Wind energy today 2010 NREL

Wind Power Today 2010 WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM •• BUILDING•A•CLEAN• ENERGY•ECONOMY •• ADVANCING•WIND• TURBINE•TECHNOLOGY •• SUPPORTING•SYSTEMS•• INTERCONNECTION •• GROWING•A•LARGER• MARKET CONTENTS BUILDING•A•CLEAN•ENERGY•ECONOMY•........................2 ADVANCING•LARGE•WIND•TURBINE•TECHNOLOGY•.....7 SMALL•AND•MID-SIZED•TURBINE•DEVELOPMENT•...... 15 SUPPORTING•GRID•INTERCONNECTION•..................... 17 GROWING•A•LARGER•MARKET•....................................23 ENSURING•LONG-TERM•INDUSTRY•GROWTH•.............. 31 2 WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM WIND POWER TODAY BUILDING•A•CLEAN•ENERGY•ECONOMY Building•a•Green•Economy• In 2009, more wind generation capacity was installed in the United States than in any previous year despite difficult economic conditions. The rapid expansion of the wind industry underscores the potential for wind energy to supply 20% of the nation’s electricity by the year 2030 as envisioned in the 2008 Department of Energy (DOE) report 20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy’s Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply. Funding provided by DOE, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), and state and local initiatives have all contributed to the wind industry’s growth and are moving the nation toward achieving its energy goals. Wind energy is poised to make a major contribution to the President’s goal of doubling our nation’s electricity generation capacity from clean, renewable sources by 2012. The DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy invests in clean energy technologies that strengthen the economy, protect the environment, and reduce dependence on foreign oil. Within that office, the Wind and Water Power Program manages the public’s investment in wind power technology to improve the performance, lower the cost, and accelerate the deployment of wind power. Built in 2009, the 63-megawatt Dry Lake Wind Power Project is Arizona’s first utility-scale wind power project. The mission of the U.S. Department of Energy Wind Program is to focus the passion, ingenuity, and diversity of the nation to enable rapid expansion of clean, affordable, reliable, domestic wind power to promote national security, economic vitality, and environmental quality. 3WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM WIND POWER TODAY Another•Record•Year•for•Wind In 2009, the U.S. wind industry installed 10,010 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity, breaking U.S. installation records for the third year in a row. Wind power represented 39% of all U.S. electric generation capacity additions for the year. According to the American Wind Energy Association, the wind capacity added in 2009 generates enough electricity to power the equivalent of 2.4 million homes—the generation capacity of three large nuclear power plants. The entire wind turbine fleet in place at year’s end— more than 35,000 MW—was enough to power the equivalent of nearly ten million homes. This wind power capacity will avoid an estimated 62 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually, equivalent to taking 10.5 million cars off the road, and will conserve about 20 billion gallons of water each year that would otherwise be withdrawn for steam or cooling in conventional power plants. The renewable energy industry creates thousands of long- term, high-technology careers in wind turbine component manufacturing, construction and installation, maintenance and operations, legal and marketing services, transportation and logistical services and more. In 2009, the wind sector invested $17 billion in the U.S. economy and employed 85,000 workers. A modern wind turbine has more than 8,000 component parts. To supply this market, 39 manufacturing facilities were brought online, announced, or expanded in 2009, bringing the total number of wind turbine component manufacturing facilities now operating in the United States to more than 200. Over half of the wind power generating capacity added in 2009 was installed in Texas, Indiana, and Iowa. Texas is home to the Roscoe Wind Plant, the world’s largest wind generation plant. After a construction period of just over two years, Roscoe has 627 wind turbines with an installed capacity of 780 MW that can generate electricity for more than 230,000 homes. Thirty-six states now have commercial wind energy systems installed. Arizona inaugurated its first large-scale wind plant, the 64-MW Dry Lake Wind Power Project, in 2009. The market for small wind turbines (rated capacity of less than 100 kilowatts) grew by 15% in 2009, adding 20 MW of generating capacity to the nation. Seven small wind turbine manufacturing facilities were opened, announced or expanded in 2009. A•National•Strategy The DOE Wind Program leads the federal government’s efforts to expand domestic wind energy capacity. According to the 20% Wind Energy by 2030 report, supplying 20% of our nation’s electrical demand with wind energy by 2030 is technically feasible and would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs, stimulate economic activity, and reduce water use. Generating 20% of the nation’s electricity from wind would require increasing the nation’s wind generating capacity from today’s 35 gigawatts (GW) to 300 GW of capacity over the next twenty years. The report found that achieving 20% wind energy by 2030 would provide significant economic and environmental benefits, including: • Roughly 500,000 jobs in the United States with an annual average of more than 150,000 workers directly employed by the wind industry; • More than 100,000 jobs in associated industries (e.g., steel workers, electrical manufacturing, accountants, and lawyers); • More than 200,000 jobs through economic expansion based on local spending; • An increase in annual property tax revenues to more than $1.5 billion by 2030; • An increase in annual payments to rural landowners of more than $600 million in 2030; • Avoidance of approximately 825 million metric tons of CO2 emissions in the electric sector; • A reduction in water consumption by 4 trillion gallons in the electric sector. The report also identified major challenges along the path to a 20% wind scenario. The nation’s institutions need to: • Invest in the nation’s transmission system so that the electricity generated by wind power can be delivered to urban centers that need the increased supply; • Develop larger electric load balancing areas, in tandem with better regional planning, so that regions can depend on a diversity of generation sources including wind power; 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Capacity needed by 2010 to meet 20% scenario by 2030 = 26 GW Cumulative installed Capacity as of December 2009 = 35 GW C um ul at iv e In st al le d C ap ac ity ( G W ) 20% Wind Scenario 305 GW 2000 2006 2012 2018 2024 2030 O­shore 2009 = 0 Land-based 2009 = 35 GW 2009 = 35 GW This 20% wind scenario graph shows how the total capacity installed by the end of 2009 compares to the capacity needed by 2010 to meet 20% wind by 2030 (1 GW=1,000 MW). 