Building a renewable energy future for First Nation communities
Community Energy Summit, 4‐5 March 2013Kluane Lake
JP Pinard, PhD, P.Eng.
Eagle Plains
Researching wind climate of Yukon since 1996•Installed over 40 wind monitoring stations•Produced dozens of feasibility studies for wind energy projects•PhD on Wind Climate in Yukon Mountains•Consulting for Aurora Research Institute, Inuvik; and, the Energy Solutions Centre on their wind monitoring programs•Working with Kluane First Nation on the Kluane Wind Project
Who’s JP Pinard?
Outline Wind‐diesel in Canada’s remote communities.
Alaska and Ramea, NL. The Kluane Wind Project and the opportunity for sustainable energy development
Kodiak Island, AK
There are about 80 remote communities in Canada that may have the potential for wind development. But there are challenges to meeting that potential…
Potential Uptake for Wind in Canada
December 2007 study for CanWEA, by Tim Weis and John Maissan
Wind Energy in Canada’s North For past decades: Canada has enjoyed limited success in developing wind energy in remote communities.
About a half dozen low‐penetration (<10%) wind‐diesel projects (e.g. Rankin Inlet, Kugluktuk, Cambridge Bay) have floundered in part due to lack of community planning and mismatch of the wind technology to Northern challenges.
But with mistakes of the past comes experience and wisdom…
The Techno‐Economic Challenge: Chicken and egg problem
Wind‐diesel has not yet obtained a sufficient market penetration to achieve economies of scale.
So, no market “pull” to develop further wind projects, to improve technology and reduce costs.
Large scale projects: Were problematic and expensive too, and so… Were heavily subsidized. Enabled that industry to resolve the technical problems and develop economies of scale that makes wind energy so economic today.
Credit: Carl Brothers
Wind‐Diesel in Small Communities
The Alaska Experience
Kokhanok, Alaska
In Canada:Ramea Island Wind‐Diesel‐hydrogen Hybrid
The Ramea Island Wind project was started in 2003 and is Canada’s only successful wind‐diesel project.
This project was championed by Carl Brothers who is also a lead consultant for the Kluane Wind Project.
Project started with 6‐65kW Windmatic wind turbines,
Expanded with 3 NorthWind 100 kW turbines and a hydrogen processing, storage and generation plant.
Wind in Remote Communities:Overcoming Technical Barriers Ramea was subsidised to overcome technical barriers. Subsidies will be needed for next few wind‐diesel projects.
Need to make a business of wind energy in remote communities of Canada.
To make wind work: cost of wind needs to go down from >10,000/kW to $5000/kW: Achievable.
This cost reduction can be done with the Kluane Wind Project.
The Kluane Wind project...Goal: To make wind energy a viable business
in Canada’s remote communities.Objective: Overcome the technical barrier of
community wind developments. Develop partnership between
community, governments, and research and development groups.
Develop lower cost renewable energy technology: reduce cost from >$10,000/kW down to $5,000/kW.
To make a reasonable profit from wind for the First Nation business.
Yukon wind in 1920‐70s Before central diesel‐electric
generators, wind turbines were used to power lights and radios
1922 Champagne: windmill 1942 Silver City (Kluane Lake):
had a wind turbine that was used for pumping water and generating electricity
Early 1950’s, Old Crow: before diesel‐electric power, had a small wind turbine to power to lights of community store
1975 Herschel Island: small vertical axis wind turbine (Cooper 1976) for the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Roadhouse at Champagne April 1922, Claude TiddYukon Archives #7223
Jack Hayden’s cabinat Silver City,
July 1942, Robert Hays fondsYukon Archives #5705,
Destruction Bay Wind Monitoring (1984, 1988)•1982‐1984 the National Research Council (NRC) monitored the wind regime at Destruction Bay, a community thought to be the windiest place in the Yukon.•Part of a Canada‐wide wind prospecting program to assess the feasibility of establishing vertical axis wind turbines.•Measurements with anemometer on a 20‐m tower•Results of the monitoring showed an annual mean wind speed of 5.2 m/s (at 20 m).•NRC to concluded that wind energy in the Yukon was not economical, at least for the vertical axis wind turbines.
The same conclusion came from the Yukon Government's Public Works Branch, when they too installed a monitoring station
(1987‐1988) in the same community. The location of this
tower was apparently at the grader station.
Destruction Bay grader station
Between Destruction Bay and Burwash Landing
NRC’s wind study
Past StudiesWind studies in Kluane since the early 1980’s National Research Council (NRC) in 1982 to 1984 Yukon Government’s Public Works Branch (PWB) in 1987‐88 Yukon Energy in 1995‐96 and 1997‐98.
