WIND RESOURCE WIND RESOURCE PERSPECTIVEPERSPECTIVE

JOHN E. WADEJOHN E. WADEJohn Wade Wind Consultant LLCJohn Wade Wind Consultant LLC

2575 NE 322575 NE 32ndnd Avenue AvenuePortland OR 97212Portland OR 97212

503 287 4329503 287 4329Wade.j@comcast.netWade.j@comcast.net

PURPOSE OF PURPOSE OF PRESENTATIONPRESENTATION

Provide background on the challenge of Provide background on the challenge of wind resource evaluationwind resource evaluation

Describe the wind prospecting processDescribe the wind prospecting process Explain the resource validation processExplain the resource validation process Review the principles of wind plant Review the principles of wind plant

micrositingmicrositing Challenges facing utilities and developers Challenges facing utilities and developers

in the Northwest on the resource sidein the Northwest on the resource side Opportunities on the resource sideOpportunities on the resource side

The Challenge of Wind The Challenge of Wind Resource EvaluationResource Evaluation

Finding locations with strong, persistent, well Finding locations with strong, persistent, well behaved winds that: behaved winds that:

Are within the utilities area of interest or near Are within the utilities area of interest or near the wind developers identified customerthe wind developers identified customer

Are not more than 5 miles from transmission Are not more than 5 miles from transmission lineslines

Have sufficient land area for an economically Have sufficient land area for an economically viable projectviable project

Will not present any environmental or legal Will not present any environmental or legal obstacles and resistance to development is not obstacles and resistance to development is not expectedexpected

PROSPECTING FOR PROSPECTING FOR WINDWIND

Who has seen the wind?Who has seen the wind?

Neither you nor INeither you nor I

But when the trees bow down their But when the trees bow down their headsheads

The wind is passing by.The wind is passing by.

Christina RossettiChristina Rossetti

PROSPECTING PROCESSPROSPECTING PROCESS

Climatological StudyClimatological StudyProspecting SurveyProspecting SurveyRating and Ranking the Rating and Ranking the

SitesSites

CLIMATOLOGYCLIMATOLOGY

Wind data collected by the Wind data collected by the National Weather Service, National Weather Service, Coast Guard and the FAACoast Guard and the FAA

Wind MapsWind Maps Upper Air DataUpper Air Data

THE PROSPECTING THE PROSPECTING SURVEYSURVEY

How do you find something that is How do you find something that is invisible?invisible?

Trees and stones will teach Trees and stones will teach you that whichyou that which

You could never learn from You could never learn from the mastersthe masters..

St. Bernard of ClairvauxSt. Bernard of Clairvaux

What makes a good wind What makes a good wind site?site?

Strong steady winds Strong steady winds Good exposure to the windGood exposure to the wind Ridgelines oriented Ridgelines oriented

perpendicular to the prevailing perpendicular to the prevailing wind directionwind direction

Moderate slopesModerate slopes Low surface roughness or lack of Low surface roughness or lack of

vegetationvegetation

TOOLS OF THE WIND TOOLS OF THE WIND PROSPECTORPROSPECTOR

Wind shaped trees and bushesWind shaped trees and bushes Plants and trees characteristic of wind zonesPlants and trees characteristic of wind zones Active sand dunes and sand scoursActive sand dunes and sand scours Persistent snow sweepPersistent snow sweep Topographic features that favor the windTopographic features that favor the wind Judging wind exposureJudging wind exposure Talking with local peopleTalking with local people Satellite ImagerySatellite Imagery Aerial surveysAerial surveys Ground level InspectionGround level Inspection Three dimensional AnalysisThree dimensional Analysis

WIND DEFORMED WIND DEFORMED TREESTREES

American Falls/Rockland American Falls/Rockland Idaho Anemometer Loan Idaho Anemometer Loan

ProgramProgram

VALIDATING THE VALIDATING THE RESOURCERESOURCE

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 CHALLENGES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWESTPACIFIC NORTHWEST

Very few great sites left that are Very few great sites left that are feasible.feasible.

Lack of transmission lines or Lack of transmission lines or transmission capacity near good transmission capacity near good resource sitesresource sites

Environmental constraintsEnvironmental constraints Institutional ConstraintsInstitutional Constraints Political and Price UncertaintyPolitical and Price Uncertainty

OPPORTUNITIESOPPORTUNITIES

Bigger and more efficient machinesBigger and more efficient machines Increasing acceptance and understanding Increasing acceptance and understanding

of wind by utilitiesof wind by utilities Better forecasting of this variable resourceBetter forecasting of this variable resource Greater appreciation by utilities that a Greater appreciation by utilities that a

diverse energy resource stack is important diverse energy resource stack is important The public’s willingness to pay slightly The public’s willingness to pay slightly

more for “green energy”more for “green energy”