Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAkiachak Wind and Solar PV Feasibility Study - 2022 - REF Grant 7014021The information in this document is proprietary and shall not be distributed, reproduced, used, or copied without the express written consent of IES, LLC. © 2023 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SYSTEMS Akiachak Wind and Solar PV Feasibility Study Round 14 Alaska Energy Authority REF # 7014021 Milestone 1: Desktop Study for Potential Renewable Energy Prepared by Intelligent Energy Systems, LLC Table of Contents PROJECT PURPOSE, RATIONALE AND PRIMARY ACTIVITIES..................................................................2 MILESTONE #1 REPORT: DESKTOP STUDY...........................................................................................2 PURPOSE OF DESKTOP STUDY ..........................................................................................................2 COMMUNITY OBJECTIVES .........................................................................................................................2 COMMUNITY POPULATION, HISTORY, LOCAL ECONOMY, AND CLIMATE..............................................3 COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE ..........................................................................................................4 BASIS FOR RE-EVALUATION ..............................................................................................................5 DESKTOP WIND DATA STUDY ............................................................................................................6 POWER SYSTEM DESCRIPTION ..........................................................................................................8 CURRENT DIESEL EQUIPMENT............................................................................................................................... 8 DIESEL CONTROL UPGRADES ................................................................................................................................ 8 ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM...................................................................................................................... 10 PROPOSED LOCATIONS FOR MONITORING & POTENTIAL WIND-SOLAR DEVELOPMENT .................... 10 REQUEST TO PROVIDE FUNDING UPFRONT FOR MILESTONE 2 AND 3 ............................................... 11 THE NEED TO BEGIN WIND DATA COLLECTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE .......................................... 11 APPENDIX A: BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................. 12 APPENDIX B: COMMUNITY MAP - 2007.............................................................................................. 14 The information in this document is proprietary and shall not be distributed, reproduced, used, or copied without the express written consent of IES, LLC. © 2023 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SYSTEMS Akiachak Wind and Solar PV Feasibility Study Project Purpose, Rationale and Primary Activities This project will provide the vital information to determine if wind and solar energy is feasible for Akiachak, Alaska. A primary project activity will be to contrast and compare wind speeds and direction. This will be done by erecting a reference wind assessment tower in the community in an open area that has relatively good exposure to prevailing winds. This monitoring tower will be instrumented as a reference station, which will be used to compare wind speed and direction measurements from various locations around the community. These other locations will measure wind characteristics at higher elevations of 50 and 70 meters using SODAR instrumentation - sonic detection and ranging. A SODAR Unit - is a research tool for evaluating lower atmospheric wind resources. The SODAR study will involve periodic measurement, and relocating the SODAR Unit to various sites to identify potential locations for wind turbines. The purpose of this project is to re-evaluate the wind resource in the range of 30 to 70 meters above ground level, and includes comparisons to solar production. Both of these types of evaluations will support the development of potential conceptual energy system designs. The community of Akiachak is 14 air miles from Bethel, with the villages of Tuluksak, Akiak, Kwethluk, Napaskiak, Napakiak all within16 - 20 air-mile radius. Bethel, Napaskiak and Kwethluk have measured wind resources that are demonstrated to be viable for wind energy production. For this reason alone, re-evaluation of the wind resource is necessary. The goal of this project is to estimate the potential wind resources at varying heights and locations around the community in Akiachak by evaluating the wind and solar resource with respect to the potential uses and markets for energy. Milestone #1 Report: Desktop Study Purpose of Desktop Study The purpose of Milestone 1: Desktop Study is to orient the wind assessment project, and to utilize previous work in the community regarding renewables, and within the Community Objectives The Akiachak Tribal IRA Council has developed and adopted an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, which consists of four energy objectives for the community, listed here in order of priority: 1. Create and maintain functionally appropriate, sustainable, accessible, high- quality tribal infrastructure and facilities. The information in this document is proprietary and shall not be distributed, reproduced, used, or copied without the express written consent of IES, LLC. © 2023 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SYSTEMS 2. by example through sustainable practices and behaviors. 