ENERGUYS – MINI REPORT #2 MARCH 2, 2009
Date: 2-March-09 Doc Title: Mini Report #2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................3 2. ENERGY CONSUMPTION MODEL...........................................................................3 2.1.
Basis ................................................................................................................................ 4
2.2.
Direction of Model.......................................................................................................... 5
3. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OVERVIEW .........................................................................5 4. WIND ENERGY .....................................................................................................7 4.1.
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 7
4.2.
Resource Availability...................................................................................................... 8
4.3.
Selection Criteria .......................................................................................................... 11
4.4.
Cost Estimations ........................................................................................................... 11
5. SOLAR ENERGY ..................................................................................................12 5.1.
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 12
5.2.
Resource Availability................................................................................................ 12
5.3.
Cost Estimations ....................................................................................................... 13
6. REFERENCES ......................................................................................................15
APPENDIX A – Site Layout APPENDIX B – Energy Model Research & Development APPENDIX C – Renewable Resource Research APPENDIX D – Heating System Research APPENDIX E – Project Schedule
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1. Introduction The Environmental Centre is a non profit facility that strives to teach children about the environment and environmentally friendly practices. It is located at a remote site 10km from the Salmonier Line. Due to the remote location of the centre, it is not connected to the provincial grid. Energy is currently supplied to the buildings from an 8KW generator for the electrical system and propane for heating and kitchen appliances. To bring the site’s practices in line with the mission statement of developing environmental awareness, the board of directors has proposed to develop a more environmentally friendly energy plan. The development of the Environmental Centre’s Energy Plan will explore the feasibility of introducing renewable energy sources into the system. The renewable energy options include solar photovoltaic cells and a micro wind turbine for electrical generation. For site layout refer to Appendix A.
2. Energy Consumption Model In order to produce an accurate proposal for renewable energy at the Environmental Centre, the demand of the system must be understood. On January 17, 2009 the team conducted a thorough site audit where all energy consuming devices were catalogued. The dimensions of the site, buildings and rooms were measured. From this, an inventory of items was created and the energy consumption model formed. For research and development of the energy model, please refer to Appendix B. The two major inputs required for this model are the power requirement of each device (wattage) and the hours of use per week. The team has compiled information from the site audit, as well as Internet resources, to assign wattage to each device. Using the information from the client, as well as our own assumptions and estimations, the hours of use have been input to the spreadsheet. These figures for hours of usage are for the current system. Optimization and recommendations on usage figures will be made in the final report.
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2.1. Basis First and foremost, this energy model is capturing the current usage prior to a renewable energy system installation. In the final recommendations, any necessary power reduction suggestions will be made and the cost benefits will be outlined. There are three modes for the consumption model: 1. Summer Weeks (full usage, 7 days a week) During the summer weeks, the centre is often rented out to several different community groups. These groups use the centre to its full potential, and most appliances and lighting are operational seven days a week. This is the heaviest draw during the year. The usual number of people at the centre during these weeks is between 25 and 30. This is not the maximum number of people the site can accommodate; however the usage is more than usual (daily showering, etc.). 2. School Weeks (Intermittent usage, 4-5 days a week) During the spring and fall months of the school year, students from elementary and junior high schools travel to the centre usually for two days and one night. The number of occupants during the school weeks is usually between 50-60 people, including chaperones and staff. Showering is not usually encouraged, so the water consumption is significantly lower. 3. Shutdown Weeks (winterized and shut down for the winter) At the end of the fall season, the centre is winterized and all electrical devices are shut down and disconnected. The consumption during these months is zero. It has been noted, that the centre would be open to recommendations on potentially staying open through the winter provided the operating costs were reasonable. If it is feasible to do so, it will be included in the recommendations and subsequent cost estimates. In the ‘hours of usage’ column in the model, one can see the basis for the usage. For instance, the fridge and freezer operate for 7*24 hours a day (168 hours/week).
