HomeMy WebLinkAboutKotzebue Wind Farm Expansion 08-2015-WKotzebue, Alaska
Wind project increases education and renewable energy production
Quick Facts
Total Project Costs: $9 million
Funding: Renewable Energy Fund & Local Match
Capital Costs
Design: $179,219
Construction: $8,822,402
Equipment Specifications
Make/Model: (2) EWT Direct Wind 54
Rated Capacity: 900 kW
Net Capacity Factor: 28.4%
Rotor Diameter: 54 meters
Hub Height: 75 meters
Total Rated Capacity: 2.95 MW
Diesel Fuel Offset
Estimated Annual: 358,000 gallons
Actual Annual: 229,000 gallons
May 2012-Dec. 2014: 560,000 gallons
Fuel Savings
Estimated Annual: $1,261,000
Actual Annual: $811,000
May 2012-Dec. 2014: $2,009,000
Benefit/Cost Ratio: 1.36
Kotzebue Wind Farm Expansion
Project Overview
In 2008, the Kotzebue Electric Association (KEA)
partnered with the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) to
complete the expansion of their 2.95 MW wind farm
by adding two EWT 900 kW turbines. An energy
storage device was also funded in 2010 to provide grid
stability and ability to time shift electrical generation.
Objectives
The objectives of this project were to increase the
wind generation capacity of KEA, to integrate the
increased capacity with a 500 kW/3.7 MW Premium
Power Flow Battery, and to utilize the excess electrici-
ty in a distributed heating system for the community.
Economic Feasibility
The entire project became operational in May of 2012.
Between May of 2012 and December of 2014, the
turbines generated 8,237 megawatt-hours of electric-
ity and displaced 560,000 gallons of diesel fuel. This
displacement saved the community $2 million. Over
its 20-year projected life, the project has an estimated
benefit/cost ratio of 1.36.
Project Specifications
Before this project began, Kotzebue’s wind plant had
an installed capacity of 1.14 MW that provided the
city with 1.2 million kilowatt-hours per year. This
met roughly 8 percent of the community’s electrical
demand and displaced an annual average of 140,000
gallons of diesel fuel. In order to further reduce diesel
dependency, KEA increased the project’s capacity to
2.95 MW with the commissioning of two additional
turbines and a battery storage system. EWT’s Direct
Wind 900 kW turbine is a pitch-controlled, variable-
speed wind turbine designed to maximize yield from
sites that have low to medium wind areas. The Premi-
um Power TransFlow 2000 is a battery system based
EWT Direct Wind
turbine, photo courtesy
of AEA.
“Using wind energy
as a keystone, stu-
dents learn about
energy science &
sources, climate
change, physics,
and mathematics.”
on Zinc-Bromide technology. It was the lowest cost
option for a utility-scale energy storage system and
was rated to provide up to 500 kW of power and 2.8
MWh of energy storage capacity in a single enclosure.
Allocation of Funding
AEA’s Renewable Energy Fund contributed $8,000,000
for design, construction, and commissioning. Local
matches contributed $2,808,919. Funding totaled
$10,808,919, but project costs only totaled $9,001,621.
Leftover money was distributed back to AEA and the
community.
Learning Experiences/Challenges
The Transflow 2000 was the first storage system that
Premium Power had delivered to a utility. Upon arrival
in Sept. of 2011, it was discovered that the battery had
been improperly packaged and was damaged by salt
water corrosion. Throughout the course of the short
battery deployment, it also experienced several unex-
pected leaks.
In 2012, the battery was recalled and shipped back to
the manufacturer. KEA is currently under discussion
with Saft SA to provide an Intensium ® Battery System.
KEA has learned a great deal from this experience. The
emerging technology landscape of battery systems is
fairly complex, and remote communities need tech-
nical support and guidance to determine when and if
battery storage is the correct technical and economic
solution to their specific conditions.
Community Benefits
Kotzebue is currently looking to purchase two electric
boilers to help heat their hospital and hotel. They are
negotiating an agreement with KEA to purchase inter-
mittent electricity for these boilers when the turbines
produce excess energy. Because KEA can produce
energy at a lower cost, they are able to aid community
establishments that continue to struggle with high fuel
prices. The agreement is still being worked out, but
the current deal would allow the hotel and hospital to
reduce their expenditures by 40 percent. This agree-
ment would allow them to put more funds toward
community service and quality of life and allow them
to continue improving the lives of Kotzebue residents.
Kotzebue School was one of five Alaska schools chosen
to participate in the 2014 Wind for Schools (WfS) pro-
gram. The Renewable Energy Alaska Project brought
the WfS curriculum to classes. During their visit they
facilitated WfS activities with teachers and students,
provided a wind experiment kit, and brought in real
wind data so students could see how wind turbines
contribute to their community’s energy production.
Using wind energy as a keystone, students learn about
energy science & sources, climate change, physics, and
mathematics.
Project Contact Information
Parties Involved:
Matt Bergan, Kotzeue Electric Association
Email: m_bergan@kea.coop
Case Study Author:
Zoe Tressel, AEA
Website: Akenergyauthority.org
Phone: 907-771-3000
Kotzebue Wind Farm Expansion
Kotzebue turbines, photo courtesy of AEA.
Foundation laying for a 900 kW turbine, photo courtesy of KEA.
Published August, 2015