Wainwright

August 26, 2010

Photo by D. Vaught

The wind resource measured in Wainwright is very good, with measured high wind power class 4 to low wind power class 5 (on a scale of 1 to 7). In addition to strong average wind speeds and wind power density, the site experiences highly directional prevailing winds, low turbulence and calculations indicate low extreme wind speed probability.

V3 Energy LLC prepared a feasibility study for Wainwright in December 2011.  The study concludes that the technical and economic prospects of wind power to supplement the diesel power plant are excellent.  Two candidate sites were presented, one between the coast and the tank farm and the other north of the village, near the landfill.  Two wind turbine options were considered, the 100 kW Northwind 100 and the larger 225 kW Aeronautica AW29-225.

Download Feasibility Study Here

Download Wind Resource Report Here

Filed Under: Featured Projects, North Slope, Projects

Atqasuk

August 26, 2010

Atqasuk met tower; D. Vaught photo

The wind resource measured to date in Atqasuk appears to be promising for wind power development, but winter data recovery was very poor. Wind power class 3 (fair) is calculated but that with only one year of data characterized by poor winter data recovery, that classification may well be in error. With respect to other criteria, the Atqasuk site experiences very low turbulence conditions and apparent low extreme wind probability.

To improve confidence of measurement of the wind resource in Atqasuk, especially during the winter months, a met tower equipped with heated sensors (at least one anemometer and one wind vane) is strongly suggested.

Download Atqasuk Wind Resource Report

Filed Under: North Slope, Projects

Anaktuvuk Pass

August 26, 2010

Anatuvik Pass Met Tower

The wind resource measured in Anaktuvuk Pass is somewhat low by some standards of wind power development with projected wind power class 2 (marginal). But, the viability of wind power in a remote community is primarily dependent on the cost of fuel for electricity generation. Given the very high cost of diesel fuel in Anaktuvuk Pass, the economics of wind development may well be quite favorable.

Download Anaktuvuk Pass Wind Resource Report

Filed Under: North Slope, Projects

Eek

August 16, 2010

Eek Alaska

The wind resource in Eek is estimated based on wind studies completed in the nearby communities of Quinhagak, Bethel, and Kongiganak. The wind resource in Quinhagak was measured from October 2005 to May 2007 with a 30 meter met tower located near the site of the recently-constructed wind turbines. The mean wind speed in Quinhagak (at 30 meters) was measured at 6.3 m/s with calculated wind power density of 338 W/m2. Quinhagak classified as IEC Class III-c.

Other data sources, including a March 2006 AEA Report (M. Devine) for Chefornak, indicate mean annual mean wind speed in Bethel as 6.9 m/s and Kongiganak as 7.3 m/s. The Bethel and Kongiganak data indicated similar Weibull k, turbulence and wind shear values as Quinhagak. Given that a met tower study has not been conducted in Eek, but the referenced communities of Quinhagak, Bethel and Kongiganak bracket Eek in three directions and share similar topographic features, the referenced data sources are thought highly representative of Eek’s expected wind resource. Of the three referenced communities, the wind data in Quinhagak was selected to represent Eek as it exhibited the lowest average wind speed and hence is most conservative. The actual wind resource in Eek may be stronger; closer to that of Kongiganak. If true, energy production from the proposed wind turbine would be higher than estimated in this report.

Download Full Report Here

Filed Under: Projects, Yukon-Kuskokwim

Marshall

August 11, 2010

Marshall met tower; D. Vaught photo

AVEC has proposed construction of wind turbines near the village of Marshall to augment the diesel ge-nerators and create a wind-diesel power system. Although abbreviated by a failed anchor that led to collapse of the met tower, the Marshall wind study indicates a Class 3 to 4 wind resource with accepta-ble turbulence characteristics and extreme wind probability for wind turbine operation.

Download Full Report Here

Filed Under: Projects, Yukon-Kuskokwim

Saint Mary’s

July 20, 2010

Saint Mary’s, Alaska is the largest village on the lower Yukon River and a high priority wind power project site for Alaska Village Electric Cooperative (AVEC). In addition to the existing electrical intertie between Saint Mary’s and Pitka’s Point, current plans calls for continuation of an existing intertie west from the Saint Mary’s Airport to Mountain Village and possible future construction of an intertie east from Saint Mary’s to Pilot Station.

Download Full Report Here

Filed Under: Featured Projects, Projects, Yukon-Kuskokwim

Kasilof

July 13, 2010

Download Full Report Here

Filed Under: Kenai, Projects

Naknek – Cape Suwarof

September 16, 2009

Cape Suwarof, Naknek, Alaska

The wind resource at proposed Cape Suwarof wind power site in Naknek shows very good potential for wind energy development as a high Class 4 (near Class 5) wind power class resource with excellent turbulence behavior. Note that the measured wind power class is higher than predicted by the Alaska Wind Resource Map (see below) which forecast a Class 3 resource at the test site.

Download Full Report Here

Filed Under: Bristol Bay, Featured Projects, Projects

Old Harbor

May 27, 2009

Old Harbor, Kodiak, Alaska

The Old Harbor met tower site is located on a small peninsula of Sitkalidak Island approximately one mile ESE across Sitkalidak Strait from the main part of the village of Old Harbor. This site was selected based on a desire to not interfere with the aircraft traffic pattern at the airport and yet be developable without significant road construction. With seven months of data collected, the test site had a lower wind resource than expected and the met tower was decommissioned and removed. This site on Sitkalidak Island was thought to have the best potential for wind power development in Old Harbor. Alternate sites that could be considered are complicated by the location of the airport on the west side of Sitkali-dak Passage.

Download Full Report Here

Filed Under: Kodiak, Projects

Manokotak

February 10, 2009

The wind resource at the proposed wind power site in Manokotak shows fair potential for wind energy development as a mid-Class 2 wind power resource with good turbulence behavior. This is a bit lower than expected and it had been thought that the site, chosen with considerable care as the most promising developable wind power site in Manokotak, might yield a better wind resource. Viability for wind power development, though, depends on the price of electricity, so given the high cost of diesel fuel and hence electrical power in Manokotak and despite the lower than desired wind resource, a wind power project may still make good sense for the community. An economic analysis of this question, however, was not within the scope of this study.

Download Manokotak Wind Resource Report

Filed Under: Bristol Bay, Projects