3. Decrease overall community consumption of nonrenewable and nonrecycled materials. 4. Promote, implement, and integrate sustainable practices throughout the community in our homes, businesses, and everyday lives. The Desktop Study and the remaining project tasks directly address all objectives. Community Population, History, Local Economy, and Climate Akiachak Native Community (ANC) is the federally recognized tribe for this Alaska Native Village. The community is governed by a five-member IRA Council to lead the community. Akiachak is only accessible year-round by small plane as there are no roads in or out of the Village, although a barge brings supplies each summer. The ANC Tribal Administrator is Mr. Edward George, and the Chair is Mr. Fritz George people used the Akiachak region as a seasonal subsistence site, and it was first identified in the 1890 census called Akiakchagamiut. A post office was established in 1934, and the town was incorporated as a second-class city in 1974. However, the city government was dissolved in 1987, in favor of traditional village council governance, which is the current local government. The 1890 census recorded a population of 43. I . In the FY21 PCE population was reported as 724. Current census records identify 95% of the population as Alaska Native, and is teach their native language to their children. and subsistence lifestyle. It is a strong traditional community, and was the first city in Alaska to dissolve its city government in favor of the Native village government. The sale, importation, and possession of alcohol are banned in the village. The Yupiit School District is located in Akiachak and is the largest year round employer, with seasonal jobs often requiring residents to travel for firefighting commercial fishing and cannery jobs. About 70 residents hold commercial fishing permits. Local government services also provide a number of jobs such as at the water treatment plant, clinic, and general governmental operations. There are about 25 retail jobs primarily for the v the utility company and power plant operators. The information in this document is proprietary and shall not be distributed, reproduced, used, or copied without the express written consent of IES, LLC. © 2023 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SYSTEMS The Akiachak community and governing body, Akiachak Native Community, are highly motivated to protect their land and natural resources through conservation and promote sustainability throughout the community. Akiachak, Ltd. is the ANCSA village corporation, which owns the utility, ANC Electric along with other vital community services such as the grocery store, fuel sales and other services. Akiachak, Ltd. General Manager is Ms. Julie George. According to the community database, as of March 1, 2023, Akiachak has the following business licenses registered with the State. Business Name Akiachak Day Care Center AKIACHAK ENTERPRISES, INC. AKIACHAK FUEL SALES, INC. AKIACHAK NATIVE COMMUNITY ELECTRIC COMPANY AKIACHUK, LIMITED DIANE'S EDUCATIONAL CONSULTING SERVICE GEORGE'S ENTERPRISES KC Consultants Due to the fact that ANC has far more grant management experience and capabilities, the village corporation, through a letter, requested that ANC manage the AEA grant on the Akiachak is located on the west bank of the Kuskokwim River in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, approximate 15 miles northeast of Bethel. The area averages 16 inches of rain and snowfall of about 50 inches. Summers are generally cool with temperatures ranging from 42 to 62 °F. Community Infrastructure According to the FY21 PCE report there are 183 homes in Akiachak, and 11 PCE community customers and another 47 that are non-PCE. The community, through ANC, strives to build and or rehabilitate about 10 homes a year. Almost one-third of homes will soon be connected to water and sewer when the current construction is completed, sometime in 2023. This service will add significantly /power needs both to move the water/sewer and with the additional load at the water treatment plant. The State owns the newer ~3300 foot gravel airstrip and the seaplane facility. Boats, snowmachines, ATVs are used extensively by locals. A winter trail exists to Bethel, The information in this document is proprietary and shall not be distributed, reproduced, used, or copied without the express written consent of IES, LLC. © 2023 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SYSTEMS primarily on the Kuskokwim River. The River allows barges to deliver bulk fuel and other non-perishable supplies during the summer months. Although no formal boat landing area exists, there is a shallow area, separated from the main channel of the Kuskokwim River by a small isthmus, where boats are hauled up on shore and stored for the winter. Mail is often delivered by hovercraft. Although older, the 2007 facilities map from the Alaska State DCRA database can be found in Appendix B of this report. Basis for Re-Evaluation This Milestone 1 - Desktop Study provides additional basis to re- wind resource. An important finding or basis is that in particular Bethel, which is just a few miles away, has a proven commercial wind resource, and Akiachak has a similar terrain and topography as Bethel. By extrapolating the wind