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HomeMy WebLinkAboutKotzebue Wind Expansion Integration Rural Energy Conference BradReeve 2007Kotzebue Wind Project Expansion / Integration Rural Energy Conference Fairbanks, Alaska Brad Reeve General Manager Kotzebue Electric Association Inc. Kotzebue Electric Association 1991- began looking seriously at wind 1992 - installed met tower 1994 –K E A invested $250 K to develop wind Difficulty finding wind equipment 1995 -Ordered turbines 1997 installed first turbines Wind Integration Kotzebue like most Rural Communities is faced with overwhelming fuel cost increases Diesel requirements are increasing to deal with additional infrastructure i.e. school additions, water and sewer system upgrades Wind can help answer part of the question, but can create system stability issues that must be dealt with The higher the penetration the higher the system capitol cost Annual Fuel use in Gallons 1,420,000 1,440,000 1,460,000 1,480,000 1,500,000 1,520,000 1,540,000 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Gallons-1,511,059 Rising Fuel Cost Fuel Price Trend $0.00 $0.50 $1.00 $1.50 $2.00 $2.50 $3.00 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Blended Fuel Cost Diesel Price Fuel Price Trend $0 $1,000,000 $2,000,000 $3,000,000 $4,000,000 $5,000,000 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Annual Fuel Bill Fuel Bill Fuel Cost World consumption of energy is on the rise, surpluses that previously existed are no longer available US refineries are not keeping up with demand Joint fuel buying helps - Western Alaska Fuel Group –K E A, Nome Naknek, Dillingham, Unalakleet, B uckland combine the buying power of 7.5 m il l I o n g a l l o n s What Role Does Wind Play for KEA Reduces the amount and cost of fuel Provides jobs instead of buying fuel Reduces emissions from power plant It is the best local energy resource It diversifies our energy resources Construction Construction Issues F oundation design is critical Different parts of the state will need different foundations S afety & training programs are critical Cranes are expensive K E A has designed a tilt up tower system for smaller communities All K E A wind turbine construction is done in the winter Wales Alaska - Entegrity 15/50 Arctic Foundations Arctic Foundations Why in the Winter? Primarily to protect the tundra Construction is done in the winter when the ground is frozen in order to move heavy equipment onsite Working on frozen tundra does not damage the vegetative layer Wind Equipment Entegrity 15/50 15 –Entegrity 15/50 turbines –3 installed July 1997 –7 installed May 1999 –2 installed April 2005 –2 installed April 2006 –1 installed in 2007 –Rated Capacity - 66 kW Northwind 100 Northwind 100 installed April 2002 Rated Capacity 100 kW Vestas E-15 Vestas E-15 installed April 2006 Rated Capacity 65 kW Vestas V-15 Turbine Kotzebue Wind System 15 –Entegrity Wind Sys.15/50 turbines - 66 kW rating 3 installed April 1997 7 installed May 1999 2 installed April 2005 2 installed April 2006 1 installed April 2007 1 –Northwind 100 turbine - 100 kW rating installed April 2002 1 –Vestas V-15 turbine - 65 kW rating installed May 2006 17 TOTAL Wind Capacity –1155 kW What’s the Big Deal With Wind? How is Wind Different? Utilities normally schedule firm generation to meet a variable load Now utilities need to integrate variable generation with a variable load More need to understand load characteristics with and without wind Need to realize that wind behaves more like load than generation (origin of the concept of “negative load”) Wind plants are different from conventional power plants Wind plant technology is constantly evolving towards better performance Question has changed from “Can wind plants be integrated into utility systems?” to “How much does it cost to integrate wind plants?” Changing Perceptions Impacts of Wind Generation on Distribution Systems Distributed wind generation falls outside the body of conventional distribution system engineering practice “Rules of thumb” and associated analytical tools for distribution system planning, design, and operation with radial distribution feeders may no longer be valid for feeders interconnected to wind generators Additional steps must be taken to safeguard system performance, reliability, and safety Each distributed wind installation must be evaluated to determine specific impacts Penetration Issues KEA reached a level of penetration that required new operating procedures and equipment Heavy wind penetration drives up the cost and increases system stability issues