Renewable Energy
for the Farm and Ranch
SARE
August 15, 2006
Roya Stanley, NREL
Disclaimer and Government License
This work has been authored by Midwest Research Institute (MRI) under Contract No. DE-AC36-99GO10337 with the U.S.
Department of Energy (the “DOE”). The United States Government (the “Government”) retains and the publisher, by accepting
the work for publication, acknowledges that the Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to
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Neither MRI, the DOE, the Government, nor any other agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express
or implied, or assumes any liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus,
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authors and/or presenters expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of MRI, the DOE, the Government, or any
agency thereof.
Powering Your Farms and Ranches with
Biomass, Wind and Solar
•
Makes economic sense
•
Yields high quality power
•
Gains energy independence
•
Provides emergency back-up systems
•
Sustains clean environments for
future generations
Topics
•
•
Energy Efficiency
Wind Power
• Solar Heat and Power
• Biomass-Derived and Power
• Combined Systems
• Water Pumping
• Renewable Resources
• Incentives
• Building Your System
Energy Efficiency
Let’s Hear It for Energy Efficiency!
• Saves money at low cost
• Citizens can do themselves
• Creates local business opportunities
• Energy efficiency is the quickest,
cheapest and cleanest way to reduce
energy consumption and cost
Typical Energy-Efficient PV Home
2000
Kilowatt hours (kWh)
Utility
1500
1000
Solar
500
Utility
0
Normal home
Energy efficient PV home
Similar results are possible using other
renewable energy sources
One dollar spent on an energy
efficient appliance will save
many dollars on RE
components.
800 – 900 years
ago in Europe
140 years ago,
water-pumping
wind mills
Wind Power
History
70 years ago,
electric power
85 companies
20 years ago,
Federal tax credits
35 companies
Technology Barriers
• High Turbine costs - Limited mass production, most turbines are
custom-made, which results in high labor costs added to increasing
material costs
• Insufficient Product Reliability - Variations in production methods lead
to inconsistent product quality
• Wind resource misconceptions – SWGs work in low wind speed area
when tower height is used to compensate for lack of resource or micrositing issues
• Power Electronics – lack of robust design for SWGs to convert wild AC,
not big enough market to compel power electronics manufacturers
• Noise – SWGs can produce noise in their overspeed control mechanism
combined with high rotational speeds
• Lack of technology tools – due to turbine passive design, understanding
inflow critical to providing good design tools
Market Barriers
• Lack of Effective Standards - no independent testing and approval body to
assure consumer protection
• Good products are kept out of the incentivized market due to inability to get on the CA
Approved product listing
• Bad products are kept in the market since no credible benchmarks in place to sort out
problem turbines and incentives continue to draw turbine purchase
• Zoning - tower height limitations continue to thwart towers higher than 35’
• Interconnection/net metering - challenges exist particularly in Rural Electric
Coop territory where small wind works well (typically no zoning issues in
rural America)
• Complicated financial impact - Consumers and stakeholders struggle to
understand small wind economics
• Insufficient capitalization - Small-scale wind generator companies struggle to
get their product message out and influence incentive policy across the US
• Effective policy – While many states/utilities do have effective policies, it takes
time for incentive organizations to effectively get the ‘word’ out about their
programs
Key Applications for Small Wind
• Battery charging for both US off-grid and
international off-grid to hybrid systems
– Typically 3 kW or less
• Water Pumping
– Mechanical windmill – water pumper, must co-locate well with
windmill
• Best for lowest wind speed sites
– Electric wind turbine – match with electrical pump, can locate
turbine in most productive spot
• Grid-Connect
– Large US market
– Many state and utility incentives exist and continue to grow
Residential Small Wind Incentives
www.dsireusa.org
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Property Tax Incentives
$
$
BUYDOWNS
Buydown & Net
Metering
Buydown,
Net Metering,
& Loans
Puerto Rico $
RPS
PRODUCTIVITY INCENTIVES
Productivity
Incentives &
Loans
Productivity
Incentives
Net Metering, Loans
& Prod. Incentives
Net Metering &
Prod. Incentives
Income Tax Credits
MINOR INCENTIVES
Loans
Net Metering & Loans*
*In Minnesota, loans
apply only to
farmers.
Net Metering
Federal Incentives: Mainstay Energy – green tag purchase (CA excluded); USDA Federal Farm Bill Title 9006 – grant for rural areas
May 30, 2006
Small Wind Turbines Are
Different
•Utility-Scale Wind Power
600 - 1,800 kW wind turbines
1,500 kW
– Installed on wind farms, 10 – 300 MW
– Professional maintenance crews
– 13 mph (6 m/s) average wind speed
•Small-scale Wind Power
300 W - 500 kW wind turbines
– Installed at individual homes, farms,
businesses, schools, etc.
– On the “customer side” of the meter,
or off the utility grid entirely
– High reliability, low maintenance
– 8 mph (3.5 m/s) average wind speed
10 kW
Small Wind Turbines
• Configuration: 2 or 3 blades aimed into
the wind by the tail
• Blades: Fiber-reinforced plastics
• Over-Speed Protection: Furling (rotor
turns out of the wind), no brakes
• Generator: Direct-drive, permanent
magnet alternator (no brushes),
3-phase AC, variable-speed operation
• Controller: Electronic device that
delivers - DC power for charging
batteries
- AC power for utility interconnection
• Result:
– Simple, rugged design
– Only 2–4 moving parts
– Little regular maintenance required
Bergey EXCEL, 10 kW
Small Wind Turbine Towers
Guyed Tower
Tilt-Up Tower
Self-Supporting
Tower
Southwest Windpower
www.windenergy.com
Flagstaff, AZ
AIR-X
300 W
503
500 W
Whisper
H40
900 W
Whisper 175
3 kW
Whisper H80
1000 W
Abundant Renewable Energy 110
www.abundantre.com
Newsberg, OR
Bergey Windpower
www.bergey.com
Norman, OK
1 kW
BWC Excel
10 kW
Wind Turbine Industries, Inc.
Prior Lake, MN
Jacobs
29/20
20 kW
Entegrity Wind
www.entegritywind.com
EW15
60 kW
Fuhrlander turbines
www.lorax-energy.com
Block Island, Rhode Island
30 kW, 100 kW, 250 kW (not shown)
Vestas V-15 and EMS E-15
www.energyms.com
Refurbished turbines
Northern Power Systems
www.northernpower.com
Northwind 100
NW 100/19
100 kW
Waitsfield, VT
Other Turbine Issues
• Operation and Maintenance – estimate 1.5 cents/kWh
• Turbine/Tower Life – 20 years
• Typical capital costs range from $6/W to $3/W
– Generally, the larger the turbine the cheaper it is
• Micro-siting most important for maximizing kWh production
• For most Net-metering , try to meet 75% of load unless
– High avoided cost
– Retail rate payback for net excess
– for utility bill reduction
• Zoning – if in rural county not likely to have issues but
suburban/urban zoning can be time consuming
• Work on interconnection agreements with utility prior to
turbine purchase
Case Study: On-Grid
Jess Alger’s Ranch - Stanford, MT
Case Study:
Jess Alger’s Ranch - Stanford, MT
• Fourth generation Montana farmer
• 1,200 acre cattle ranch and wheat farm
• Wind used to offset electricity consumed
by home and farm operations
• Turbine installed September 2003
• 12 mph annual average wind speed
(Class 3)
• 100 foot tower
Alger’s Estimated Cost and
Production
• Installed Turbine System - $36,850
– Lower than typical
• Turbine system costs only, no dealer payment
• Site preparation done by J. Algers
• USDA RESG (25% grant) - $7,696
• Montana NCAT USB Funds - $12,500
• Estimated electricity used 14,200 kWh/yr
• Estimate electricity produced 18,000 kWh/yr
(based on Class 3 wind site)
Small Wind Economics
Simple Payback
Bergey Excel, 100 ft Tower
Net Metering Only, 12.5 mph
Simple Payback, Years
50
Net Metering Only, 16 mph
40
USDA Grant and Net Metering, 12.5 mph
USDA Grant and Net Metering, 16 mph
30
20
10
0
5
7
9
11
Electric Rate, ¢/kWh
13
15
Simple Payback (Micon 65 kW)
Simple Payback Period
(Years)
25
Micon 60 kW (C2)
20
Micon 60 kW - FB (C2)
15
Micon 60 kW - FB + PI
(C2)
Micon 60 kW (C3)
10
Micon 60 kW - FB (C3)
5
Micon 60 kW - FB + PI
(C3)
0
0
0.05
0.1
Grid Cost of Energy ($/kWh)
0.15
Books by Paul Gipe
Available from Chelsea Green Publishing Co.
