This day-long workshop covers wind power on a macro scale in the morning and moves to residential and community scale applications in the afternoon. The morning section will include; wind power basics, world resources, technology types, economics, policy, transmission, regulation, portfolio discussion and regional siting, with a focus on utility scale wind projects. The afternoon session builds on this by covering what to look for in a site, assessing resources, economics, permitting, incentives, off-grid applications, net metering, and interconnection. This course will provide a solid platform with which to pursue a residential or community wind project, and students will leave with a broad understanding, and ability to converse comfortably in wind energy topics.

  • Competency Level: All Levels

Course Objectives

The course's intent is to cover a broad array of wind power topics to provide a working knowledge with which to; pursue a career, examine a project, work with wind professionals, provide grounding/ basics for legislators/regulators/planners, offer an interested citizen the knowledge to converse intelligently. Friend and foe alike are encouraged; wind power is a mature technology and requires an informed approach.

Course Schedule

The instructor will have a prepared lecture and will keep the class energized with a fast pace, white board, charts, PowerPoint, and props. Inquiry and controversy are encouraged to foment discussion and direct the outcome. Please review the suggested web sites (listed below) beforehand, and bring along your potential projects, ideas, challenges.

Morning session: (we'll begin at 8:30am)

  • Portfolio option, characteristics, integration, barriers, where is it headed
  • Technology overview and last twenty years of development
  • Business overview; costs, models, how does it/does it not compare to conventional
  • Current status: Projects, Types, Products, Activities in the world, Regionally; Utility, Community, Home scale.
  • Basics: Power from the wind, turbines, uses/types, AC/DC, on grid, off grid
  • Wind Resource; Where, Why, and Why not;
  • Wind integration: Grid, Transmission aspects, intermittency, balancing portfolio

Afternoon session:

  • Permitting/Power contracts/Transmission/Subsidies/ Regulatory/Issues
  • Discussion, clarification => create a project
  • Example project: Site, Resource, Land, Costs
  • Permitting a residential or medium scale project (focus on Vermont with reference to MA/ME/NY/NH)
  • Installation, turbine type, size, grid or no grid, storage, net metering, interconnection
  • Benefits, operations, support

Suggested Reading

Overview/industry perspective:

  • www.ieee.org/web/emergingtech/discourses/windpower/overview.html

Anti's -folks against large utility scale wind power:

  • www.wind-watch.org/

Danish basics on wind power, wind turbines ( A fun kid's review):

  • www.windpower.org/en/kids/index.htm

Danish Know how section:

  • www.windpower.org/en/knowhow.htm

Danish produced world overview on utility scale wind:

  • www.windpowerworks.net/

American Wind Energy Association, large web site with multiple topics:

  • www.awea.org

Community Wind; Site of a consulting/outreach entity in the Midwest

  • www.windustry.org/CommunityWindToolbox

Small Wind Guide; National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL)

  • www.windpoweringamerica.gov/small_wind.asp

 

 

Start Date: August 15, 2010
Closed
Start Date: November 21, 2010
Duration: 1 Days
Instructors:
Tuition: $150
Registration