Wind Energy 101 Brian Antonich Windustry Program Analyst Great Lakes Regional Wind Institute Webinar #1 – Windy Landowner Education September 13 th, 2007

Outline About Windustry Wind Energy Development: Types of Projects and Types of Ownership Small Wind Turbine Project Planning Final Remarks

Windustry Increasing wind energy opportunities for rural landowners and communities Non-profit organization based in Minneapolis, MN The Windustry Newsletter Wind Easement Agreements National Community Wind Conference Wind Farmers Network Community Wind Toolbox

Why Wind Energy Benefits of Wind Projects  Revitalizes Rural Economies  Creates Jobs  Promotes Cost-Effective Energy Production  Supports Agriculture  Reduces Air Pollution and Global Warming  Clean, Domestic Energy  Ensures a Sustainable Energy Future

Growth in the U.S. Wind Industry Source: US Department of Energy: Annual Report of U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost and Performance Trends:2006

Wind Capacity in the US (June 2007) Source: American Wind Energy Association 12,634 MW installed to date Enough energy for over 3 million homes

Types of Wind Projects Wind is a modular technology: Large Wind Farms- large number of large-scale turbines Dispersed Wind Projects- one or a few large-scale turbines Small wind turbines- residential or farm use

Large Wind Farm, Southwest Minnesota

Woodstock, Minnesota Adair, Iowa Dispersed Wind Development and Distributed Generation

Small Wind Turbines

The Scale of Wind Power

Personal vs. Utility Scale Home and Farm-Scale  Offset your own electricity consumption  Costs thousands of dollars  Motivations are not necessarily economic Commercial-Scale  Bulk power sales to utility company  Costs millions of dollars  Require 3-5 years of planning, hard work, patience, and perseverance

What Makes a Good Commercial Scale Wind Project? Adequate Wind Resource Market for Energy Access to Market Low Cost Financing Qualified Project Manager Diverse Project Team

Excellent Resources Commercial Scale/Community Wind Windustry – Community Wind Technical and Policy Resources, Land Owner Education, Workshops and National Conferences  American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) – Industry Trade Association, National and State Level Policy, National Conferences and Workshops  Wind Powering America – National Policy, Wind Resource Maps, State Level Resources, Wind Working Groups  National Wind Coordinating Collaborative (NWCC) – Consensus-based Activities to Promote Wind Development – Utilities, Advocates, State Legislatures, State Utility Commissions, Consumer Advocacy Groups, Industry, Ag Associations, etc. 

Home and Farm-Scale Wind

Small Wind Turbine Projects Stand alone/off-grid or net metered For personal use Money is not the motivator in most cases  Lower environmental footprint  Energy independence  Like to tinker with machines  Like to watch things spin Simpler permitting Easier interconnection Lower installed cost

Off-Grid System

Typical On-Grid System

Excellent Resources Home and Farm Sized Wind Windustry – Small Wind How Too  Renew Wisconsin – Mick Sagrillo’s Small Wind Tool Box  Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)  Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE)  American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) 

Personal vs. Utility Scale Home and Farm-Scale  Offset your own electricity consumption  Costs in thousands of dollars  Motivations are not necessarily economic Commercial-Scale  Bulk power sales to utility company  Costs in millions of dollars  Like any other business, projects require hard work, patience, and perseverance

National Community Wind Conference

Thanks and Questions? Brian Antonich Windustry Program Analyst Brian’s Phone: