Assisting the Development Phase of a Community Scale Wind Turbine in

Tangier Island, VA

William JohnsonTrey Hughes

Bryson RupnikAdvisor: Dr. Jonathan J. Miles

Meet the Town of Tangier

http://toddbrusnighan.com/633951/ESPN3-Tangier-Island

Outline Introduction

– Wind Potential– Background

Data Analysis Siting and Analysis Desktop Avian Study Town Approval Future of Project

Wind Potential in the Chesapeake

http://www.tangierisland-va.com/tangierisland_photos/

Background

• Small Island in Chesapeake Bay • Accomack County, VA • 3 islands: Port Isobel, Tangier, and the

Uppards• Crabbing and Fishing to make a living• Population of 507 •  1 school, less than 10 children per

grade

Background

• Accomack and Northampton Electric Cooperative

• 7.2 MW trunk line• Annual Consumption of 9,200 MWh

Previous Tangier Island Work

• “A Feasibility Study of Wind Power for Tangier Island, Virginia” o by Robert Gallerani and Jennifer Hock

• “Preliminary Study for Onshore Wind Turbine Siting in a Remote Island Community” o by Ryan Michael Powanda

• "Coastal Virginia Regional Wind Analysis" o by Andrew Gronan

A Feasibility Study of Wind Power for Tangier Island, Virginia

• Viability of constructing a wind turbine offshore of Tangier Island

• Considering all of the constant military, fishing, and wildlife activity in the Chesapeake Bay

• General Electric 1.5 MW SLE for offshore turbine

Preliminary Study for Onshore Wind Turbine Siting in a Remote Island Community

• Feasibility of an onshore wind turbine on Tangier Island

• Analyzes the existing energy infrastructure, local wind resources, the surrounding environment and siting considerations, financing and incentive options, and regulatory obligations

• Construction plan of a 50 meter meteorological tower

• Wind resource to support commercial-scale wind turbines

Coastal Virginia Regional Wind Analysis

• Installed nine wind observation towers in specific sites around the Chesapeake Bay area using the state based anemometer loan program (SBALP)

• 50 meter MET tower

• Tangier Island holds the potential to become a powerful source of wind energy

Permit by Rule

• Request for permission from the government due to lack of specification in written lawo Establish PBR for construction and operation

of small wind turbineso Original: Operator of small wind energy

project with capacity less than 500 kW is not required to submit any notification or certification to the DEQ

o Agency Decision: Aiming for less difficult process 500kW or less need to follow

requirements  500kW to 5MW require notification and

requirements

Permit by Rule

• Wind Regulatory Advisory Panel (RAP) met 15 times between 2009 and 2010• Established by DEQ

• Currently developing a list of requirements for turbines (500kW to 5MW)

• Turbines in Coastal Avian Protection Zones (CAPZ) are still undecidedo Due to lack of sound research in Chesapeake

Bayo Any turbine 500kW to 5MW constructed in

bay will be used for research as well as power $1000/MW of rated capacity

Grant Information• Town of Tangier contacted the Virginia

Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy (DMME)

•  Original grant was $3.5 million for the construction of a 900kW turbine (PowerWind 56)• Port Isabel• Lack of funding approval

• Cut down to $1 million, resulting in a smaller turbine

Wind Analysis from Data Collected on Port Isobel

 

 

   

   

 

Northwind 100

http://sed-net.com/projects/on-site/mcglynn-elementary-and-middle-school-in-the-city-of-medford

Specifications

Lifetime 20 yrs

Hub height 37 m

Rotor Diameter 21 m

Nameplate generation

100 kW

Cut-in Speed 3.5 m/s (7.8mph)

Gearbox Type Direct drive

http://vwec.cisat.jmu.edu/documents/Education%20and%20Outreach/mariaFincastle.pdf

http://www.northernpower.com/pdf/specsheet-northwind100-us.pdf

  MET Data Applied to Northwind 100

Net Capacity Factor: Percentage of time that the turbine is generating electricity at full capacity

Siting Process

1

2

3

Siting Process3 potential sites behind the museum

• Process used to site: o Determine soil conditions (using soil auger)o Altitude, Latitude, Longitudeo Distance between turbine and...

Human occupied buildings Large structures Property lines Roads (access roads) Power Lines

o Tree and ground covero Topography

Siting Processo Overview of Road Conditionso Determine Electrical Infrastructure o Heights of neighboring structureso Determination of how to get equipment onto the siteo Measure tower working area

• Photographyo 360 degree panoramic of potential siteso Public access roads to siteo Neighboring structureso Electrical infrastructure, including closest electrical

poleso Port to the potential sites

 

 

Site Analysis

Site 3 was chosen as the best possible site • Soil conditions were all fine sand based for each

site• Ground cover is marshy, with no tree cover• 5 small buildings in the immediate vicinity

o Heights range from (15 ft - 20 ft) o No impact to alter wind, noise could be an

issueo Site 3 had the largest distance away from

buildings (46 ft to the nearest structure)

Site Analysis

• Access roads are extremely small, bringing the equipment in from the port would be the best optiono Site 3 is closest from the water port

• Installation area is minimal, and marshy terrain will make installation difficult

• Residential property lines surround the potential site locations

Transmission• Net-metering

o Help power the museum and other small buildings to help cut electricity costs

• The Northwind 100 requires connection to 3 phase power lines, or direct connection to the power stationo Only 2 phase power lines

surrounding site • Can piggyback on existing

power lines to the power station nearby (roughly 675 ft or 205 m)

Photo Sim

Desktop Avian Study

Atlantic Flyway

4 Island Complexes

• A. Tangier• B. Smith

o U.S. F&W• C. Watts

o U.S. F&W• D. Fox

A

B

C

D

Habitat

• Low tidal salt marshland• Tributary like streams

through the island• Provides plenty of food

o Crabso Fisho Oysterso Crustaceans

Loss of Land

Raptors• Birds of Prey

o Eagles, Falcons, Hawks, Osprey, Owls, etc.