www.chelseagreen.com
Small Wind
Consumers Guide
A U.S.guide and about 30 state
and region specific specific guides
are available from the
National Renewable Energy
Laboratory:
http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/
small_wind.html
Why is there interest in small wind?
• Strong market-pull - numerous state and utility
incentives
• Rural wind is corollary to urban PV – expansive
consumer base with growing political support
(i.e. 25x25)
• Provide rural economic development opportunities –
schools, locally owned community wind
• Hedge against rising retail electricity costs
• Energy security - can be independently owned and
promotes self-reliance
• Doesn’t require transmission
• Low wind start up results in kWh at lower wind
speeds
• Maintain world leadership for US companies since
EU not funding SWG activities
Local Ownership Models - Utility Scale
Turbines
• Minnesota farmer
cooperative (Minwind)
• FLIP structure
• Farmer-owned small
wind
• Farmer-owned
commercial-scale
Kas Brothers Plant 25-Year Cash Crop
• First farmer owned
commercial-scale project
in U.S.
• Two 750 kW Micon
turbines installed in
summer of 2001.
• Financed with local banks
(had an equity partner).
• Dozens of farmers in MN
now following this model.
Minwind I and II
“Farmer Cooperative”
• Two LLCs formed with
cooperative principles.
• Sold membership stock to 66
individuals (33 in each group,
required 85% of shares to be
owned by farmers)
• No individual can own more
than 15% of the shares.
• Developed two 1.8 MW
projects (to use MN incentive)
• Built the project in late 2002.
Solar Heat and Power
Solar Heat
• Solar hot water heating
is commercially
available for both
domestic and industrial
water systems and for
swimming pools.
• Solar space heating and
preheating is available
also.
PV Home Choices
• Grid-connected
– With or without battery storage
– Most PV systems installed in the U.S. are gridconnected without battery storage
• Grid independent
– With battery storage
– Can be more economical than utility grid
extension costs for new energy service
On-grid Home
NREL’s Habitat for
Humanity house,
dedicated 9/2005,
Wheat Ridge, CO.
Zero Energy Home designed to produce
as much energy as it
consumes on an
annual basis.
• Solar hot water system
• 4 kW PV system
• Super insulated, passive solar construction
and energy efficient lighting
Off-grid Home
Van Geet house,
Idaho Springs, CO.
Completed in 1999.
• Solar hot water system
• 1.2 kW PV system
• Passive solar construction and
energy efficient lighting
Off-Grid Small PV Powered
Applications
• Electric fence charger
with PV module.
Total cost is around
$170.