The results were promising:•NRC study (TES 1983) reported a mean wind speeds of 5.2 m/s at 20 m above ground (AGL) for the year 1982•Yukon Energy studies showed wind speed was in excess of 6 m/s at 30 m AGL
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0.10.70.750.80.850.90.9511.051.11.151.21.251.31.351.41.451.51.551.6
Kluane Lake, MS-Micro Wind Flow Model
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Wind Project Site
D Bay
Burwash Landing
Airport
Kluane Community
Profile Burwash Landing (pop. 100) and Destruction Bay (pop. 50)
are intertied by 16 km power line. The Kluane First Nation is based mostly in Burwash
Landing. Diesel plant owned and operated by Yukon Electrical
Company Limited (YECL/ATCO) in Destruction Bay feeds both communities.
Mean load of 230 kW, and 2,000,000 kWh/yr. Diesel Costs 30‐35¢/kWh (does not include O&M). Has completed an Energy Baseline study in 2005 and a
Community Energy and Emissions Inventory in 2012. Burwash Landing has district heating with biomass. There is adequate wind potential by the grid.
Kluane Wind Project
Kluane Energy Profile
From: Energy Baseline study 2005
Transport Gasoline, 34%
Transport Diesel Fuel,
8%Space Heating Heating Oil,
12%Space Heating Propane, 2%
Space Heating Firewood, 34%
Electricity Electricity,
10%
Wind energy can displace fossil fuel for electricity generation but also for space heating, and eventually transportation
Space heating is met largely by the districtwood chipboiler and wood‐stovesin homes
2,000,000 kWh/yr
Wind Technology proposed for KluaneFrom the pre‐feasibility study and the business plan the two best options for a wind project were : Northwind 100 kW
Many (>30) units are installed in Alaska Direct‐drive, permanent magnet, with 23 m rotor,
and 37 m tower Robust but very expensive to install (> 11,000/kW)
WindmaticWM17S, 95 kW: Refurbished 20‐year‐old proven technology with
>1000 to come to market (from California wind farms, being replaced by MW‐size turbines)
Also robust but lighter and cheaper Alaska now has 15 installed. 17 m rotor diameter, longer blades will be
developed for Kluane New proposed 50 m tilt‐up tower will be first in
Kluane Wind Project
Kasigluk, AK
Ramea, NL
Kluane Wind Project EconomicsThe economics of the two wind turbine technologies: 2 NW100s installed: 200 kW
$2.3M or $11,600/kW Wind Energy Cost (LCOE):
$0.35/kWh Rate of return is negative
3 WM17S installed: 300 kW $2.07M or $7,300/kW LCOE: $0.30/kWh Small rate of return R&D are part of costs Next project should reduce to
$5,000/kW and IRR > 15%
So this project will still need some financial support to bring IRR > 15%
New Tower Design for the NorthTilt‐up Tower
50 m tall Tilt‐up No crane needed Lower foundation cost Longer blades possible Can bring costs down to $5000/kW
Could attain IRR = >15%
Wind Turbine• WindmaticWM17S• 95 kW of power• Robust technology• >20‐year history• Cost effective,
Refurbished• Parts are standard,
inexpensive.
Progress for Kluane First Nation Energy Baseline in 2005, and Community Energy and Emissions Inventory in
2012. The Kluane Corp., FN for‐profit corporation, will own the wind project and
become a Independent Power Producer (IPP). Agreement by YECL and KFN to establish Power Purchase Agreement. Forming an Energy Committee. Have funding from AANDC EcoENERGY, Yukon Research Centre/Cold Climate
Innovation (YRC/CCI), and CHARS. Potential funds: Yukon and Federal governments; EcoEII, Bullfrog Power,
CanNor. Partners: Frontier Power, YECL/ATCO, AANDC, YRC/CCI, NRCan and
CanmetENERGY, Energy Solution Centre, … Bird Study lead by Dave Mossop
Next Steps Build and test the tilt‐up tower in 2013. Install energy measurement system to monitor performance in 2013.
Commission the wind project in 2014. Build longer blades Develop other energy opportunities.
Technological Opportunities More wind energy Distributed solar energy Smart grid: energy monitoring and management
Storage: battery, heat, flywheel Expansion of the district heating for Burwash Landing
New water supply well has high flow and 16°C: ground source heat pumps
Distributed heat storage using usingelectrical thermal storage (ETS)
Others…
Woodchip boiler that feeds 4 commercial buildings in Burwash Landing
A 4.7 kW solar array (snow covered) in Burwash Landing
Proposed Kluane Wind Project
Artist rendition of the proposed 300 kW wind project at Kluane Lake
Existing 60‐m met mastThank You!
Renewables in Remote MicrogridsMaRS Discovery District, Toronto, CanadaMonday, June 24, 2013• Microgrids meeting (NRCan)• Wind‐diesel 101Tuesday, June 25, 2013• Workshop Welcome and Introductions • Early adopters, project experiences • Community engagement and ownership models • Smart microgrids• Emerging technologies and opportunities for power storageWednesday, June 26, 2013• Local planning for local needs • Large megawatt‐scale systems for mines and large off‐grid communities• Getting policies right to support remote communities• A road map to renewables in remote communities in Ontario
Bullfrog PowerPembina Institute
Note the Date