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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAkiachak Wind Feasibility & Conceptual Design Grant Completion Report 2016 - REF Grant 7040057Grantee: Akiachak Native Community/Akiachak Limited, LLC Project Name: Akiachak Wind Feasibility Study Grant and Project #: Grant Agreement Number: 7040057 Project Code: #410078 Grant Completion Report Background: electrical power is generated solely by the burning of increasingly expensive diesel fuel. Akiachak desired to reduce electrical energy cost as a source to augment the production of electrical power produced by fuel dependent diesel generators. complete an analysis that would consider wind energy as a lower cost, local renewable energy source for Akiachak. The grant encompassed a wind feasibility analysis, resource assessment and conceptual design. Also included as part of the overall analysis was a geotechnical reconnaissance study of the proposed area for placement of a possible wind turbine generator. A meteorological (met) tower was erected in Akiachak in June 2012. The tower had to be re - erected in November 2013 after it pulled out a portion of its anchoring system and fell down due to a fierce windstorm October 27, 2013. After the re-erection of the met tower in October 2013, wind data from the met tower was informally analyzed. The Alaska Energy Authority, WHPacific, and Akiachak Limited determined and agreed that the wind resource in Akiachak may be less than desirable as it relates to any significant harvest of wind energy versus the expense of erecting a new wind turbine. Based upon this determination the project plan was re-scoped and implemented in December 2013. The re-scoped plan included the gathering of equipment for instrumenting community energy loads, acquire a pyranometer (photovoltaic sensor) to mount on the met le energy resource), perform an analysis and finally provide a written report. A wind analysis of reduced scope was also Activities: Akiachak Native Community/Akiachak Limited installed a wind-measuring meteorological ("met") tower. The work involved obtaining a letter of non-objection for placement of the wind tower, permitting plan, obtaining an FAA permit for erecting a met tower in the vicinity of an airport, installing the met tower purchased with previous AEA funds and studying the wind resource for a minimum of one year. A pyranometer was also obtained and installed on the met tower and the solar radiance data was collected and an analysis was performed. At the power plant and school, energy monitoring equipment and data loggers were installed. Project Costs: Total project cost was $110,000 with a match of $15,000 by the Grantee. Project Outcomes: A meteorological tower was successfully installed and instrumented in Akiachak. Wind data was collected from the met tower for a period of 28 months. Solar data was collected for a period of 13 months. Both sets of data were used as a basis of analysis for the resulting report. Also included as a basis of analysis was research of current subject literature. Further, the electrical energy consumption at the school was monitored by installing meters and data logging equipment on the two village distribution feeders as well as the service feeder to the school. Data was collected for 5 months. After analysis it was determined that the electrical energy consumption by the school constitutes approximately 25% of the community power plant output. Based on the data captured from the meteorological tower for both wind and solar energy, a reduced scope wind analysis report was written as well as a solar energy analysis. The solar data combined with the energy monitoring data of the power plant and school resulted in first time preliminary calculations that suggested solar energy as a local renewable resource may be viable and should be further investigated. Lastly, the FAA was advised the met tower was dismantled in June 2016. The FAA acknowledged and issued documentation to close the met tower FAA operating permit. Problems Encountered: The met tower was erected in Akiachak in June 2012. The tower had to be re-erected in November 2013 after it pulled out a portion of its anchoring system and fell down due to a fierce windstorm October 27, 2013. Wind data continued to be collected until April 2016. The tower was ultimately taken down and dismantled in June 2016. included. The sources of renewable energy examined the viability of solar power and resulting solar array and the viability of wind power. Conclusions and Recommendations: The report investigated energy use and analyzes and discusses wind and solar renewable energy resources in Akiachak, Alaska. Based on the data collected and researched, then analyzed this report concludes the following: The wind regime in Akiachak is not sufficient to allow for a cost effective use of this renewable resource given initial results. The wind power class is considered as class 1 and is poor based on mean wind speed, wind occurrence and duration, and other contributing factors. A wind power class 3 is considered fair and wind regimes of this class are worthy of further engineering investigation in order to further consider the feasibility of wind as a renewable energy source. The wind resource is not worthy of further study. Solar energy collection and its application in Akiachak is deserving of further engineering study. This first investigation has determined that although the average household electrical consumption exceeds the requirements of small roof top solar collectors, the possibility exists that larger commercial units with a larger collection area may be applicable. It may be possible to reduce energy use, by approximately one quarter with a suitably sized and properly located solar array. energy consumption was used to illustrate this savings. With an array surface size equivalent to 113 ft x 113 ft preliminary calculations suggest Akiachak could save approximately 541 gals of power plant diesel fuel and $25,255 per year. Also, during the research for this report was a discovery of a long term solar study (manual) for the United States that covered a span of 30 years, 1961-1990. This manual, The Solar Radiation Data Manual for Flat-Plate and Concentrating Collectors, was produced by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) Analytic Studies Division under the Solar Radiation Resource Assessment Project and is publicly available. Data from this manual was used in the Akiachak final report. This manual provides the solar resource available for the United States and its territories using various types of solar collectors. One of the locations that was monitored during this 30 year period was Bethel, Alaska. Akiachak is 14 miles east from Bethel. The terrain is very flat and very similar, thus the data is directly applicable. The 30 year data suggests there is more solar radiance available in Akiachak than the 13 month data collected at the Akiachak met tower.