• Electric lights recharged
by PV module. Total cost
is between $100 and $160
Biomass-Derived
Power
Covered Lagoon
• Zebulon,NC
• 4,000 sow farrowto-wean farm
• Pit Recharge
manure handling
• Processed waste is used as greenhouse tomato fertilizer
• 120 kW medium BTU Caterpillar genset and heat
recovery
• Total Cost: $290,000; Annual Revenue: $35,000
Plug Flow Digester
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Candor, NY
560 milk cows
Free stall scrape
manure hand
ling
Heated plug flow
digester w/ flexible top
60 kW output
Installed for odor control
Separated manure solids sold as
nursery product
Cost: $350,000;
Annual Revenue: @$45,000
WWW.EPA.GOV/AGSTAR
BioMax 15 Biopower System
• Walden, Colorado
• Power & heat for
Vocational Horticulture
Program
• Uses forest thinning
residues
• Wood consumption is
3 lbs/kWh
• Daily load is 6 to 8kW,
40-80 kWh
• Installed Sept. 2003
Combined Systems
Solar and Wind Resources
are Complimentary
Hours of sunshine or average
wind power (Watts/m2)
400
Data from SE Iowa
350
Hours of
sunshine/month
300
250
200
150
100
Average wind
power/month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Off-Grid Office and Shop Building
• Wind farm maintenance shop and office, Woodstock, MN
• Electric loads include lighting, PC, shop tools, and heater
• Passive solar daylighting, corn used for space heat
• Total installed cost $6,800 (grid extension alternative: $7,500)
• 1200 sf shop, 900 sf office
• Whisper H40 wind
turbine 900 W, 35 ft tower
• PV panels, 500 W
• 24 VDC battery, 750 Ah
• Installed 2001
Water Pumping
RE Water Pumping System
Day
PV modules
Pump
(generation) (electrical load)
Stock tank
(storage)
Cattle
(utilization)
Stock tank
(storage)
Cattle
(utilization)
Night
Wind turbine
Pump
(generation) (electrical load)
SQP1-B256905
Off-Grid Water-Pumping with Wind
•Ranch near Wheeler, Texas
•Water pumping for
120 head of cattle
•World Power Technology
Whisper 1000 wind turbine,
1 kW, 9 ft rotor, 30 ft tower
Example: Off-Grid Water Pumping
with PV System
• PV powered water
pumping for stock
tanks. Cost is $4705 for
100 foot well and 1500
gpd
• Systems are owned or
can be leased to
ranchers for $16 to $52
per month, depending
on size
• Systems can be moved
to different wells
Freeze-Protection
USDA Farm Bill Section 9006
www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/farmbill
• Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency:
wind
solar
biomass
geothermal
hydrogen
energy efficiency
• For farms, ranches, small businesses (not for residential
systems)
• Grants (up to 25% of project cost), or
Loan Guarantees (up to 50% of project cost)
• In 2005, a total of $22 million in grants were distributed to
154 projects in 32 states.
• Work with rural energy coordinators at your USDA State
Rural Development Office
• Simplified application in 2006 for projects < $200,000
USDA Farm Bill Section 6401
www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm
• Value-Added Producer Grants for:
wind hydro
biomass digesters
• Grants (up to 50% of project cost) may be used for
planning or working capital, but not for hardware
acquisition.
• For independent producers, producer cooperatives,
and producer groups
• $19.5 million available in 2006
• Work with rural energy coordinators at your USDA
State Rural Development Office
Building Your System
First Steps
• Determine your need
• Estimate electrical and heating loads
• Consider conservation and energy
efficiency first
• Determine system location; biomass,
solar and wind resource
• Estimate system size, performance,
and cost
Frequently Encountered Problems
⇒ Fatal Error #1
⇒ Fatal Error #2
⇒ Fatal Error #3
⇒ Fatal Error #4
⇒ Fatal Error #5
Ignore or donʹt coordinate with electric
utility or local building inspectors
Overestimate RE resource
Underestimate loads or energy needs
Undersize the PV, wind or batteries to
trim costs
Nobody is responsible for well-being
of project and equipment
Frequently Asked Questions
• Economics
• Severe weather
• Warranties
• Interconnection
• Incentives
• Insurance
• Taxes
• Zoning
• Benefits
• Environmental regulations
Biomass, Wind or PV?
How to Choose
•Resource available
•Size of application
•Installed cost
•Maintenance required
•Local codes and zoning
The U.S. Department of Energy’s
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
http://www.nrel.gov
Roya Stanley
303-275-3057
Roya_Stanley@nrel.gov