WIND RESOURCE PERSPECTIVE JOHN E. WADE John Wade Wind Consultant LLC 2575 NE 32 nd Avenue Portland OR

PURPOSE OF PRESENTATION Provide background on the challenge of wind resource evaluation Provide background on the challenge of wind resource evaluation Describe the wind prospecting process Describe the wind prospecting process Explain the resource validation process Explain the resource validation process Review the principles of wind plant micrositing Review the principles of wind plant micrositing Challenges facing utilities and developers in the Northwest on the resource side Challenges facing utilities and developers in the Northwest on the resource side Opportunities on the resource side Opportunities on the resource side

The Challenge of Wind Resource Evaluation Finding locations with strong, persistent, well behaved winds that: Finding locations with strong, persistent, well behaved winds that: Are within the utilities area of interest or near the wind developers identified customer Are within the utilities area of interest or near the wind developers identified customer Are not more than 5 miles from transmission lines Are not more than 5 miles from transmission lines Have sufficient land area for an economically viable project Have sufficient land area for an economically viable project Will not present any environmental or legal obstacles and resistance to development is not expected Will not present any environmental or legal obstacles and resistance to development is not expected

PROSPECTING FOR WIND Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I But when the trees bow down their heads The wind is passing by. Christina Rossetti

PROSPECTING PROCESS Climatological Study Climatological Study Prospecting Survey Prospecting Survey Rating and Ranking the Sites Rating and Ranking the Sites

CLIMATOLOGY Wind data collected by the National Weather Service, Coast Guard and the FAA Wind data collected by the National Weather Service, Coast Guard and the FAA Wind Maps Wind Maps Upper Air Data Upper Air Data

THE PROSPECTING SURVEY How do you find something that is invisible? Trees and stones will teach you that which You could never learn from the masters. St. Bernard of Clairvaux

What makes a good wind site? Strong steady winds Strong steady winds Good exposure to the wind Good exposure to the wind Ridgelines oriented perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction Ridgelines oriented perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction Moderate slopes Moderate slopes Low surface roughness or lack of vegetation Low surface roughness or lack of vegetation

TOOLS OF THE WIND PROSPECTOR Wind shaped trees and bushes Wind shaped trees and bushes Plants and trees characteristic of wind zones Plants and trees characteristic of wind zones Active sand dunes and sand scours Active sand dunes and sand scours Persistent snow sweep Persistent snow sweep Topographic features that favor the wind Topographic features that favor the wind Judging wind exposure Judging wind exposure Talking with local people Talking with local people Satellite Imagery Satellite Imagery Aerial surveys Aerial surveys Ground level Inspection Ground level Inspection Three dimensional Analysis Three dimensional Analysis

WIND DEFORMED TREES

American Falls/Rockland Idaho Anemometer Loan Program

VALIDATING THE RESOURCE Why? Why? How? How? How many locations? How many locations? What does it cost? What does it cost? How long do you measure the wind? How long do you measure the wind? What parameters do you measure? What parameters do you measure? Who should analyze the data? Who should analyze the data?

CHALLENGES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST Very few great sites left that are feasible. Very few great sites left that are feasible. Lack of transmission lines or transmission capacity near good resource sites Lack of transmission lines or transmission capacity near good resource sites Environmental constraints Environmental constraints Institutional Constraints Institutional Constraints Political and Price Uncertainty Political and Price Uncertainty

OPPORTUNITIES Bigger and more efficient machines Bigger and more efficient machines Increasing acceptance and understanding of wind by utilities Increasing acceptance and understanding of wind by utilities Better forecasting of this variable resource Better forecasting of this variable resource Greater appreciation by utilities that a diverse energy resource stack is important Greater appreciation by utilities that a diverse energy resource stack is important The public’s willingness to pay slightly more for “green energy” The public’s willingness to pay slightly more for “green energy”