• Breeding Species at risk: o Peregrine Falcono Bald Eagleo Northern Harriero Barn Owl

Waterbirds• Water dwelling birds

o Seagulls, ducks, herons, oyster catchers, skimmers, etc.

• Breeding Species at risk:o Little Blue Heron, American

Black Duck, American Oystercatcher, Royal Tern, Black Skimmer, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Glossy Ibis, Common Tern, Forster's Tern, and Black Rail

Migratory Songbirds

http://www.philjeffrey.net/Nelsons.html

• Smaller avian life• Cardinals, robins, sparrows,

etc.

• Saltmarsh Sharp Tailed Sparrow, Nelson's Sharp Tailed Sparrow, and the Seaside Sparrow

Altamont Pass, California

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2010/12/06/wind-turbines-to-be-upgraded-in-altamont-pass/

• Operates 4,800 turbines• Totals in 576 MW• 0.19 birds/turbine/year

NASA’s Lewis Research Center

• Sandusky, Ohio• 100 kW turbine in 1970• Purpose: Monitor nocturnal migration

periods• Examination period during 4 migration

seasons• Measured with radar units for migrant

patterns and binoculars with image intensifiers

• After 4 seasons, 3 birds found deado 2 from MET towero 1 from turbine

Buffalo Ridge Wind Resource Area

• Southwestern Minnesota

• Surveyed for 4 years• 73 turbines generate

25MW• 5,322 searches

performed• 0.98 deaths per turbine

Avian Study Conclusion

• Only 1 turbine• Concern must always be taken• DOE will decide in the next month if an

environmental impact study must take place

• Unique location

Town Approval• Town Council has voted and approved

installation of wind turbine• Signed Contract with Sustainable

Energy Development (SED) • Working with SED on filing permits• SED has not filed any permits to date.• No Wind Ordinance in Accomack

county

Where does the project stand

• Town of Tangier has signed a contract with SED

• Final site is being determined• Local wind energy policy is being

evaluatedopermit by rule

• 1 year for grant to expire

The Future of the Project• DMME requested that SED initiate permitting with

the DOE prior to any other related permitting work.

• DMME is waiting to see if the project receives a Categorical Exclusion from the National Environmental Policy Act process o SED will file the DOE Environmental Questionnaireo FFA to determine a No Hazardo US Fish and Wildlifeo State Historic Preservation Officeo Local Permits as needed

The Future of the Project

• Actual installation of the Northwind 100

• Potential for continuation for another ISAT senior project

• Promote incentives of wind energy, hopefully resulting in possible turbine additions

Acknowledgements

Dr. Miles Remy Luerssen Dr. Watts Ian Morrow and Kyle Clapman for photosim Town of Tangier

References

University of Nebraska-Lincoln. (2009). Nutty Birdwatcher. Retrieved April 2, 2011 from http://www.unl.edu/nac/atlas/Map_Html/Biodiversity/National/Atlantic_flyway/Atlantic_Flyway.htm.

Virginia Audubon Council. (2005). Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved April 1, 2011 from http://www.deq.state.va.us/coastal/documents/chesapeakeislandsiba.pdf.

Watts, B. D. 2006. Synthesizing information resources for the Virginia Important Bird

Area Program: Phase I Delmarva Peninsula and tidewater. Center for

Conservation Biology Technical Report Series. Retrieved March 31, 2011 from http://ccb-wm.org/publications/pdf_techreports/CCBTR-06-05_IBA%20Phase%20I.pdf.

Erwin, R., Brinker, D., Watts, B., Costanzo, G., Morton, D. (2010). Islands at bay: rising seas, eroding islands, and waterbird habitat loss in Chesapeake Bay (USA). http://chesapeake.usgs.gov/pdfs/ErwinETAL-JCoastalCons-2010.pdf

 Watts , B. D., M. A. Byrd, and M. U. Watts. 2004. Status and distribution of breeding Ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay: 1995-1996. Journal of Raptor Research 38:47-54.

Wilke, A. L., B. D. Watts, B. R. Truitt, and R. Boettcher. 2005. Breeding season status of the American Oystercatcher in Virginia , USA . Waterbirds 28:308-315.

Avian Wind Power Planning. (2000). National Avian Wind Power Planning Meeting IV. Retrieved April 1, 2011 from https://www.nationalwind.org/assets/research_meetings/Research_Meeting_IV_Proceedings.pdf

Johnson, G., Erickson, W., Strickland, M., Shepherd, M., Shepherd, D. (200). Avian Monitoring Studies at the buffalo Ridge, Minnesota Wind resource Area: Results of a 4-Year Study. Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc. Retrieved April 1, 2011 from http://energyfacilities.puc.state.mn.us/documents/AvianMonitoringBuffaloRidge.pdf