resource from earlier studies to higher levels, say 50 to 60 meters, estimates show significantly improved wind resource beyond 6 m/sec from 5.0 5.4 m/sec. ANC contracted with Intelligent Energy Systems, LLC (IES) for this Feasibility project. To begin, IES reviewed the prior wind resource assessment, which was conducted for the Akiachak community, by reviewing the report issued in 2007 and holding discussions with local community members involved with the past effort. The 2007 wind resource assessment for Akiachak determined the wind resource insufficient for commercial development. Based on wind power technological advances since 2007 and reported problems with data collection that led to the 2007 determination, ANC requested funds to re- Both ANC representatives and IES believe this determination was primarily based on the wind turbines selected for consideration, and the type and location of where the monitoring tower was installed. For the 2007 report, wind resource measurements were taken using only a 30 meter tower, which was located in a wooded area. The local diesel plant operator Ryan Nose and Edward George, Tribal President, both assisted with the original wind monitoring project, and reported: Ryan Nose assisted with installing the monitoring tower, watching over installation, and collected data cards after installation. Both Ryan and Edward observed frequent instrument icing of anemometers at the met tower and reported the potential impacts on resource measurements. They observed frequent periods of time when wind resource instruments were not recording data due to icing. Both Ryan and Edward believed these factors impacted the resource evaluation. The information in this document is proprietary and shall not be distributed, reproduced, used, or copied without the express written consent of IES, LLC. © 2023 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SYSTEMS Considering the positive impact, a favorable wind resource could have to reduce the , and that the surrounding communities have viable wind resources, the Alaska Energy Authority-Renewable Energy Fund agreed that re-evaluating the wind energy potential has merit and selected the Akiachak project for funding. The re-evaluation includes considering the economic viability of wind energy for Akiachak by including large rotor diameter wind turbines on taller towers as an option for potential energy production. Desktop Wind Data Study As a starting place,the available wind date from the 2007 report was used to develop a preliminary comparison to estimate annual wind energy production by using available known data from the Frontier 24.4 wind turbine on a 50 meter tower. The Frontier data was The Frontier data was available from the near-by community of Kwethluk. The Frontier 24.4 is fitted with a low inertia light weight rotor with a swept diameter of 24.4 meters, which is representative of modern airfoil designs. The turbine is available with various tower heights and rotor diameters (24.4 and 30 m). According t calculations, using a 50 m (meter) nacelle hub height as a reference, the 5 m/s (meters per second) winds measured at 30 meters would increase the average wind speed to 5.4 m/s. The table below indicates the annual capacity factor of the Frontier turbine, which is a 100 kW turbine with a 24.4 m rotor on a 50 m tilt-up tower. The same turbine is also available as a Class 4 wind turbine with 30 m rotor on a 50 m tilt-up tower. When there is greater wind power, such as Class 4, a larger rotor is not needed. The table below summarizes comparative estimates of the wind power generation from these two configurations, with a similar nameplate capacity PV system. The conservative estimate of the PV analysis was done using NREL PVWatts modeling for a fixed array of bi- facial PV panels at an angle of 45%, with a due south orientation. This analysis indicates a similarly rated solar plant in Akiachak would operate with an annual capacity factor of about 10%. Solar production would occur primarily during the warmer months with no contribution to heating and no significant generation through the winter when energy requirements are greatest. Initial analysis indicates that a 100 kW turbine with the 24.4 meter rotor installed on a 50 meter tower would produce nearly twice the amount of energy as a 100 kW solar array, while a 30 meter rotor would produce nearly 3 times the solar output. The information in this document is proprietary and shall not be distributed, reproduced, used, or copied without the express written consent of IES, LLC. © 2023 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SYSTEMS Akiachak - Preliminary Estimate of Wind and Solar Generation Frontier Mark3iii Frontier Mark3iii PV Plant V_avg_Hub AEO - MWh Cap Fac.- % AEO - MWh Cap Fac.- % AEO - MWh Cap Fac.