Rhode Island

Renewable Energy Siting Partnership

Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
(RESP)
Injecting Useful and Credible Information into Wind
Power Siting
Danny Musher
Friday, October 26, 2012
Mount Wachusett Community College, Gardner, MA
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
(RESP)
Rhode Islanders will have access to relevant
information so they may make informed, fact-
based decisions about renewable energy
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
RESP Project Team
RI Office of Energy Resources
University of Rhode Island
College of Environment & Life Sciences (CELS)
Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO)
Outreach Center (OC) / Land Grant Energy Program
Coastal Resources Center (CRC) / RI Sea Grant
At the heart of URI's Land Grant mission, Cooperative Extension helps
people to improve their lives and communities by extending University-
based research for the benefit of families, farms and the environment.
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
RESP Project Team
RI Office of Energy Resources
University of Rhode Island
College of Environment & Life Sciences (CELS)
Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO)
Outreach Center (OC) / Land Grant Energy Program
Coastal Resources Center (CRC) / RI Sea Grant
Our approach technical expertise,
combined with extension & education
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Wind Energy Siting - Project Purpose
Provide technical support to the State of Rhode Island to facilitate the siting
and permitting of land based commercial (100 kW) to municipal scale (1.5
MW) wind energy facilities in the State of Rhode Island.
Understand and compile the best available science specific to the Rhode
Island landscape
Provide Rhode Islands state agencies and municipalities with guidelines and
standards to better manage and regulate the wind energy industry
Provide mapping products and siting decision support tools
Apply an integrated public process that fosters and engages a well informed
and well represented constituency
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Project Phases

Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership

Events:
Monthly meetings
Field Trips
Working Groups

E- Resources:
ListSERV
Web Site

RESP Stakeholder Process
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Stakeholders:

Rhode Island residents
Municipal officials & staff
State agencies
Narragansett Indian Tribe
Regional planning entities
Non-profits/Non-governmental
organizations
RESP Stakeholder Process


Rhode Island colleges &
universities
Chambers of Commerce
Tourism Councils
Historical Societies
Land Trusts


Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Wind Energy Siting - Project Scope
1. Wind Resource Assessment & Facility Siting
Methodology
2. Wind Profile Data Collection, Selected Sites in RI
3. Acoustic & Flicker Fields
4. Interference with Communication Systems
5. Avian Ecology Birds & Bats
6. GIS Support (Mapping) & Web Decision Support Tool
7. Public Engagement
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Wind Energy Siting - Wind Resource Assessment &
Facility Siting Methodology
Wind resource
Land use
Property line setbacks
Noise impacts
Flicker impacts
FAA restrictions
Line of site communications
Physical impact zones static and
dynamic (with blade loss) fall
Icing
Distance to grid
Number of wind turbines
Ecological impact
Visual impact
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Wind Energy Siting - GIS Support (Mapping) &
Web Decision Support Tool
Design review of
existing renewable
energy web mapping
applications and online
decision support tools
Map and data products
Online map viewer and
decision support
system
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Issues of Note
Research versus guidelines objective versus subjective
Broad applicability of general guidelines in a
heterogeneous landscape
Human versus environmental issues
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
(RESP)

Thank you!
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Wind Energy Siting - Wind Profile Data Collection,
Selected Sites in RI
Objective: Acquisition, analysis,
and distribution of wind data to
support wind resource assessment.
Goal: Substantially strengthen the
quality and quantity of wind data
(including vertical structure) to
reduce the uncertainties in the
wind resource analysis.
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SODAR Unit
MET Tower
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Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Wind Energy Siting - Acoustic & Flicker Fields
Investigate variations in noise levels
caused by differences in wind speed and
atmospheric conditions.
Provide noise level contours around a
wind turbine so that guidelines can be
established on setbacks from the turbine.
Provide guidelines on minimum setbacks
from the wind turbine to avoid problems
associated with flicker. The rotating wind
turbine blades can cast moving shadows
that cause a flickering effect and can
affect residents living nearby.
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Wind Energy Siting - Interference with Communication Systems
Review of the literature will be performed to assess
the potential electromagnetic field (EMF)
interference resulting from wind turbine operations
on communication systems
Assessment of the impact of power grid system
currently in operation
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Wind Energy Siting - Avian Ecology Birds & Bats
Literature review summarizing the effects
of terrestrial wind turbines on birds and
bats, both in the United States and
Europe.
GIS maps for the following information:
1. Distribution of breeding birds in Rhode
Island;
2. Distribution and abundance of birds in
winter in Rhode Island (based on
Christmas Bird Counts);
3. Distribution of federally-listed and
state-listed threatened or endangered
species in the Rhode Island.