KEA has installed a new SCADA system that will move us into higher penetration levels Wind Diesel Integration E ngineering study identified 3 different system alternatives P LC B ased S ystems Proprietary H ybrid PLC S ystem Industrial PC Based No one system met all of KEA’s requirements Some systems were proprietary, no rights to work on control software We chose a G E P L C product and supplier E lectric Power S ystems an Alaska Company for the project SCADA Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition SCADA . KEA has upgraded the power plant from 600-800 amps output to 1200 amps. This almost doubles our power plant capacity KEA completed the automation of the power plant and controls for the wind system This gives us better information and control of our power system. It also gives us better information on all of our systems SCADA . The SCADA system has made the power system more efficient, provided better fuel economy, better maintenance, easier trouble shooting The system gives information about all electrical characteristics of the engines, feeders, fuel levels and fuel inventory control, radiator performance, city water heat system performance, system metering, and controls for the wind system SCADA –Powerplant Upgrade SCADA –Powerplant Upgrade SCADA –Powerplant Upgrade SCADA –Powerplant Upgrade SCADA –Powerplant Upgrade SCADA –Powerplant Upgrade SCADA –Powerplant Upgrade SCADA –Powerplant Upgrade SCADA –Powerplant Upgrade SCADA –Powerplant Upgrade SCADA –Powerplant Upgrade SCADA SCADA SCADA SCADA Fuel Efficiency - kWh Sold 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 13.9 14 14.1 14.2 14.3 2002 2004 2006 Fuel Efficiency - 14.26 Economic Development Renewable energy projects provide local employment opportunities Projects require seasonal workers and represents a good opportunity for rural residents Development of technical, construction & engineering skills Local Training - Work Force Development Wind is Ready to Take Off Wind is Ready to Take Off Wind is Ready to Take Off Wind is Ready to Take Off Wind is Ready to Take Off Work Force Development Work Force Development Wind System - Upgrade Wind System - Upgrade Wind System - Upgrade Wind System - Upgrade Wind System - Upgrade Wind is Ready to Take Off Wind Energy Generated 0 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000 1,200,000 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 kWh Generated Wind Energy Savings $0 $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $120,000 $140,000 $160,000 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 Wind Energy - $105,751 Total to Date - $724,249 Other Benefits Selling Green Tags through Bonneville Environmental Foundation and the Renewable Energy Alaska Project REAP– Denali Green Tags Renewable Energy Production Incentive (REPI) Community goodwill Reality Check Wind without storage will not completely replace diesel Wind under the right conditions can displace 20-30% of diesel Wind currently provides 5 - 7% of all the energy for Kotzebue This represents about 90k gallons annually Conclusions Rural Alaska needs new energy solutions Experience and skills are being built in Kotzebue, and elsewhere in the state There are economic, technical, and operational obstacles to overcome, through persistence they will be Diversifying generation sources helps rural Alaska build a balanced energy future Educational Outreach KEA has developed a teacher/student guide on wind energy for middle school that has been approved for use by the NW Arctic Borough School District Curriculum Committee Wind Monitoring Buckland Alaska Science Class Joint Solar Project AK Tech. Ctr. Wind is Ready to Take Off Wind is Ready to Take Off Bird Issues KEA has worked with the Fish and Wildlife Service to document activity The species of concern are the Spectacled Eider and the Stellar Eider, both considered endangered KEA site monitored since 1997 No avian mortalities Compact Florescent Lights (CFL) . •Energy Efficiency •CFL •60 watt equivalent –14 Watts •75 watt equivalent –20 Watts •100 watt equivalent –23 Watts •Sold over 800 Change a Light –Save the World . •KEA is a member of the EPA Energy Efficiency Program ”Change a Light Save the World” campaign City Heat Project City Heat Project City Heat Project The City contracted KEA to provide the heat for the water system The agreement provide a 30% savings on fuel cost to the city for heating the city water supply Fuel profits that previously left the community now stay in Kotzebue This is a new revenue stream for KEA Wind Project Rising Fuel Cost Wind is Taking Off