4 WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM WIND POWER TODAY • Grow the manufacturing supply chain to remedy the current shortage in wind turbines and components and provide jobs; • Continue to reduce the capital cost and improve the performance of wind turbines through technology advancement and improved domestic manufacturing capabilities; • Address potential concerns about local siting, wildlife, and environmental issues within the context of wind-generated electricity. To meet these challenges, the Wind Program works to improve the cost, performance, and reliability of land-based and offshore wind technologies. The program also addresses barriers to wind energy’s rapid market expansion such as electrical transmission and integration, manufacturing, project siting, and public and market acceptance. This work is conducted through cost-share agreements with industry and agencies such as DOE’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, transmission and distribution industry groups, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Defense, and the Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service. Cooperative research and development is performed with the International Energy Agency, academia, and DOE’s national laboratories. The Wind Program focuses specialized technical expertise, comprehensive design and analysis tools, and unique testing facilities on addressing technology challenges (improving wind technology and facilitating grid interconnection) and market barriers (permitting, siting, radar, and environmental impacts). A key question in this era of increasing demand for clean energy supplies is “How much electricity can wind energy contribute?” A new wind resource assessment recently released by DOE finds that the contiguous 48 states have the potential to generate up to 37 million gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity from wind annually. By comparison, total U.S. electricity generation from all sources was roughly 4 million GWh in 2009. Although U.S. wind energy capacity has increased from about 2.5 GW in 2000 to 35 GW by the end of 2009, it still only provides about 2% of our nation’s electrical energy. The Wind Program helps industry tap this vast renewable resource to provide a greater portion of our nation’s electricity needs. DOE’s Wind Program focuses specialized technical expertise, comprehensive design and analysis tools, and unique testing facilities on addressing wind technology challenges and market barriers. Recovery•Act•Helps•Wind Investments in wind energy from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (Recovery Act) began to bear fruit in 2009 and will have significant impacts through 2012 and beyond. The Act provides a three-year extension of the production tax credit and offers alternatives to tax credits for renewable energy systems. The production tax credit provides a 2.1¢/kilowatt-hour credit for every kilowatt-hour produced by new qualified wind power facilities during the first 10 years of operation, provided the facilities are placed in service before the tax credit’s expiration date, now extended through 2012. The Recovery Act also allows wind energy facility owners to choose a 30% business energy investment credit rather than the production tax credit through 2012. Alternately, owners of qualified facilities could choose to receive a grant equal to 30% of the tax basis (that is, the reportable business investment). The grants will be paid directly from the U.S. Treasury. Businesses and homeowners can also claim the full 30% tax credit for qualified small wind systems (under 100 KW) with no dollar cap (previously $4,000) on the credit. For wind turbine manufacturers, the Recovery Act provides a tax credit for qualified investments in new, expanded, or re-equipped domestic facilities engaged in the manufacture of renewable energy equipment. Credits, which will be worth 30% of the investment, are made available for projects through a competitive bidding process. Applicants will receive tax credits based on the expected commercial viability of their project, expected job creation, reduction of air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions, technological innovation, and ability to implement the project quickly. Wind Program Recovery Act Projects • Clemson University will receive up to $45 million for a wind turbine drivetrain test facility. • Twenty-seven new wind energy projects will receive up to $14 million for wind technology research and development, streamlining manufacturing processes, and easing systems interconnection. • Massachusetts will receive $25 million in funding for a large wind turbine blade test center. • Three university-led consortia will receive approximately $24 million for land-based and offshore wind research, development, and education. • The National Renewable Energy Laboratory will receive $10 million to upgrade the drivetrain test facility and for infrastructure improvements to the National Wind Technology Center. 5WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM WIND POWER TODAY Recovery Act funds also support wind energy through DOE research and development, loan guarantees for renewable energy projects, development of efficient electrical transmission, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E). DOE’s•Wind•Energy•R&D•Capabilities DOE draws on the capabilities and technical expertise found in its 12 national laboratories to meet the many complex challenges facing the wind industry today. The Wind Program uses cooperative research and development agreements that allow collaborative activities, closely supported by laboratory-based research and testing, to help private organizations improve wind technology. