Wind Development: Benefits and Constraints

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1 Wind Development: Benefits and Constraints Joseph Fischl And Charles Malaniak Tetra Tech EC, Inc. 1

constraints Discuss underlying rationale Role of

2 Objective Benefits of wind energy Define small vs. big wind Identify setbacks and development constraints Discuss underlying rationale Role of constraint mapping in conceptual layout How to proceed to final layout

3 Small vs. Big Wind Small or Community Scale Wind Projects Turbine Capacity 2 kw to 100 kw Rotor diameter 2.5 m (8 ft) to 8 m (25 ft) Tower height 12 m (40 ft ) to 43 m (140 ft) kw hours/year 10,000 kwh/yr to 250,000 kwh/yr Annual average wind speed >4 meters per second (m/s) (9 mph) Commercial or Utility Scale Wind Projects Turbine Capacity 700 kw to 2.5 MW Rotor diameter 50 m to 90 m Tower height 70 m to 90 m One megawatt of wind energy can generate from 2.4 to more than 3 million kwh annually Annual average wind speeds of 6 meters/second (13 mph)

4 Wind Energy Benefits Renewable and abundant Produces no emissions Consumes virtually no water Economically competitive Reduces the risk associated with volatile fossil fuel prices Produces energy throughout a 24-hr period Can be used in a variety of applications either alone or as part of a hybrid system train stations bus terminals bridges maintenance and administration facilities

5 Where do we build?

Preliminary Screening Locate windy sites close to existing transmission system or application Start with gross wind data Collect site specific wind measurements Evaluate Land

6 Preliminary Screening Locate windy sites close to existing transmission system or application Start with gross wind data Collect site specific wind measurements Evaluate Land Issues Determine Public and Government Acceptability Screen for Environmental/Cultural/Engineering Concerns Critical Issues Analysis Evaluate initial regulatory compliance requirements

7 Types of setbacks and constraints Ensure public safety Avoid or minimize annoyance Encourage greater financial involvement Prohibit commercial and utility scale wind Reduce Interference Protect sensitive resources Address engineering and constructability Energy production considerations

8 Setback and Constraint Drivers Setbacks and constraints have different sources: Local ordinance State or federal law, regulation, or guidance Developers siting policy Developer s operations policy Contracts with land owners

9 Public Safety Considerations Public safety setbacks are designed to protect people, property, and common services from physical harm Public safety setbacks help protect against damage from: Blade failure Tower failure Ice shed Fires Incidents are rare Conservatively, California Wind Collaborative estimates chance of a blade failure between 1 in 100 per turbine per year to 1 in 1000 per turbine per year Tower collapse and fire are more rare than blade failure

10 Public Safety Considerations Minimum public safety setback is typically tip-height plus at least 10% Most recorded incidents are within 100 m (328 ft) of tower base Recorded incidents outside 200 m (656 ft) are rare Radius of potential impact is related more to tip speed than height of tower Other factors, such as a strong safety policy, properly inspected components, careful construction, regular inspection and maintenance, are key to preventing incidents

Annoyance Considerations Annoyance setbacks are designed to protect people from: Noise Shadow flicker Viewshed impacts Potential impacts are turbine specific typically larger/taller

11 Annoyance Considerations Annoyance setbacks are designed to protect people from: Noise Shadow flicker Viewshed impacts Potential impacts are turbine specific typically larger/taller turbines have a greater area of potential annoyance impact Some people are more sensitive than others Many ordinances give participating landowners the option to opt out of annoyance based setbacks

12 Annoyance Considerations Annoyance setbacks commonly protect residences, schools, hospitals, places of worship, and places where people must work Annoyance setbacks from schools, hospitals, places of worship tend to be greater Annoyance setbacks can be based upon tip-height increments, performance measures, or a fixed distance. For example: 3 times tip-height 6 db increase above ambient at receptor Hours of shadow flicker at receptor feet

13 Encouraging greater financial involvement Establishment of more substantial setbacks from nonparticipating parcel boundaries is often used as a mechanism to encourage developers to enter into more neighbor agreements with properties that don t host wind turbines. To increase developable area on participating parcels that abut non-participating parcels, developers can enter into neighbor agreements with these non-participant owners, making them project participants and thus removing certain development constraints.

Prohibiting commercial and utility scale wind Some communities have used extensive setbacks as an indirect way to make commercial or utility scale wind impossible in their communities Recently, at

14 Prohibiting commercial and utility scale wind Some communities have used extensive setbacks as an indirect way to make commercial or utility scale wind impossible in their communities Recently, at least two New York courts have upheld a determination by local Zoning Board of Appeals that wind turbines are utilities under a town s local zoning provisions. This designation means that more communities will likely find a place for wind.

