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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAkiachak Wind Feasibility Study - 2021 - REF Grant 7014021� �I 0- INTELLIGENT eSENERGY SYSTEMS Intelligent Energy Systems, LLC 110 W. 151" Avenue, Suite A Anchorage, AK 99501 (907) 770-6367 Akiachak REF Wind and Solar PV Feasibility Study--7014021 Introduction Akiachak is located on the Kuskokwim River approximately 14 air miles from Bethel with the villages of Tuluksak, Akiak and Kwethluk, Napaskiak and Napakiak within a radius of 16 air miles. The project proposes to erect the meter tower in an open area southwest of the community which has relatively good exposure to winds coming from the north and southwest. This study will determine the best potential locations for wind turbines in the community and determine the impacts the nearby vegetation has affected measurement of wind from the northwest, north, and northeast. Bethel, Napaskiak and Kwethluk have measured wind resources demonstrated to be viable wind energy production. Because of the remote location and isolation of Akiachak, there are few options to heat homes and what options do exist are expensive and logistically challenging. Residents in Akiachak currently use diesel generation and firewood to heat their homes. Heating fuel costs over $5.00 per gallon, and an average household uses approximately 55 gallons every three weeks. Firewood is costly at $350 for'/2 cord and inconvenient to harvest. The high cost of heat is a significant burden for residents whose average earnings according to the 2019 ACS 5- Year Survey are $18906 annually. Most households qualify for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Many households in Akiachak are multiple generations living together and it is not uncommon to have eight or more people living together in one home. According to the State of Alaska Energy Authority's 2020 Power Cost Equalization Report, the average cost of electricity per kWh in Akiachak was $.63. this is almost 500% of the national average and more than three times the benchmark delineating "high energy cost communities" set forth by AEA REF regulations. The communities of Akiachak as well as surrounding communities of Akiak and Tuluksak have few renewable energy opportunities beyond wind and solar. Solar is unlikely to provide sufficient energy to meet the community's needs throughout the year or represent significant potential for large scale fuel displacement. The fact that these communities are so close to other communities with a viable wind resource, (Kwethluk, Bethel and Napaskiak) merits further investigation. This project will involve two phases: Phase I The Reconnaissance Study phase of this project will focus on collecting data and analyzing Akiachak's current diesel system and wind and solar resources along with electric and thermal load data. These baseline data will then be used to create a conceptual design for an energy system that integrates wind/solar/battery with the current diesel system. A detailed cost estimate and financing plan will also be included in the final Reconnaissance Study Report. Phase I will identify and elaborate on potential economic benefits of renewable energy implementation. The feasibility study will provide accurate and reliable estimates of true wind potential that has not been able to be captured in past studies. Phase I will also provide recommendations for metering equipment and identify potential future trends and impacts on a future energy system. This phase will address sustainability, finances and power purchase sale options. Phase II For the Phase II portion, we seek to investigate the economic viability of installing wind turbine generators for electrical generation facilities. Akiachak is proposing to install a reference 50-meter meteorological tower as well as a SODAR meteorological unit to simultaneously collect and correlate wind data across the community at heights greater than or equal to 50 meters. The monitoring program will evaluate specific sites in and around Akiachak and can be easily expanded to surrounding communities through redeployment of the SODAR unit and continued use of the Akiachak reference station. The monitoring program in Akiachak will continue for twelve months. IES will produce monthly wind resource with a final report summarizing the data collection and opportunities for the application of low inertia wind turbines on taller towers. Key Personnel Key project personnel include the following: • Edward George, Akiachak Native community project lead • Dennis Meiners, Principal at IES • Tony D'Aoust, Project Manager at IES • Terry Meyer, Data Analyst • Patrick Boonstra, Project Manager • Ian