R&D News - Expanded Efforts in Wake Research
WindLogics is part of a University of Minnesota-led consortium that was recently awarded nearly $8 million by the Department of Energy to study and improve wind turbine performance and reliability. The project is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and is proposed to include eleven research areas as well as an educational component.
Our Sciences group will be working with University researchers to develop and validate an advanced computational framework for high-resolution simulations of wind turbulence. Their efforts will expand industry knowledge of wake effects and promote improvement of fleet performance. These new research efforts complement other wake and turbulence research already underway and previously funded by a $1 million grant from the Xcel Renewable Development Fund.
A cornerstone of the new DOE project is the installation of a Siemens 2.3 MW turbine at the University of Minnesota Outreach Research and Education (UMore) Park in Rosemount, Minnesota. WindLogics will be working closely with the University during turbine siting and installation.
Read the University of Minnesota press release.
Project News - Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative
According to the American Wind Energy Association, the U.S. wind energy industry installed 1,649 MW of new capacity in the third quarter of 2009. Here is one recent success story provided with the permission of Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative.
Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative (ILEC), a Touchstone Energy Cooperative member, serves over 12,000 farms, homes, businesses and industries in northwest Iowa with over 598 million kWh of electricity per year. Recognizing the area’s rich wind resource as an innovative and cost-effective way to power two local ethanol plants, the ILEC board of directors launched a wind energy initiative in 2004. ILEC’s two wind farm projects became economically feasible in 2007 when ILEC received $43 million of financing through the Clean Renewable Energy Bond (CREB) program, which provides below market interest financing to electric cooperatives and government entities.
Seeking a total production capacity of 21 MW, ILEC contacted WindLogics in early 2008 to gain a better understanding of the wind regime at the two proposed wind farm locations. WindLogics assisted ILEC in quickly analyzing the wind resource at the proposed locations and designing wind turbine array layouts. Based on these results, combined with interconnection and site constructability constraints, ILEC and WindLogics collaborated to determine projected energy production and final site layouts. With this essential information in hand, ILEC was able to proceed with financing, construction, and balance of plant activities to complete and commission both wind farms in August 2009.
The success of the ILEC projects marks the first time an electric cooperative designed, financed, and completed a wind energy project in only 18 months. The team approach with WindLogics delivered accurate long-term predictions and satisfied due diligence requirements for turbine supply, construction/operation, and financing. The completion of this 21-MW project also signifies the largest distribution electric cooperative project to date, as well as the first-ever wind project to serve local renewable fuel production.
WindLogics works with other rural electric cooperatives, as well as public power and shareholder-owned utilities, across the United States. Please contact Larry Sinesio for more information on our involvement.
Update - Forecasting and Data Center
Our Operations Center is now known as the WindLogics Forecasting and Data Center to better describe the group’s services for the wind industry. Led by Joe Sullivan, the staff of seven is dedicated to managing and interpreting data on two fronts: project development and wind plant operation.
To support project development, WFDC meteorologists evaluate measured met data – both historical and real-time -- to ensure quality prior to input into resource analysis. This skilled analysis improves the accuracy of resulting power production estimates, as well as satisfying the requirements of banker’s engineers. The staff also monitors over 600 met towers to identify operational issues that could affect data recovery.
In addition to these efforts, the group facilitates met tower construction and maintenance through partnerships with companies specializing in wind asset construction.
The WFDC group also provides forecasts for utility operators maintaining reliability, wind plant owners optimizing operations and power traders determining their positions. The group is currently responsible for delivering load following and unit commitment forecasts for over 4,000 MW of operating capacity and, unlike other forecasting firms, the meteorologists offer real-time commentary on developing severe weather events.
For more information on our WFDC services, please contact Joe Sullivan at WindLogics.
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