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The hours of operation assumptions are as follows in Table 1: Item
Summer Weeks
School Weeks
Indoor Lighting
7 days x 7 hours/day
49 hrs / week
5 days x 5 hours/day
25 hrs / week
Outdoor Lighting
7 days x 7 hours/day
49 hrs / week
5 days x 5 hours/day
25 hrs / week
Fridge & Deep Freeze
7 days x 24 hours/day
168 hrs / week
7 days x 24 hours/day
168 hrs / week
Washer
20 loads per week
20 hrs / week
20 loads per week
20 hrs / week
Dryer
10 loads (half is airdried)
10 hrs / week
10 loads (half is airdried)
10 hrs / week
Microwave & Kettle
1.5 hours & 2 hours /week
1.5 hrs / week
1 hour/week each
1 hrs / week
7 days x 24 hours/day
168 hrs / week
Standardized: 135 kw*h/ mo
n/a
2 hrs / week Air Exchange / Recovery
7 days x 24 hours/day
Water Pump
Standardized: 135 kw*h/ mo
168 hrs / week
n/a
Table 1
Based on these numbers, as well as how many of each “mode” there is (summer, school, and shutdown), a reasonable estimate can be made of the current usage.
2.2. Direction of Model For the final report and recommendations, the cost effectiveness of the new system will be presented. The team will now take the current energy model, and integrate the demand into a new renewable system. We will then compare the yearly cost of this system, against the cost to operate the current diesel generator for the same demand. Fuel costs will be assumed to be held relatively constant.
3. Electrical System Overview While the Environmental Centre electrical system will need to be sized appropriately, the recommended system will consist of a wind and/or solar hybrid design with the diesel generator remaining in place. For this type of system there are standard components that will need to be 5
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included to ensure efficient and safe operation. The standard components are listed below and shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1
DC Photovoltaic Array: Photovoltaic panels convert the suns energy into electricity. Photovoltaic cells connected in series, increases the system voltage, while panels in parallel increase the current. Selection of the appropriate set up must consider the battery voltage. If a maximum power point tracker is to be used, the PV array should be wired for twice the battery voltage. Maximum Power Point Tracking Unit/Voltage Regulator: Maximum power point tracking unit is used to control the electricity flow from the PV panels to the batteries. It serves several
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functions, including preventing backflow of electricity from the batteries to the PV panels during the night when they are not generating electricity and optimizing power flow to the batteries. Wind Turbine: Wind turbine converts power from the wind into DC electricity. Small wind turbines come in a variety of sizes and are selected based on the amount of energy required and the wind resource available. Diversion Charge Controller: Wind turbines require that there always be an electric load on the circuit to provide mechanical resistance to the turbine motor, preventing it from spinning too fast and damaging itself. The diversion charge controller will divert electricity from the batteries to a diversion load such as an air heater, when the batteries approach an overcharged state. Batteries: The battery bank serves as energy storage for the renewable energy system. During times when the energy consumption is lower than the energy generation, they will store energy for use when the energy consumption is higher than the production. This allows for a smaller generating capacity to be installed and allows for periods of low wind and solar energy supply. Inverter: The inverter is the control centre for the renewable energy system. It will convert the DC electricity from the batteries to 120V and 240V AC for use with household appliances. In situations where the battery charge falls below acceptable levels it can convert AC power from the generator to DC for recharging the batteries. They are available in a number of configurations. Generator: Backup power is provided by the diesel generator. If the energy stored in the batteries falls below an acceptable level, the generator will run electricity back through the inverter to the batteries. This allows for the system to supply power even during periods of above normal energy demand. There is already an 8KW generator at the Environmental Centre.
4. Wind Energy 4.1. Introduction The focus of this section will be an analysis of the micro wind turbine, committing to specific reviews of resource availability, appropriate technology, and associated cost estimations.