Knapp, Research Technical Specialist at IES • Dale Letourneau, Electrical Engineer • Jean Paul Pinard, Consulting Engineer • Carl Brothers, P.E., Principal, Frontier Power Systems • Greg Egan, President Remote Power of Fairbanks • Adam Schandler, Mechanical Engineer Edward George Dennis Meiners (Lead Project Manager), Principal and Founder of Intelligent Energy Systems (IES) Mr. Meiners will manage the overall project and the project support team which includes wind technology specialists. IES will be responsible for the installation and operation of the resource evaluation and equipment deployment. Mr. Meiners will draw upon many years of Alaskan operating experience with similar projects. Tony D'Aoust (Project Manager at IES) has over thirty years' experience as a meteorological and oceanographic field technician with a specialty in remote polar regions from Antarctica to Alaska. He has spent numerous winters in Alaska's Brooks Range making his own electricity from the sun and wind and installing or servicing remote power solutions. Terry Meyer (Data Analyst) has extensive experience in wind resource assessment and modeling. He has performed over 50 such assessments in the last few years. Pati Crofut (Grants Manager) is a highly experienced rural utility accounting consultant and trainer. She has been solely responsible for the grant accounting and financial management on numerous USDA High Energy Cost grants awarded to villages in Western Alaska and administered through IES. Ian Knapp (Research Technical Specialist) is a graduate in statistics with a focus on technical analysis with a strong desire to contribute to the future of Alaska while becoming a more skilled and knowledgeable statistician. Dale Letourneau (Electrical Engineer) specializes in remote, independent energy generation and both off -grid and grid connected power systems. Mr. Letourneau has more than 40 years of experience in design, construction and operation of energy systems. Mr. Letourneau's practical engineering approaches originate from his formative years before and during university working with his family's electrical supply and contracting business. Jean -Paul Pinard, PhD, P.Eng. (Consulting Engineer) has 27 years of experience in the energy sector as an engineer, scientist, lecturer, and advocate on renewable energy. He specializes in wind resource assessments in Arctic and complex terrain. Jean -Paul is the leading wind resource expert in northern Canada. His PhD is in cold weather modeling of wind resources. Mr. Pinard has conducted over 50 detailed wind resource assessments in nearly every community in Yukon and Northwest Territories. He will be the principal investigator responsible to installation, set-up and maintenance of the instrumentation, conducting energy modelling and data analysis. He has extensive work with indigenous communities to empower their renewable energy economies. Mr. Pinard will be responsible for tower placement, equipment installation and calibration as well as data analysis, data quality, and site evaluation. Carl Brothers, P.E. (Power Integration and Wind Energy Specialist) is President of Fronter Power Systems. Mr. Brothers is the former director of the Atlantic Wind Test Site, Canada's premier wind energy test facility. He has been responsible for the development of over 100 MW of large-scale grid connected wind systems and is familiar with the full range of wind technologies. Mr. Brothers has evaluated the performance of over 20 wind turbines and is responsible for some of the most successful community scale and off grid wind diesel systems in eastern Canada. Mr. Brothers has been responsible for design improvements to mid -sized wind turbines and is familiar with cost, deployment, installation and integration issues. He is involved with the growth of high penetration wind diesel systems across the Arctic. Mr. Brothers will assist with equipment and site selection, evaluation of data and comparison with similar projects in other parts of the Arctic and Alaska. Mr. Brothers will assist with program design and site selection. Greg Egan (Field Support Specialist) is President of Remote Power in Fairbanks. He has over 30 years of experience in remote power systems, data collection and telemetry integration, drawings, maintenance plans and specifications, and in renewable energy feasibility systems. Greg is a journeyman electrician, and expert at small system remote power supplies for communications equipment across Alaska. He will be responsible for the Lidar power supply design. Adam Schandler, PE (Mechanical) has ten years of mechanical engineering expertise specifically related to the data collection, analysis, modeling, monitoring