- % 5 166 18.9% 260 29.7% 97.2 (bi) 10.0% 5.4 212 24.2% 296 33.8% 97.2 (bi) 10.0% Solar PV bifacial panels, fixed array 45 degree Annual estimated production range, 92,000 103,000 kWh DC 120 kW, system losses 14.08% Month Solar Radiation AC Energy estimate January .77 2,100 February 1.28 3,378 March 4.63 13,489 April 4.94 13,506 May 4.74 13,085 June 4.82 12,561 July 4.28 11,403 August 3.64 9,759 September 3.10 8,215 October 1.98 5,631 November 0.83 2,206 December 0.74 1,909 Total 2.98 97,245 Further wind resource analysis is justified based on the potential for wind energy production from larger turbines with similar rotor loading characteristics. Monitoring location selection is discussed in this Desktop Study below. IES will likely travel to Akiachak for additional on-site research and finalizing community preferences, for monitoring locations and potential development sites for development. The information in this document is proprietary and shall not be distributed, reproduced, used, or copied without the express written consent of IES, LLC. © 2023 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SYSTEMS Power System Description During an August 2022 site visit, the average load at the power plant was in the range of 250 kW, with the operators indicating peak loads of less than 320 kW. At the time of the February 2023 visit in the afternoon, it was a very cold day. The load at the power plant was 421 kW. The operators indicated they had never seen load that high, and they reported that both the average and peak loads were increasing. discussed the need to develop a multi-year diesel and power system management plan. The diesel control system was not completed at the time of the August visit. The SCADA and data collection system appeared to be nearly complete in February. The IES team will conduct a further review of the control and communications interface requirements for data collection, analysis and renewable plus battery integration. Current Diesel Equipment Diesel Generator line up Engine model Serial number Arrangement # Cat 3456 9BZ00024 162-7542 Cat 3456 7WG04616 247-4789 Cat C-9DITASCAS C9A00723 242-3455 Cat C-9DITASCAS C9A00724 242-3455 Diesel Control Upgrades Each diesel generator set has been upgraded with the latest Woodward EZgen 3000 engine generator controllers, Shark electric metering of loads on two distribution feeders and the power plant, totalizing, and housekeeping loads. The diesel plant is controlled by an Allen Bradley Programmable controller. Remote and local is displayed using Ignition Software. The diesel plant is able to be remotely and locally monitored. Photos of the generators and upgraded diesel controls are provided on the following page. Wind, solar and batteries could be interfaced with existing control and data acquisition systems. The information in this document is proprietary and shall not be distributed, reproduced, used, or copied without the express written consent of IES, LLC. © 2023 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SYSTEMS Akiachak Diesel Generators Akiachak upgraded diesel controls The information in this document is proprietary and shall not be distributed, reproduced, used, or copied without the express written consent of IES, LLC. © 2023 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SYSTEMS Electrical Distribution System A general walk through/along the system, indicated that the majority of the distribution had been rebuilt recently. The majority of poles on the main distribution lines down each street appeared in very good condition. Poles we plumb and not leaning, and not rotting or damaged. The distances and conductors between power poles appeared to be properly installed and maintained. Based on the condition, many service drops and some secondary transformers may need replacement, repair, or maintenance. The next phase of this project will include a more detailed survey of the electrical distribution system. Proposed Locations for Monitoring & Potential Wind-Solar Development The Google satellite view below, indicates the monitoring sites proposed for placement of the wind monitoring tower. Two locations for the SODAR unit are near the barge landing. The photo below is taken looking north from the Barge Landing. The box in red indicates the approximate location of the previous monitoring station as well as potential development sites for co-locating wind and possibly solar. Access to this area could be expensive, requiring road building, and shifting at least part of the year round highway maintenance costs to the Native Village by sharing the road to airport. Any development concentrated in this area should include stabilization of the barge landing area. Above is the proposed site for Solar/PV for the Akiachak community. Previous Monitoring Station and Potential Co-location Site The information in this document is proprietary and shall not be distributed, reproduced, used, or copied without the express written consent of IES, LLC. © 2023 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SYSTEMS Request to Provide Funding Upfront for Milestone 2 and 3 As a reimbursable grant, the Akiachak Native Community lacks sufficient funds to forward fund the next steps of the project, and is requesting an advance from Milestone 2 ($15,000) and to purchase and ship the met tower monitoring equipment for $12,000. Akiachack Native Community / Akiachak Native Community Electric Company is requesting cash flow needs for the next 30 days for a total of $27,000. The Need to Begin Wind Data Collection As Soon As Possible Developing baseline data is important to complete the base system design. Because of the importance of collecting wind data for this project, it is necessary to begin that effort as soon as possible. This will require additional upfront funds and will that request will be forthcoming soon. The information in this document is proprietary and shall not be distributed, reproduced, used, or copied without the express written consent of IES, LLC. © 2023 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SYSTEMS Appendix A: Bibliography Alaska Energy Authority and Alaska Centerfor Energy and Power. Energy:A First Step Toward http://www.naseo.org/Data/Sites/1/documents/stateenergyplans/AK.pdf Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. Comprehensive Energy Audit For Akiachak Water Treatment Plant. Dec 14, 2015. https://www.anthc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Akiachak-Water-Treatment- Plant-Energy-Audit-Report.pdf Cold Climate Housing Research Center. n.d. http://cchrc.org/library/akiachak-data-management-plan/ Cold Climate Housing Research Center. Akiachak Energy Efficiency Project. n.d. http://cchrc.org/media/Akiachak_final_project_flyer.