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4.2. Resource Availability The availability of wind resource in Newfoundland is the main driving force behind the implementation of a wind turbine. The resource availability will be analyzed in this section of the report. In adherence to World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Standards, wind data for this project was obtained through Environment Canada’s ‘National Climate Data and Information Archive’. While the Canadian government has seventy three weather monitoring and logging sites across Newfoundland and Labrador, there is no such site geographically inland close to the Environmental Education Centre. As a result, the data as presented in this report is a product of two sources. Primarily, detailed, statistical wind data was obtained for the nearest weather monitoring site, St. John’s airport. To support the applicability, the Canadian Wind Energy Atlas offers average wind data for the Environmental Education Centre site. The averages, calculated for the St. John’s airport, were compared to the site specific averages, and were found to be within 0.64% of each other, refer to Figure 2. On this basis, EnerGuys have assumed the wind data from the St. John’s airport to be an acceptable representation of the wind resource at the Environmental Education Centre. From this point forward the data will be referenced as if it were ideal data for the Environmental Education site
St. John's Airport Seasonal Averages Wind Speed (m/s) Winter 9.18 Spring 7.74 Summer 6.85 7.54 Fall 7.83 Seasonal Average Percent Difference
Environmental Education Centre Seasonal Averages Wind Speed (m/s) Winter 9.09 Spring 8.10 Summer 6.62 7.71 Fall 7.88 Seasonal Average 0.642
Figure 2
As depicted in Figure 3, The Environmental Education Centre experiences a fluctuation of wind speeds varying between 5.50 m/s to 7.94 m/s as measured in August and December respectfully. The direction of these winds occur mainly as south westerly’s, (see Figure 4) this information is also available in the form of a Wind Rose in Figure 5.
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Figure 3 - Mean Wind Speeds (10 m Tower)
Figure 4 - Mean Wind Direction
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Figure 5 - Wind Rose
The distribution of wind at the site follows a Raleigh Distribution pattern as shown in Figure 6. This highlights the distribution of wind speeds, and will be used for the purposes of turbine sizing calculations and optimization.
Figure 6
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\For the purposes of determining the relation between the wind resources and the surrounding area, several parameters must be reviewed. For detailed discussion on factors determining resource availability please see Appendix C.
4.3. Selection Criteria For the purposes of selecting a wind turbine, the following will be considered in optimization of the Energy Plan: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Wind turbines must be available from a local supplier Wind turbines must be able to be maintained by a local contractor (the supplier) The wind turbine must be able to withstand conditions present at the site Primary inspections must be able to be completed by a trained member of the Centre’s staff 5. Considering current electrical system at the Centre, and a coupling with photovoltaic cells, Wind Turbines with an power output of 1-10 KW will be considered for the site
4.4. Cost Estimations While pricing at this stage has not been finalized, the numbers below provide an estimate of direct costs both capital and operation and maintenance for industry standard turbines. In subsequent optimizing stages final costs will be established and consideration given to all expenses. Life of Project (Yrs)
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Yearly KW Hours (Summer Weeks) Yearly KW Hours (School Weeks)
Monthly KWh 2715.90 1828.79
Yearly kWh 32590.80 21945.43
Turbine Name
Power Rating (kW)
Cut In Speed (m/s)
Capital Cost (US)
Capital Cost (CAN)
O&M (yr)
Total Cost
BWC Excel R BWC Excel S BWC XL.1 SW Whisper 175 Senergy S20000 Wes 5 Tulipo
7.5 10 1 3.5 3 2.5
3 4 3 3 1.6 2.5
$23,500.00
$29,375.00
$31,137.50
Cost per kWh (Summer Weeks) $0.05
Cost per kWh (School Weeks) $0.08
$2,790.00
$3,487.50
$1,762.50 $0.00 $209.25
$3,696.75
$0.01
$0.01
Tower Name Tilt Up Tubular Tower
Height (m) 18 24 30 18 24 30 N/A
Capital Cost (US) $11,400.00 $12,630.00 $14,880.00 $10,150.00 $10,900.00 $12,900.00 $3,450.00
Standard Guysed Lattice Towers
Tower Rising Kit
Capital Cost (CAN) $14,250.00 $15,787.50 *The Danish Wind Industry Association estimates O&M is 6% capital cost per year $18,600.00 $12,687.50 $13,625.00 $16,125.00 $4,312.50
Figure 7
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5. Solar Energy 5.1.