and design of wind power plants. He has expertise in data analysis, sensor calibration, wind resource assessment, tower placement, Wind Farmer, Windographer and WAsP models. Mr. Schandler and Mr. Pinard together will be responsible for Wind Atlas Analysis and Applications Program (WAsP) modeling, data quality, and interpretation. Project Schedule Phase I - Reconnaissance Desktop Research • Assessment of existing base system components, population community history, local economy, climate and community infrastructure. • Identify potential development sites for wind and solar • Improve the efficiency of the study and incorporate previous information identified to improve the conceptual design o Preliminary Report 3 months from start Data Logger Monitoring Equipment • Site visit to set up data logging monitoring equipment in Akiachak which includes a distribution survey tablet, monitoring equipment in the power plant • Scrape any data from the SCADA On -site Research • Plan base system design and instrumentation procurement • Collection of on -site data including community electrical and thermal load and asset condition surveys • Determine energy load profiles • Assess the condition of electrical generation and distribution readiness to incorporate renewables into the existing power system • Monitor load in power plant and equipment • Grid Map Onsite Assessment Report 3 months from start Options Analysis • Compare wind, solar and electrical and thermal load data with wind turbine power and diesel generation fuel curves • Review available and practical wind systems, potential solar arrays and battery energy storage systems • Compare system configurations and evaluate optimal design choices Estimated Wind & Solar Resource Assessment Report Phase II RESOURCE CONFIRMATION STUDY Installation of Monitoring Equipment • Installation of 50-meter tall meteorological (met) tower with new, calibrated anemometers • Installation of a Wind Resource Sodar Sodar Redeployment — Move Sites Quarter 1 Lease Sodar to community • Data Collection Report Quarter 2 Lease Sodar to community • Data Collection Report Quarter 3 Lease Sodar to community • Data Collection Report Quarter 4 Lease Sodar to community 0 Data Collection Report Confirmational Study The Confirmation Study will include the following information: Wind and Solar resource assessment Technology options analysis Proposed system configurations Estimated annual energy production from renewable generation Project cost estimates Economic feasibility based on diesel base case Methods of integration Site plan Geotechnical desk study System readiness Summary of conceptual development and operations plan Remove Tower Project Closeout • Final AEA Grant Closeout PROJECT BUDGET PHASE I RECONNAISANCE Desktop Research $20900.00 On -site Research $23000.00 Data Logging Monitoring Study $15000.00 Options Analysis $17000.00 Estimated Wind & Solar Resource Assessment Report $16000.00 PHASE II RESOURCE CONFIRMATION ANALYSIS AND STUDY Install Tower and Sodar $70000.00 Sodar Redeployment — Move Sites $19000.00 Quarter 1 Lease Sodar $27000.00 Quarter 2 Lease Sodar $27000.00 Quarter 3 Lease Sodar $27000.00 Quarter 4 Lease Sodar $27000.00 Confirmational Study $24000.00 Remove Tower $21000.00 Project Closeout $37100.00 TOTAL PROJECT $371000.00 System Maintenance The equipment will be located ??? and will be protected from the elements. Discuss possible freezing of equipment. We currently have identified three candidate locations: original met tower, fuel dock and water lift site, each of these locations has access to grid power. Batteries and portable generator may be utilized to increase siting location prospects. Sodar will be connected via modem to a central server and tracked on a regular basis. Sodar instruments have been used successfully through all seasons for multiple years at the Donlin prospect and has demonstrated operational experience in Alaska's weather. The data will be averaged at ten minute intervals and included quarterly and yearly report. The local power plant operators will be assisting with this project including snow removal, data, communications and security. Training will be ongoing and occur during the original installation and subsequent movements. This will include early project explaining the technology, purpose of the project and its objectives. Periodic reports will be provided to the tribe as the project progresses. Local operator training will be provided which includes instruction in how to use and maintain the equipment and how to read the equipment. The reference Met tower will be a guyed installation with helical screw piles. The tower and the SODAR will both be removed at the end of the project.