15 Prohibiting commercial and utility scale wind This map illustrates how setbacks can be used to limit wind development in certain areas

Interference Considerations Interference considerations include identifying areas where communication (microwave pathways or broadcast

16 Interference Considerations Interference considerations include identifying areas where communication (microwave pathways or broadcast zones), radar, or aviation constraints exist Rather than set backs these areas are typically treated as constraints in the siting process

17 Resource Protection Considerations Protected resources include: Wetlands and Waterbodies (regulated by USACE and NYDEC) Special Status Species/Habitat (regulated by USFWS and NYDEC) Cultural Resources Archaeological and Historic (regulated by SHPO) Airspace and Aviation Safety (regulated by FAA) Construction Stormwater (regulated by NYDEC) Viewsheds (regulated by various agencies) Agricultural Lands (regulated by NYDA&M)

18 Resource Protection Considerations Resources impacts are avoided or minimized Impacts that cannot be avoided are permitted by the appropriate agency with appropriate conditions and/or mitigation Compliance during construction and O&M is key

issues Steep slopes Areas of obvious geotechnical instability

19 Engineering and Constructability Considerations At the early screening level, developers typically look at: Project access issues Steep slopes Areas of obvious geotechnical instability Areas with significant engineering or constructability challenges are avoided

Energy Production Considerations Turbines must be spaced to capture wind energy without interfering with each other Typically individual turbines must be placed 3

20 Energy Production Considerations Turbines must be spaced to capture wind energy without interfering with each other Typically individual turbines must be placed 3 to 6 rotor diameters from each other in strings facing the prevailing wind Typically, turbine strings must be spaced 5 to 9 rotor diameters apart in parallel lines

21 Constraint Mapping Constraint mapping is how all of the setbacks and other development constraints on a project come together to help the developer create a conceptual design The constraint map takes into account: Wind resource Property boundaries Setbacks Environmental and cultural resource constraints Interference constraints Engineering and constructability considerations Anything else that is important to the siting process

22 Conceptual Layout Initial layout that includes turbine location(s), access roads, electrical collection system, switchyard(s) and substation(s), transmission lines, O&M building, and construction work areas Necessary for obtaining land rights, performing preliminary studies, beginning the regulatory process Typically the developer or the meteorological firm will take a first cut at the conceptual layout of turbines on a constraint map

23 Example Constraint Map

24 Moving from the Conceptual Layout to the Final Layout Wind projects have a lot of moving parts that influence where project facilities are best sited: wind resource, landowner preferences, setbacks, environmental resources constraints, cultural resources, engineering constraints, transportation issues, constructability, etc. The best team includes a meteorologist, a land person, an environmental scientist, an engineer, a constructability expert, and a lawyer. In many cases, permits must be obtained for exactly what will be built, so a certain amount of engineering and field studies must be done at an early stage Site specific environmental and cultural fieldwork Site specific engineering field work Constructability assessments

25 Studies Topography Geotechnical Transportation Wetlands Wildlife Cultural Resources Noise Shadow Flicker Visual Assessment Property Values Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ASTM AIA Standards)

26 What is the Final Horizontal Layout? This layout depicts all project facilities for permitting and land acquisition purposes and reflects results of all studies Adjust Horizontal Layout and Review for: Wind resource Constructability Engineering Environmental/cultural resources Land owner acceptability Final Horizontal Layout

27 What comes next... CEQR or SEQR Analysis and Permitting Local State Federal Preconstruction Phase Finalize Transmission Interconnection Finalize Turbine and Long-Lead-Time Item Procurement Final Engineering Design Secure Construction Contractor Develop Safety Plan, Environmental Construction Compliance Plan, Mobilization Plan Construction O&M

28 Resources for Public Safety Discussion Recommendation for Risk Assessments of Ice Throw and Blade Failure in Ontario, by Garrad Hassan, for the Canadian Wind Energy Association, 31 May 2007 Permitting Setbacks for Wind Turbines in California and the Blade Throw Hazard, by Scott Larwood, California Wind Energy Collaborative, University of California, Davis, 16 June 2005 Public Health and Safety, by Global Energy Concepts for NYS Energy Research & Development Authority, 2005

29 AWEA Siting Guide! Prepared by Tetra Tech and Nixon Peabody Live, regularly updated links to hundreds of sources for environmental study and permitting

30 Tetra Tech, Inc. Tetra Tech, Inc provides environmental, engineering, and construction services for the three phases of a wind project: development, construction, and operation. Publicly traded company (TTEK) Acquisition of NY-based Delaney Group a well-respected leader in renewable energy construction Experienced energy staff in all disciplines More than 6 million hours without a lost work day over past two years Injury rate is ¼ the national average 70+ National Safety Council awards Employee health and safety perception rating in top 2% nation-wide ISO Certification for all services First major full-service firm to earn certification with such broad coverage ISO 9001 Certification for Wind Engineering Documented quality procedures and systems to meet global standards and expectations

31 Tetra Tech s Wind Experience Environmental, Engineering, Construction and Management Company Experience in over 200 wind projects #1 provider of front-end services to the wind industry Provide support to 20 of the top 25 wind project developers and owners On-shore and off-shore wind development Developed the AWEA Wind Citing Handbook

Joe Fischl 973-630-8385 Joseph.Fischl@tetratech.

32 Joe Fischl Charles Malaniak

Wind Energy Facility Siting and Permitting in South Dakota

Wind Energy Facility Siting and Permitting in South Dakota Tim Binder Staff Analyst Tim.Binder@state.sd.us 21 October 2009 Large Wind Wind Energy Basics Wind Farms: Buffalo Ridge, Hyde County Small Wind