Introduction
The focus of this section will be an analysis of the photovoltaic cells, committing to specific reviews of resource availability and associated cost estimations.
5.2.
Resource Availability
The solar energy concentration in northern climates fluctuates seasonally, proportional to the number of daylight hours. On the Avalon Peninsula the mean daily KWh/d/m2, collected from the Environment Canada website, is shown in Figure 8.
Average Solar Resource (KWh/d/m2) 6 5.33 5.14 5 4.47 4.28 4
3.75 3.22
3
2.81
1.92
1.86
2
1.14
1.11 0.83
1
0 January
February
March
April
May
June
July Month
August
September
October
November December
Figure 8
Using this data, solar energy generation has been calculated for various sizes of arrays. Solar energy generation is dependent on 4 efficiency factors. These factors are:
Photovoltaic Cell Efficiency Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) Efficiency Battery Efficiency Inverter Efficiency
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When these efficiency factors are multiplied together with the environmental conditions for the area, the result is KWh/d/m2 of usable electricity. This output is used to size the arrays. Array sizes shown below are: 5m2, 10m2 and 25m2. These array sizes were chosen arbitrarily to give us a reasonable estimate on how much solar energy can be produced. For further detail regarding research for solar calculations see Appendix C. Shown in Figure 9 are the KWh/d values for each month. While reading this chart below, it is important to remember that these KWh values are the average values for each day in one particular month. Average Solar Generation (KWh/d) 13.00 11.96
12.00
11.54
11.00 10.03 10.00
9.61
9.00
8.42
8.00 7.23 7.00
6.31
6.00 5.00
4.61 4.17
4.00 3.00
4.31 3.84
3.37 2.89
2.56
2.52 1.68
1.67
2.00 1.00
4.79
4.01
2.01
2.31
2.49
2.39 1.92 1.45
1.26
1.02 0.51
0.86
0.83
1.86
1.72 1.00 0.50
0.75 0.37
0.00 January
February
March
April
May
June
July Month
August
September October November December
Figure 9
5.3.
Cost Estimations
A preliminary cost estimate for a ten-panel photovoltaic (approximately 13m 2 array) is included in Table 2. Once the array size is optimized, a more detailed cost estimate will be provided. It may be realized during optimization that photovoltaic cells may not be suitable for installation at the Brother Brennan Center. For further detail regarding research for cost estimation see Appendix C.
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Panel Manufacturer
Panel Cost ($CAN)
Number of Panels and Trackers
Cost of Panels ($CAN)
Total Tracker Cost ($CAN)
Capital Required ($CAN)
O&M/yr ($CAN)
Cost ($CAN) per KWh (summer)
Cost ($CAN) per KWh (school)
Kyocera
1125
10
11250
3000
14250
142.5
0.42
0.22
Table 2
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6. References ABS Alaskan. (2008, January 9). Wind Turbines for Home Power. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from ABS Alaskan: http://www.absak.com/library/wind-turbine-home-power Canadian Wind Atlas. (2008, October 14). Canadian Wind Atlas. Retrieved January 29, 2009, from www.windatlas.ca Environment Canada. (2008, 11 1). National Climate Data and Information Archive. Retrieved January 23, 2009, from Environment Canada: http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/Welcome_e.html Gipe, P. (1999). Wind energy basics : a guide to small and micro wind systems. Chelsea Green Pub. Co. Government of Ontario. (2008, December 15). Electricity Generation Using Small Wind Turbines At Your Home Or Farm. Retrieved November 23, 2008, from Ministry of Agriculture Food & Rural Affairs: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/03047.htm#components Kemp, W. (2005). The renewable energy handbook : a guide to rural independence, off-grid and sustainable living. Aztext Press. Natural Resources Canada. (2007, 05 09). PV Potential and Insolation. Retrieved January 22, 2009, from Natural Resources Canada: https://glfc.cfsnet.nfis.org Natural Resources Canada. (2008, 11 18). Solar PhotoVoltaic Systems. Retrieved January 23, 2009, from CanmetEnergy: http://canmetenergy-canmetenergie.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Newfoundland Power. (2009). Energy Saving Tool Kit. Retrieved January 26, 2009, from Newfoundland Power: http://www.newfoundlandpower.com/ManagingYourEnergy/Default.aspx#athome Boyle, Godfrey (2004). Renewable Energy. Oxford University Press. ETA Engineering.(2009). Retrieved February 19, 2009 from ETA Engineering: http://www.etaengineering.com/off-grid-solar-power/off-grid-solar-intro.shtml
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APPENDIX A
Bunkhouse
Cookhouse
APPENDIX B
Energy Model Research The energy consumption model was originally going to be based on the actual consumption of each specific device at the site. However with some of the appliances/lighting being old, hidden, or just not identified, it became very difficult to determine the consumption for the specific device. Newfoundland Power has an online applet where the user can enter in the quantity of each device you have, as well as the weekly usage amount see below in Figure 10. The website then outputs a usage (in kw*h/month) for your household. This is based on standard consumption for the average refrigerator, the average fluorescent light bulb, etc.