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, provides industry with the technical support it needs to develop advanced wind energy systems. NREL’s research capabilities include design review and analysis; software development, modeling, and analysis; systems and controls analysis; turbine reliability and performance enhancement; certification and standards; utility integration assessment; wind resource assessment and mapping; technology market and economic assessment; workforce development; and outreach and education. As the only facility in the United States accredited through the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation to perform several critical tests, NREL’s National Wind Technology Center provides the high quality testing required by wind turbine certification agencies, financial institutions, and other organizations throughout the world. Accredited tests that meet the International Electrotechnical Commission standards include wind turbine noise, power performance, power quality, and several structural safety, function, and duration tests. Sandia National Laboratories headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, specializes in all aspects of wind turbine blade design and system reliability. Activities focus on reducing the cost of wind-generated electricity and improving the reliability of systems operating nationwide. Sandia’s research addresses materials, manufacturing, aerodynamics, aeroacoustics, structural analysis, resource characterization, and integration studies. By partnering with universities and industry, Sandia has advanced knowledge in the areas of materials, structurally efficient airfoil designs, active-flow aerodynamic control, and sensors. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington, is evaluating the effectiveness of integration strategies such as virtual balancing areas, sharing of regulation resources, operating reserves, area control error, and control room use of forecasting to address wind and load variability on the utility grid in the Pacific Northwest. Researchers are also evaluating sensitivities of wildlife species to wind energy development. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Argonne National Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory Savannah River National Laboratory National Renewable Energy Laboratory Idaho National Laboratory Los Alamos National Laboratory Sandia National Laboratories Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory DOE Laboratories Conducting Wind Energy Research Ames National Laboratory Brookhaven National Laboratory Sandia National Laboratories 6 WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM WIND POWER TODAY Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California, works with DOE, state, and federal policy makers, electricity suppliers, renewable energy firms, and others to evaluate state and federal renewable energy policies. Researchers provide expert assistance in policy design; analyze the markets for, and economics of, renewable energy sources; and examine the benefits and costs of increased market penetration of renewable energy technologies with a focus on wind and solar power. Researchers at Berkeley Lab also spearhead production of the Wind Program’s annual Wind Technologies Market Report. The Ames Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, focuses on forecasting wind energy resources, particularly for the high resource wind area in the Midwest. Ames Lab researchers are also studying interactions between wind turbines and agricultural crops. Ames is also a leader in rare-earth materials and alloys and other magnetic materials that are used for wind-turbine generator components, and it is developing a variety of robust supply chain and materials- substitution strategies to ensure the viability of the turbine manufacturing industry. Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, is conducting power flow analyses of the Western Interconnect, of scenarios associated with providing 20% of the nation’s electricity with wind by 2030, and of scenarios to reach state renewable electricity standards. Savannah River National Laboratory in Aiken, South Carolina, conducts studies on wind energy related technologies for coastal and marine environments. These studies include testing SODAR (Sonic Detection and Ranging) technology for wind resource assessment in coastal and offshore wind energy development along the Eastern Seaboard and testing of large wind turbine drivetrains at the Clemson University Drivetrain Test Facility. Savannah River is also studying radar impacts from wind turbines in environments with high refractivity resulting from high moisture content in the atmosphere, as is present in coastal and marine environments. Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, evaluates the dynamic response of large wind turbine systems and assesses alternative foundation materials, including concrete with high fly ash content, and fiber-reinforced concrete. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, has a robust and growing program in wind power to help address the challenges in developing clean and renewable energy. Currently, a staff of nearly 20 scientists and engineers, drawn from programs in atmospheric science, engineering, and computation, are directly involved in wind power. The Laboratory includes a 7000-acre rural facility in the Altamont foothills that is being used for meteorological data acquisition and wind resource characterization. Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is developing an archive of wind resource data that will provide information for wind energy research, planning, operations, and site assessment. Researchers are also examining the issues involved in importing large quantities of wind energy to the southeastern United States to satisfy possible renewable portfolio standards, and are investigating innovative control strategies for damping oscillatory modes. Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Illinois, is developing improved methodologies for wind power forecasting and is working to increase the deployment of advanced wind forecasting techniques that will optimize overall grid reliability and systems operations. Work is also underway to assess and mitigate environmental impacts of wind power plants, and to enhance the reliability, performance, and efficiency of wind turbine drivetrains through advanced lubrication technologies. The Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho, has more than 10 years of experience in wind-radar interaction research and development. Research staff work with wind developers and radar site managers to mitigate wind-radar system interactions that may ultimately affect the development of wind plants. Wind-radar interaction research efforts include conducting site-specific assessments to develop guidelines; improving radar software; improving hardware;