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCc7yE9qswo Cold Climate Housing Research Center. Akiachak Energy Action Plan. 6/18/2019. http://cchrc.org/media/Energy_action_plan_Akiachak.pdf Alaska Energy Authority 23050 - Engine-Generator & Cooler Purchase Akiachak Power System Upgrade. 11/1/2022. https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=208697 Crimp, Peter; Colt, Steve; Foster, Mark. Power in Rural Alaska: Improved Opportunities for https://scholarworks.alaska.edu/handle/11122/12224 Dane, A, and L Doris. Strategic Energy Plan and Planning August 2013. https://www.energy.gov/indianenergy/articles/alaska-strategic-energy-plan-and- planning-handbook Denali Commission. Distributing Power: A Technical and Policy Review of Electric Transmission in Alaska. 2008. https://www.nuvistacoop.org/resource- library/interties https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bfde59db581b37331ca57f/t/60c2896c 82bca048aca37fe7/1623361900944/Map-of-Proposed-Southwest-Alaska- Transmission- Lines.pdf Denali Commission. Gove, Carolyn. Energy Planning: A Guide for Rural Alaska https://www.energy.gov/indianenergy/articles/strategic-energy-planning- guide- rural-alaska-communities Hadjerioua, Boualem, Miles H. Mobley, Scott T. DeNeale, and Douglas Ott. Development Opportunities for Alaska Native October 1, 2018. https://doi.org/10.2172/1479720. Holdmann, Gwen, and Steve Colt. Village Energy: Integration of Renewable and Diesel Systems to Improve Energy Self-Reliance for Remote Rural Alaska. Accessed December 28, 2021. https://acep.uaf.edu/media/30120/INE-13078_Proposal- Description_FINAL.pdf . Kohler, Meera, and Ethan Schutt. for a Sustainable Alaska: The Rural The information in this document is proprietary and shall not be distributed, reproduced, used, or copied without the express written consent of IES, LLC. © 2023 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SYSTEMS Commonwealth North, February 2012. https://www.denali.gov/wp content/uploads/2018/10/CWN-Report-Energy-for-a-Sustainable-Alaska-The- Rural- Conundrum1.pdforg/publications/ Kohler, Meera, Village Wind Tribal Energy Conference,Denver, CO October 28, 2010. https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2016/01/f28/44_avec_wind.pdf Renewable Energy to Rural Development, Executive Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development, n.d. https://www.oecd.org/regional/regional- policy/Renewable-rural-energy- summary.pdf https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60bfde59db581b37331ca57f/t/60c3b33f ad7e4641e01cb0e9/1623438145206/Nuvista_year_end_2016.pdf Nuvista. -Kuskokwim Delta Regional Energy November 2015. https://www.nuvistacoop.org/resource-library Nuvista. -Kuskokwim Delta Community Sustainability July 2016. https://www.nuvistacoop.org/resource-library Poudyal, Aditya, and Jukka V. Paatero. on Tools and Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society 33, no. 5 6 (October 2013): 191 97. https://doi.org/10.1177/0270467614531555. . 2016. Renewable Energy Atlas of Alaska. 2019. https://www.akenergyauthority.org/Portals/0/Publications%20and%20Resource s/2019%20Renewable%20Energy%20Atlas%20of%20Alaska%20(Low- Res%20Version).pdf?ver=2021-06-07-091312-147 Energy Solutions for Rural Allen,Riley; Donna Brutkoski, Donna; Farnsworth, David; and Larsen, Peter. April 2016. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1249184. -Based Remote Sensing for Managing Alaskan Native Heritage Landscapes in the Yukon- by Lim, Jonathan; Gleason, Sean. February 2, 2022. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/3/728 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Erosion Informaiton Paper Akiachak Alaska. April 9, 2008. https://www.poa.usace.army.mil/Portals/34/docs/civilworks/BEA/Akiachak_Final%20Report.pdf . U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Economic Development Administration. Yukon-Kuskokwim Region Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. Alaska Village Council of Presidents. 2018. https://www.avcp.org/2018/08/02/the-yukon-kuskokwim- region-comprehensive-economic- development-strategy-2018-2023-is-now- available/ U.S. Dept. of Energy Office of Indian Energy, Technologies for Sherry Stout. https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/12/f46/DOE_Technology%20Summary.pdf U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Opportunities: Best Practices for Alaska https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/tiff2png.cgi/P100FHTX.PNG?r+75+g+7+D%3A%5CZYFILES%5CIN DEX%20DATA%5C11THRU15%5CTIF F%5C00000388%5CP100FHTX.TIF The information in this document is proprietary and shall not be distributed, reproduced, used, or copied without the express written consent of IES, LLC. © 2023 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SYSTEMS Appendix B: Community Map - 2007 The information in this document is proprietary and shall not be distributed, reproduced, used, or copied without the express written consent of IES, LLC. © 2023 INTELLIGENT ENERGY SYSTEMS