Figure 10
We back-calculated from this applet, to get the wattage for each ‘standard’ device. From this we now have the tools required to model the consumption for the site.
Below in Figure 11 is an image of the new spreadsheet which we are now able to edit or scale to fit the energy demands of the Environmental Centre.
Number of Summer months Number of School Months Number of Off Months Total Energy Consumption (kwh) per annum
2 5 5 14575.73 kwh
SUMMER WEEKS LIGHTING
Qty
Ceiling - Fluorescent Light (4ft x 2bulb) Incandescent Bulbs (60W) Exterior - 60W Bulb Exterior - Block Style Emergency Lighting
Hours/Week KWh / mo
W
38 60 8 11
49 49 49 49
744.8 705.6 93.8 239
90.3 54.2 54.0 100.0
1 1 1 1 2 2 1
168 168 20 10 1.4 2 n/a
109 70 30 192 6 24 135
146.5 94.1 338.7 4335.5 483.9 1354.8
2
168 TOTAL:
367 2715.9
246.6
Draw (W)
Comment
3432.3 3251.6 432.3 1100.0
APPLIANCES Fridge Deep Freeze Washer Dryer Microwave Kettle Water Pump
146.5 94.1 338.7 1 hour = load 4335.5 (half of laundy is air dried) 967.7 2709.7 based on 3/4 hp pump
HEATING Electric Heat (bunkhouse) Electric Heat (cookhouse) Blowers for Propane Furnace Air Exchange (HRV)
SCHOOL WEEKS LIGHTING Ceiling - Fluorescent Light (4ft x 2bulb) Incandescent Bulbs (60W) Exterior - 60W Bulb Exterior - Block Style Emergency Lighting
Qty
Hours/Week KWh / mo
W
38 60 8 11
25 25 25 25
380 360 48 122
90.3 54.2 54.2 100.0
1 1 1 1 2 2 1
168 168 20 10 1 1 n/a
109 70 30 192 4 12 135
146.5 94.1 338.7 4335.5 451.6 1354.8
2
168 TOTAL:
367 1828.8
246.6
Draw (W)
Comment
3432.3 3251.6 433.5 1100.0
APPLIANCES Fridge Deep Freeze Washer Dryer Microwave Kettle Water Pump
HEATING Electric Heat (bunkhouse) Electric Heat (cookhouse) Blowers for Propane Furnace Air Exchange (HRV)
Figure 11
146.5 94.1 338.7 1 hour = load 4335.5 (half of laundy is air dried) 903.2 2709.7 based on 3/4 hp pump
APPENDIX C
Wind Resource Research Assumptions Due to the remoteness of the Environmental Education Centre site, substantial, site specific data was unavailable. To determine a nearest estimate of the available wind resource two sources was used. The Canadian Wind Energy Atlas, specific monthly wind speed averages, but little detailed information was available. For the St. John’s area, Environment Canada provided a very detailed wind resource data set. It was hypothesized that the wind profile for the St. John’s area would be, within a reasonable threshold, accurately comparable to that of the Environmental Education Centre site. This hypothesis was verified through the analysis of the monthly wind speed averages and directions provided by The Canadian Wind Energy Atlas to that of the St. John’s data set. These were found to be within 0.64 percent of each other. See Figure 12.
