WIND-DIESEL LIFECYCLE BEST PRACTICES

Planning & Vision-Electric Utility Perspective

Matt Bergan, PEM_bergan@kea.coop

907-412-1591

KEA Energy System Status

• Generating diesel power for Kotzebue, AK since 1954…

• 12MW, 6 genset diesel plant (triple redundancy)• 19 wind turbines – Two EWT 900kW direct drive turbines are primary

producers.– 17 smaller turbines. Phasing out to convert to PV or

other small turbines (re-purpose infrastructure).

EWT 900kW on 75m Tower

Wind–related Mods• Diesel genset automation and SCADA system• Old genset replacements w/ new EMD 8cyl 710

EFI 1440kW and CAT C27 T4i 725kW (fast start).• 1MVAR ABB Statcom (system kVAR production)• 1.25MW/950kWh Li-ion battery (SAFT & ABB)• 450kW electric boiler at local hospital (hydronic

heating w/ 30x 15kW steps)• RESULT: 20-25% fuel savings per year + income

from excess wind power sales.

SAFT 950 kWh Battery (1.225 MW ABB Inverter inside Plant)

EMD V8-710 efi 1440kW “wind engine”

~75gph at 1,000kW

Hospital 450kW Electric Boiler (hospital owned, KEA controlled)

Its taken 25 years to get to where we are thru a phased approach…

• Early 1990s research by KEA Board of Directors and GM Brad Reeve

• Significant grant funding along the way:– NRECA (initial wind study)– US DOE/NREL (AOCs, NW100, V15, MB75). Thanks, Don!– State of Alaska REF (EWTs, battery and boiler)

• Loan for diesel plant switchgear upgrades• Successes and failures along the way• Wind technology and knowledge evolving…• Energy storage is real and works….• Microgrids are cool now…

Planning: Why bother messing with wind power?

• Power gen diesel savings/displacement (largest annual expense)?

• Community/Residential heating from excess wind power (stove oil displacement)?

• Workforce opportunities (construction and O&M)?• Help the environment? (check your air permit)• Community energy security and resilience? (zombie

apocalypse insurance…)• Community pride? Competition?• Other or All of the above…?

Things to think about…

• Seems windy here but how much wind do we really have? Extreme winds?

• HEAT: Are you recovering diesel heat now? Is your plant drafty or uninsulated? Can your jacket water cooling system go cold?– More wind power means less recovered heat.

• Diesel plant performance capabilities? Reliably start/load-share/stop? Good metering? Speed and voltage controls? Large and small genset sizes?

• Local software and hardware technical capabilities? (flying in people to fix stuff not sustainable)

Plant designed to reject………………. (not conserve) heat

Diesel Plant Considerations

• Large and small genset sizes to dispatch based on load.

• If going to modernize engines (i.e. EFI and fast start), upgrade the smaller unit(s).

• Make sure you are able to keep engines and plant hot & ready.

• Use an old generator (sans engine) for real inertia (…research project for ACEP).

Wind Resource and Location • Use airport (ASOS) met data or other free info first…• FAA: height restrictions and costs for obstruction lighting

systems.• Power line and access road extension costs… ?• Co-locate wind turbines with other tall structures (radio

towers)?• Enough land/space for EXPANSION and/or PV? Who is the

landowner? • OK with community? (i.e. DOT, hunters, berry pickers, etc.)• Once a good R/E area is identified get a met tower up and

monitor diligently (w/pyranometer)…

What to do with the wind resource?

• Low, medium or high penetration?• Low: 15% winter to 40% summer wind power

penetration. Few controls… let ‘em run.• Medium (KEA): 60% winter to 90% summer

penetration. Diesel auto-dispatch with partial-load short term storage (kW-spinning reserve & kVAR) and elec heat loads.

• High: 125% winter to 150+% summer penetration. Autonomous diesel-off operation with long term storage (kW & kVAR) and elecheat loads.

Outcomes…

• Low: Power gen diesel displacement.• Medium: Power gen and stove oil

displacement. Decreased genset costs (less lube oil and extended overhauls). Moderate control complexity.

• High: Significant power gen diesel and stove oil displacement. Possibly gasoline displacement with EVs. Complex controls…

Evaluating options for wind integration

• Run the numbers on different penetration levels (HOMER, Excel, etc.) to evaluate economics.

• Many small vs. a few large turbines?• Turbine type: Gearbox? Pitch control? Inverter?• “Low Wind Resource” turbines available• Visit and talk with utilities doing this stuff already

(Chaninik, AVEC, KEAs, UVEC, etc)• Get professional help…economics and technical.• Funding availability?• Consider a PHASED APPROACH…?

Phased Approach Considerations…• Plan for space/land available for expansion of wind

(taller towers and or more turbines)• Install extra foundations or curtail larger turbine(s)? • Build power line capacity for maximum possible

wind/PV of community.• Flexible and expandable diesel plant

Automation/SCADA system.• Start winterizing your plant or consider new.• Plan for space/location in or outside of plant for energy

storage.

KEA-North Vision

• ~50% power generation diesel displacement with related community energy savings via:– More wind power… ~3-4MW total (TBD).– PV power! (several hundred kW)– Diesel off/on automation.– Medium term energy storage system with full-load

grid-forming inverter (kW &kVAR)– Long term storage for time-shifting energy (???)– Widespread interruptible electric heat loads.

KEA-North Vision• Challenges:– Funding (will need to be creative)– System Controls…”Microgrid Controllers” versus PLCs.– Wind as the prime mover. Getting turbine

manufacturers to change their control paradigm.– Local or in-state talent for support of renewable and

diesel technologies/equipment.– “Distribution/transmission” line capacity– Reliability and power quality.GOAL: Community energy (elec and heat) cost stabilization.

Taikuu… Thank you…