Wind Powered Electric Energy

Generation – Small Generator

Economics
 David Ryan PE,
NCAT

David Ryan PE
Energy Engineer
NCAT
About the National Center for
Appropriate Technology
•Founded in 1976
•Championing sustainable
technologies and helping
people, especially economically
disadvantaged people, to be
more self reliant.
•Focus on local and simple,
sustainable and clean solutions
to energy problems
 What We’ll be Talking About
Interconnection or not
Net metering, net billing, sale to utilities
Costs and Revenues
Photos of different wind machines
Answer questions
Wind electric generation basics (or
any electric generation)
Identify loads and energy requirements of Host
Estimate fuel costs
Select candidate generator and Balance of System
If interconnecting, utility agreement
Identify funding sources
Calculate economics
 Power and Energy Concepts
All generators have capacity to make power out of
some fuel (“energy conversion”). “KiloWatt”
Producing this power for a period of time is called
“Energy”. “KiloWatt-Hour”
Voltage is to electric power as height is to water
power.
Current is to electric power as flow rate is to water
power.
There are always losses.
 Power and Energy Concepts
We have to provide the power needed to run
our equipment (pump, lights, whatever).
If we are going to make our own power, we
have to size the generator to meet the power
requirements (also called “demand” of the
equipment).
How much of the time the equipment runs then
determines how much energy the equipment
uses, and how much energy the generator
has to make.
 Power and Energy Concepts
Wind and solar energy is intermittent
Can use as is, or can be stored in water tank,
pond, or electric storage batteries.

Larger generators (10 KW+) should be grid tied

or used with thermal generators
(reciprocating engines for example) in a
hybrid system
 Identify loads and energy
requirements of Host
Estimate fuel costs
 Get electric bills or fuel bills – add up
annual energy
 Identify load and current carrying capacity
of circuit breakers
 If replacing/supplementing engine power,
add up fuel deliveries and convert to KWh
 Identify loads and energy
requirements of Host
 For water pumping, calculate the power
requirements based on the depth of the well
and the flow rate needed.
 KW=.00034*gallons per minute*head/efficiency
 KWh=KW*time pump runs
 Identify loads and energy
requirements of Host
 For irrigation systems, energy is based on acre
feet required, total dynamic head of the system,
and the plant efficiency
 KW=total equipment load/Efficiency
 (KWh=acre-feet*1.0241*head/efficiency)
 Wind Energy Basics
 Gotta have wind
 Gotta have transmission
 Gotta have a customer
 Gotta have financing
Match Generator with Load and
Wind Resource
Host energy use
Energy Usage

140000
120000
100000 200000 240000 210000
80000
KWh

60000
40000
20000
0
20 6

20 2

20 2

20 4

20 8

20 0

20 4

20 6
20 8

20 0

20 6

20 2

20 2

08
0

0
0
02

02

03

03

03

03

04
02

02

03

03

04

04

04
20

YYYYMM
Match Generator with Load and
Wind Resource
Generator Power Curve
Match Generator with Load and
Wind Resource
Wind Frequency Distribution
Match Generator with Load and
Wind Resource
Hand Calculation of Energy Production
Match Generator with Load and
Wind Resource
Host energy use average of 220,000 Kwh
per year
Generation from 50 KW wind turbine
164,801

Good fit for annual energy true-up

Match Generator with Load and
Wind Resource – Quick and
Dirty Version
See generator manufacturer’s web sites
Match Generator with Load and
Wind Resource
Stock watering
300 ft well, 2.0 GPM Requires 260 watts -
0.26 KWh each hour, 120 GPH – 2277
KWh per year
Pick a 1000 watt generator
Use a battery, controller and dump load
 Cost Analysis Tools

Small Wind Energy Economic Model 2.0

 Net Metering
•Up to 10 KW on Most Rural Electric Cooperatives
•Up to 50 KW on NorthWestern Energy
•Generator Located on Customer Side of Meter
•One Generator per Meter
•One Meter per Generator
•Rate is same as rate on power bill ($100.00/MWh)
•Generator Does Not Contribute to Demand Charge (Energy
Only)

On-Grid Larger System (10KW up)

 Net Metering

Used with permission. C2005 Home Power magazine, www.homepower.com

On-Grid System
Net Metering Ponderables

•One meter, Two meter question

•One generator, two meter question
•What the heck is “Retail” energy
 Utility Contract – “QF”

•“Qualifying Facility” under PURPA

•Limit 10 MW in Montana
•Different ways to calculate rate
•Simplest rate $49.90 per MWH
• Bigger Machines – 65 KW- 1.5 MW+
 Resources
http://www.nrel.gov/learning/fr_wind.html
http://www.montanagreenpower.com/
http://www.northwesternenergy.com/
http://awea.org