Figure 12- Wind Resource Comparison
From this point forward, the data set for the St. John’s area provided by Environment Canada will be considered an appropriate representation to that of the Environmental Education Centre Site.
Data Analysis The Environmental Education Centre experiences wind at a fairly steady rate with reliable currents and minimal fluctuations. In conjunction with height, other features of the island must be reviewed in order to accurately determine actual availability and quality of wind.
Surface Roughness Surface roughness plays an integral role in the speed of the wind. In general, the more pronounced the surrounding geographical features, the greater the surface roughness, and the higher the ‘roughness height’. Roughness height which relates to the distance above ground where the speed of the wind is theoretically zero, the slower the local wind speed. The Danish
Wind Industry Association has developed a referencing scheme which defines industry standardized values for the roughness height measured in meters, in relation to site surroundings, refer to Roughness Class and Length Table below for full details.
Roughness Classes and Length Table Roughness
Roughness
Length
Energy Index
Landscape Type
(m) Class
(per cent)
0
0.0002
100
Water surface
0.5
0.0024
73
Completely open terrain with a smooth
surface,
e.g.concrete
runways in airports, mowed grass, etc. 1
0.03
52
Open agricultural area without fences and hedgerows and very scattered buildings. Only softly rounded hills
1.5
0.055
45
Agricultural land with some houses
and
8
meter
tall
sheltering hedgerows with a distance of approx. 1250 meter 2
0.1
39
Agricultural land with some houses
and
8
meter
tall
sheltering hedgerows with a distance of approx. 500 meter 2.5
0.2
31
Agricultural land with many houses, shrubs and plants, or 8 meter tall sheltering hedgerows with a distance of approx. 250 meter
3
0.4
24
Villages,
small
towns,
agricultural land with many or tall sheltering hedgerows, forests and very rough and uneven terrain 3.5
0.8
18
Larger cities with tall buildings
4
1.6
13
Very
large
cities
with
tall
buildings and skyscrapers Definitions according to the European Wind Atlas, WAsP.
The approximate surroundings of the turbine would include, low level coniferous trees (>8m height), low level shrubs, and a sitting that is relatively close to a body of water. In reference to the Danish Wind Industry Association’s Surface Roughness Reference Chart, the site is classified as a 2.5 Roughness Class which results in an interpolated Roughness Length of 0.2. These values are obtained with reference to the tables ‘Landscape Type’. This will be considered in future sizing, efficiency and optimization calculations.
Weibull Factor The Weibull factor is a shape parameter for the wind speed distribution. The Canadian Wind Energy Atlas has determined this to be 1.97 for the Environmental Education Centre data set. This will be considered in future sizing, efficiency and optimization calculations.
Tower Height Calculations The surrounding surface roughness class and resulting roughness length has a direct effect on the relationship between wind speed with respect to height. In general, as elevation increases so does the wind velocity. This does so in an exponential manner following the function as outlined below. The Danish Wind Industry Association states that the wind speed in relation to height is determined by:
Where,
Although this method of calculating the wind speed with respect to height is the most accurate, a simplified model is to be used for the remainder of this report. This model assumes a negligible roughness length but still approximates relative wind velocities due to the boundary layer effect to an acceptable degree. The method of calculation is as detailed below:
Where,
Through the use of the above calculations, wind speed conditions have been formulated for three standard, commercially available towers (10m, 20m and 50m) as shown below.
Wind Gusts Along with wind speeds relating to steady conditions, wind gust speeds are also important to outline for the purposes of durability of the wind turbine. The gust speeds experienced at the Environmental Education Centre fluctuate on average between 53.61 m/s in February and 29.72 m/s in July. Unlike the average wind speed, the gust wind direction is not historically recorded.
These values are for a 10 m height to gain insight into approximate values.