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RI Fish & Wildlife Service
Rhode Island
Renewable Energy Siting Partnership
Wind Energy Siting - Public Engagement
1) Gauge public / stakeholder
understanding of renewable energy
issues in order to design education
& outreach tools
2) Provide research and technical
information to stakeholders in a
format that is clear &
understandable
3) Identify key issues of public interest
and issues of concern and
opportunity
4) Reflect public preference for various
forms of public participation
1. Wind Resources 2. Project Specification 3. Power Production
4. Site Characterization 5. Project Impacts 6. Economics
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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Percentage of Year
Wind Speed (m/s)
100m 80m
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Wind Speed (m/s)
P
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0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
kW
80m Distribution - Left y-Axis
1.65MW WTG Power Curve - Right y-Axis
Table 12-11 Revenues, Expenses & Net Cash Flows: 2-MW @ Taylor Point
Project
Year
Electricity
Value
REC
Price
Revenue Op. Ex.
Debt
Service
(P+I)
Annual Net
Cash
Benefits
Cumulative
Cash
Benefits
($/MWh) ($/MWh) ($) ($) ($) ($) ($)
0 $0 $0
1 $106.91 $26.00 $486,179 ($82,800) ($380,484) $22,896 $22,896
2 $112.68 $24.50 $504,606 ($85,103) ($380,484) $39,020 $61,916
3 $116.45 $23.00 $525,480 ($140,574) ($380,484) $4,422 $66,338
4 $119.28 $23.00 $543,795 ($144,088) ($380,484) $19,223 $85,561
5 $121.80 $25.50 $567,353 ($147,690) ($380,484) $39,179 $124,741
6 $124.48 $26.50 $582,840 ($151,797) ($380,484) $50,559 $175,300
7 $127.67 $24.00 $584,379 ($155,167) ($380,484) $48,729 $224,028
8 $131.15 $20.50 $584,842 ($159,046) ($380,484) $45,312 $269,340
9 $134.85 $20.00 $597,144 ($163,022) ($380,484) $53,638 $322,978
10 $138.71 $19.50 $611,678 ($167,556) ($380,484) $63,639 $386,617
11 $142.79 $19.50 $625,741 ($195,255) ($380,484) $50,002 $436,618
12 $148.93 $21.00 $654,400 ($199,537) ($380,484) $74,380 $510,998
13 $157.03 $21.00 $684,711 ($203,926) ($380,484) $100,301 $611,299
14 $164.66 $21.00 $715,222 ($208,930) ($380,484) $125,808 $737,107
15 $171.71 $21.00 $739,895 ($213,036) ($380,484) $146,375 $883,483
16 $179.04 $21.00 $767,495 ($217,762) ($0) $549,733 $1,433,216
17 $185.82 $21.00 $793,062 ($222,607) $0 $570,455 $2,003,671
18 $193.68 $21.00 $824,785 ($228,130) $0 $596,655 $2,600,326
19 $203.12 $21.00 $857,991 ($232,662) $0 $625,329 $3,225,655
20 $212.06 $21.00 $891,578 ($237,879) $0 $653,699 $3,879,355

Energy Production vs Consumption
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100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
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Month
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, k
W
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1.5 MW WTG
1.65 MW WTG
Energy Consumption
$/MWh
$20/MWh
$40/MWh
$60/MWh
$80/MWh
$100/MWh
$120/MWh
$140/MWh
$160/MWh
Year 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 7 Year 9 Year 11 Year 13 Year 15 Year 17 Year 19
Total Operating Expenses
Cost of Financing, P+I
Total Revenue + Savings
Comparisonof Total Cost of Energy vs. Gross Revenue
($/MWh)
Siting Tool Conceptual Layout