Point, Copper Center, Cordova, Craig, Dillingham, Egegik, Gakona, Glennallen, Goodnews Bay, Gulkana, Haines, Hughes, Hydaburg, Igiugig, Kake, Karluk, Ketchikan, Kiana, Kipnuk, Kivalina, Koliganek, Kongiganak, Kotlik, Koyukuk, Kwethluk, Levelock, Manokotak, Mendeltna, Mentasta Lake, Minto, Mountain Village, Napakiak, Napaskiak, Nelchina, New Stuyahok, Newtok, Noorvik, Nunam Iqua, Pilot Point, Pitkas Point, Point Hope, Point Lay, Port Alsworth, Port Heiden, Russian Mission, Saint George, Saint Mary's, Scammon Bay, Selawik, Shaktoolik, Shishmaref, Shungnak, Sitka, Slana, Stebbins, Tatitlek, Teller, Tok, Tolsona, Tonsina, Unalakleet, Unalaska, Valdez, Wainwright, Wrangell and Yakutat.  AEA has helped plan and present at energy conferences, fairs and training events in the following communities: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Glennallen, Haines, Juneau, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Nome, Seward, Sitka and Yakutat. These include the Alaska Federation of Natives convention, US DOE Tribal Energy Fairs, 10 years of Alaska Renewable Energy Fairs, statewide Rural Energy Conferences and regional energy fairs.  Training materials have been formalized and expanded to teach classes on Wind-Diesel 101, Wind-Diesel 201 and So You Want to Build a Wind Farm.  A statewide Alaska Wind Working Group was formed in 2010 with three to four meetings per year for shared learning. Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP) has been the sub recipient responsible for organizing these activities and serving as an external party to keep the group self-organized rather than being perceived as driven b y the state energy office.  When interest in the biennial international wind-diesel conference waned after 2010, we worked with REAP to organize the first two-day wind-diesel workshop in Seward in February 2013. The 45 attendees in the first year, ballooned to more than 90 attendees a year later in Fairbanks and more than 160 participants this year in Anchorage, reviving the DE-FG36-05GO85038 Alaska Wind Energy Project Alaska Energy Authority FY2015, Q2 Final Report Page 5 of 9 international participation that had dropped off. Task 2 & 8- Modeling and Feasibility Studies  AEA has become experts in the use of Windographer and HOMER modeling tools for use in estimating wind energy potential and integration challenges in remote Alaska communities.  Validation of the statewide wind resource model with NREL and AWS Truepower was completed in late 2010 and early 2011.  Additional expertise is being built in the use of terrain flow modeling and wake effects using Continuum and OpenWind software.  The wind program developed a Community Analysis spreadsheet to more thoroughly consider all aspects of remote wind projects including the wind resource, existing power DE-FG36-05GO85038 Alaska Wind Energy Project Alaska Energy Authority FY2015, Q2 Final Report Page 6 of 9 generation and distribution infrastructure, diesel and heating fuel economics, siting considerations and thermal loads. This tool is now in its 18th revision.  The wind program has also developed clear, detailed guidelines and expectations for wind resource analysis reports and conceptual designs for wind projects to improve the consistency and quality of information gathered by our grantees and partners.  Meteorological (met) towers were installed in the following communities to evaluate wind resource potential: Akiachak, Atmautluak, Bethel, Chefornak, Chena Hot Springs, Chevak, Chignik Lagoon and Lake, Clark’s Point, Copper Center (Willow Mtn), Cordova, Dillingham (three sites), False Pass, Goodnews Bay, Haines, Igiugig, Ionia, Kake, King Cove, Kenai, Kokhanok, Kongiganak, Mekoryuk, Napakiak, Nome (four sites), Nunam Iqua, Palmer (three sites), Perryville, Pilot Point, Pitka’s Point, Port Alsworth, Port Heiden, Quinhagak, Saint George, Seward, Sitka, Wrangell, Unalakleet and Yakutat. DE-FG36-05GO85038 Alaska Wind Energy Project Alaska Energy Authority FY2015, Q2 Final Report Page 7 of 9 Task 3&9 - Foundation Design and Testing  An engineering professor and several graduate students at University of Alaska Anchorage designed an instrumentation and data collection system to test the actual performance of Arctic/permafrost wind turbine foundations designed earlier in Phase I of this award.  The prototype was tested on a 100-kilowatt wind turbine at AVTEC in Seward. The system was then installed on a similar turbine configuration (AVTEC has the same model, but a shorter tower on a poured-slab foundation) in the remote village of Quinhagak that has the new foundation.  A final presentation was made by UAA to AEA, the turbine owner/operator and the engineering firm that designed the foundation. This presentation has been uploaded to the EERE site. A final technical paper is forthcoming in 30 days and will be uploaded to the EERE site when it is available.  Of particular concern is that the annual average temperature in the Bethel region has risen by 2.5 degrees Celsius since 1950. This causes a deeper active region as summer thaws the upper portions of permafrost and increases the length of the moment arm of the wind turbine and tower structure.  From the study, we learned that the foundation, turbine and tower structure moves through its natural or resonant frequency during start up and shut down activities. It is critical to minimize the time the structure spends in the natural frequency range to minimize forces on the entire system.  Detailed models of the entire system were built using TurbSim, AeroDyn, FAST and ABAQUS.  The passive cooling system is working in the foundation, but continued warming of the permafrost should be monitored closely throughout the life of the wind farm. DE-FG36-05GO85038 Alaska Wind Energy Project Alaska Energy Authority FY2015, Q2 Final Report Page 8 of 9 Figure 1: Typical micro-strain values for wind speeds of 20-25 mph. Future plans post award period:  Continue modeling and feasibility studies using met tower loan program data and post results on statewide website www.akenergyauthority.org as studies are completed.  Continue meeting with USFWS personnel to review our proposed met tower sites for each community to assess any wildlife concerns and adjustments needed to actual siting of the towers.  Travel plans include met tower installs in Kotlik and Goodnews Bay follow-up by Rich.  The wind turbine foundation study will publish a final technical paper which will be uploaded to the EERE site upon receipt and review by AEA. PRODUCTS / DELIVERABLES Products / Deliverables: Publications / Presentations/Travel: “Wind Turbine Towers in Warm Permafrost: Foundation Performance and Dynamic Response” Yang, Zhaohui, et al. PARTICIPANTS & OTHER COLLABORATING ORGANIZATIONS Individuals: [List individuals who have worked on the project during the reporting period.] Name Rich Stromberg Project Role Wind Program Mgr. Nearest Person Month worked 1 month Contribution to Project Manages the statewide wind energy program. Key contact with rural Alaskan villages. Funding Support State of Alaska general fund. Collaborated w/ individual in foreign country No Country(ies) of foreign collaborator ---- Traveled to foreign country No If traveled to foreign country, duration of stay ---- Name Josh Craft Project Role Asst Wind Program Mgr. Nearest Person Month worked 1 month Contribution to Project Co-manages the statewide wind energy program. Key contact with rural Alaskan villages. DE-FG36-05GO85038 Alaska Wind Energy Project Alaska Energy Authority FY2015, Q2 Final Report Page 9 of 9 Funding Support State of Alaska general fund. Collaborated w/ individual in foreign country No Country(ies) of foreign collaborator ---- Traveled to foreign country No If traveled to foreign country, duration of stay ---- Organizations: CHANGES / PROBLEMS None. BUDGETARY INFORMATION Spending Summary Uploaded separately Cost Share Contributions Uploaded separately.