Solar Research and References Photovoltaic Cells Photovoltaic panels convert the suns energy into electricity. Photovoltaic cells connected in series, increases the system voltage, while panels in parallel increase the current. Selection of the appropriate set up must consider the battery voltage. If a maximum power point tracker is to be used, the PV array should be wired for twice the battery voltage. Source of research used in this document for solar energy can be found in: Boyle, Godfrey (2004). Renewable Energy. Oxford University Press.
Solar Energy Calculations Solar data was collected from www.weatheroffice.gc.ca. St. John’s Airport was the site from which the data was collected. There were no sites in the Salmonier Line area. For information on how to calculate energy production from environmental conditions, Dr. Iqbal was used as a reference. Calculation the solar energy from the environmental conditions involves multiplying the environmental conditions by a series of efficiency factors. These factors include:
Photovoltaic Cell Efficiency – ePVC=15% Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) Efficiency – eMPPT=95% Battery Efficiency – eB=70% Inverter Efficiency – eI=90%
SolarEnergy Enviro.Cond.* ePVC * eMPPT * eB * eI
Below is the calculated energy generation for 3 different size arrays. Average Solar Generation (KWh/d) 13.00 11.96
12.00
11.54
11.00 10.03 10.00
9.61
9.00
8.42
8.00 7.23 7.00
6.31
6.00 5.00
4.61 4.17
4.00 3.00
4.31 3.84
3.37 2.89
2.56
2.52 1.68
1.67
2.00 1.00
4.79
4.01
1.02 0.51
2.01
2.31
2.49
2.39 1.92 1.45
1.26
0.86
0.83
1.86
1.72 1.00 0.50
0.75 0.37
0.00 January
February
March
April
May
June
July Month
August
September October November December
Solar Cost Estimate Cost estimate information was gathered from: http://www.etaengineering.com/off-grid-solar-power/off-grid-solar-intro.shtml This information was used to estimate the hardware and maintenance cost of a 10 panel photovoltaic array. Included in the estimate was: Capital cost of the array Capital cost of the trackers Yearly maintenance for the system To give an idea of how much per KWh it would cost for solar energy, the O&M cost per year was divided by producible energy. This KWh cost calculation is only valid using the assumption that government funding will cover all capital costs.
Panel Manufacturer
Panel Cost ($CAN)
Number of Panels and Trackers
Cost of Panels ($CAN)
Total Tracker Cost ($CAN)
Capital Required ($CAN)
O&M/yr ($CAN)
Cost ($CAN) per KWh (summer)
Cost ($CAN) per KWh (school)
Kyocera
1125
10
11250
3000
14250
142.5
0.42
0.22
Once the system is optimized, local contractors will be contacted for hardware and installation cost for an appropriately sized system. This will give a fairly accurate cost estimate for the final report.
APPENDIX D
Heating System Research Introduction During the meeting on February 9th the Environmental Centre requested that conversion of the heating system to renewable energy sources be considered in the proposal for the site. Research has focused on finding viable alternatives to the existing propane system with consideration of the following 1. Environment: The current propane system emits CO2 from the combustion of hydrocarbon gas. The Environmental Centre’s goal is to improve environmental awareness; therefore any new system should minimize negative environmental impact. 2. Operation: The current propane system uses compressed fuel stored in tanks on the sides of each building. The tanks are filled once per year. The system is run from a thermostat that controls the fuel flow to the furnace. Hours of work required to maintain and operate the system are minimal. Any new system should require minimal hours for operation and maintenance. 3. Cost: The cost of the current system is in for fuel and maintenance of the furnaces. The cost of any new system should be competitive with the costs of keeping the existing system.
Existing System The existing heating system at the facility consists of three propane furnaces, two in the bunkhouse and one in the cookhouse. The furnace heats hot air which is circulated around the buildings through a series of air ducts.
Outdoor Wood Boiler Outdoor wood boilers are hot water heating units typically located in a separate building from that which is being heated. The hot water is then sent to the building through buried pipes where it heats the building using hot water radiation. Advantages -
Where the unit is separate from the building it can be used to heat more than one building Wood is the source of fuel which is a renewable resource
Disadvantages -
The transfer of heat through underground pipes results in considerable heat loss Inefficient boilers can use 3 to 4 times more fuel wood than a indoor wood stove
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Short smoke stacks on the boiler sheds can result in smoke buildup around the shed Some models are notoriously inefficient resulting in large carbon release. Even EPA certified stoves can result in 10 times more carbon release than an indoor stove of comparable size. The boiler requires a constant supply of wood. Where the current system is based on hot air circulation, any new system would require either that the hot air circulation be replaced with hot water radiation or a heat exchanger be installed to be used with the hot air circulation
Pellet Furnace A pellet stoves and furnaces provide heat by burning compressed wood or biomass fuel pellets. They can be integrated into an existing heating system. Pellets are typically fed into the combustion chamber through from a pellet hopper. The furnace can be self regulating, using a damper to control the rate of combustion. Advantages -
Pellet stoves are very efficient and when used properly nearly completely combust the wood fuel The source of fuel is compressed sawdust which comes from trees, a renewable energy source
Disadvantages -
Integration into the existing heating system may be difficult. The furnaces are located in sub small areas underneath the building that would make refueling the hopper a difficult. Wood pellets would need to be purchased, possibly negating any financial benefits from reduced use of propane. The pellet hopper would require regular refilling Pellets would need to be stored onsite
Combi Furnace Dual fired furnaces have a wood burning section on the top and an oil fired burner on the bottom. Provided a wood fire is maintained, the furnace is programmed not to start the oil burner unit. Advantages
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Can be used with either wood or stove oil which would provide the centre with added flexibility of being able to burn wood that is available around the centre If wood was used as the primary fuel source, it would be a renewable resource
Disadvantages -
If wood is used as the primary fuel source, the furnaces would require constant filling Integration into the existing heating system may be difficult. The furnaces are located in sub small areas underneath the building that would make refueling the hopper a difficult. There would be two new forms of energy storage required in the form of wood and fuel storage
Solar Hot Water Heating Solar hot water heating uses solar energy collected from the sun to heat water that is then used for space heating. Advantages -
As far North as Halifax it is possible to reduce hot water costs by 54% It requires very little maintenance and is easy to operate
Disadvantages -
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It is unlikely to provide all of heating requirements, an additional heating system would be required If the centre were to remain open for the entire year, the energy available for heating from the solar system would be minimal during the season of highest energy consumption Where the current system is based on hot air circulation, any new system would require either that the hot air circulation be replaced with hot water radiation or a heat exchanger be installed to be used with the hot air circulation
Cansolair Cansolair panels circulate cool air from inside a building through a set of solar absorbers on the outside of a building and back into the building. Advantages -
It can be used in conjunction with any existing heating system It is easy to install with minimal modifications to the building There is little maintenance or operating expenses
Disadvantages -
If the facility were to remain open during the winter, the energy provided from the Cansolair unit would be minimal during the periods of maximum heat requirement The unit would not provide all the centre’s heating requirements.
APPENDIX E
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Start
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Thursday Faculty Adviser Meetings Project Start Independent Research Site Visit to Environmental Centre Presentation Preperation #1 Presentation #1 Website Launch Mini Report #1 Solar Energy Analysis Wind Energy Analysis Energy Consumption Analysis Scope Review With Customer Meeting Preperation Customer Meeting Mini Report #2 Documentation Cost Research Solar Energy Availability Wind Energy Availability System Layout Energy Profile Heating System Analysis Midterm Ski Trip Mini Report Review Review Report Mini Report #2 Submission Presentation #2 Create Presentation #2 Present System Modelling and Optimization Complete Final Energy Model Optimize Renewable System Detailed Cost Analysis Capital Cost of Optimized System Maintenance Cost Savings Generated Culture of Sustanability Suggestions on Educational Components for Student Recommendations for Energy Conservation Final Report Documentation Prepare Technical Report Prepare Environmental Centre Report Final Report Review Final Presentation Development Prepare Final Presentation Final Report Due Final Presentation
Project: Term 8 Gant Date: Mon 02/03/09
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