Frequently Asked Questions
We strive to provide complete and up to date information to help you better understand our company and services. We have added the following list of questions that help to explain key concepts and issues related to renewable energy and Infinite Energy's role in providing socially responsible solutions to today's energy environment. Each Frequently Asked Question is broken into various groups for ease of reference.
Wind Energy Basics
1. What is "green power"?
Green power is a term applied to electricity that is generated from sources like wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and small hydropower. Typically, the environmental impacts of these sources are quite modest compared to those of coal, oil and other conventional sources.
Green power programs vary, but one common approach, called "green pricing," is for a utility to offer its customers the option of buying electricity generated from wind at a premium price. The utility would then add enough wind capacity to its generating mix to provide the additional electricity required. Note that the utility cannot deliver specific electrons from any of its plants to a specific customer. Instead, its generating mix should be thought of as a pool. Power plants add electricity to the pool and customers take it out. With green power, the utility adds more wind energy to the pool based on the amount customers have said they desire to purchase.
A second form of green power is used in states that have opened their electricity markets to competition (similar to the long distance telephone market). In these states, electricity suppliers offer electricity "products" from renewable and other sources, and customers are free to sign up for the product and company they prefer.
A third form of green power is called "green tags" and can be used by consumers anywhere to "green" their electricity supply. Under this approach, when a certain amount of electricity is generated from a renewable source, a certificate called a "green tag" is created. The generator sells the electricity into the commodity wholesale market, but keeps the certificate (which represents the beneficial environmental attributes of the electricity) and sells it to an interested buyer for an agreed-upon price. By buying green tags that represent the amount of renewable generation equal to your electricity use, you can, in effect, "green" your power supply in much the same way that you would through "green pricing" or "green power"—you are paying extra, and extra renewable energy is being delivered to the utility system based upon your payment.
No one knows yet how successful green programs and products will be in the electricity marketplace. If consumers learn more about the air pollution, strip mining, and other harmful environmental impacts of electricity generation and decide to "vote with their dollars" for clean energy, green power could become a large and growing business over the next decade and beyond.
Customers in many states have the option today to participate in green pricing or green power programs, while of course, customers anywhere can buy green tags. To find out more about your options, check the U.S. Department of Energy's Green Power Network Web site at: http://www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/consumers.shtml
2. When I pay extra for green power, does it really come directly to my home?
The flow of electricity usually follows the path of least resistance to the nearest demand, so you probably don't get "green" electrons flowing directly from a wind farm to your home. As noted above, the electricity system operates like a large pool of water, with many pumps (power plants) adding water and many outlets (customers) withdrawing it. When you buy green power, instead of actually getting it at your home or business, you are helping to change the mix of generating plants that put electricity into the "pool." Each green power provider either generates, or purchases from a generator, enough wind or other renewable energy to supply the amount of electricity that green power customers are purchasing.
By selecting wind energy over conventional electricity generation, consumers indicate support for the growth of America's wind energy industry and encourage utilities to add and expand green power programs. As the popularity of green power grows, power producers have to build additional wind plants to meet growing demand.
3. If I buy green power, will my electricity supply be reliable when the wind isn't blowing?
Remember that the wind energy is not delivered directly to your home. Instead, the wind energy goes into a "pool" along with all other types of energy generation. It is this "pool" that serves all electricity users. This is true whether or not the wind blows. Therefore, if one plant, say a wind turbine (but also any other power plant), isn't generating, then another plant will be asked to generate more electricity to meet demand. (The green power provider does not have to guarantee a steady supply of green electricity, but rather only to generate or buy as much green electricity over the course of a year or month as you pay for.)
4. What obstacles lie in the way of wind generation reaching its full potential in the U.S.?
· Consistent policy support. Over the past seven years (1999-2005), the federal production tax credit has been extended four times, but three times Congress allowed the credit to expire before acting, and then only approved short durations. These expiration-and-extension cycles inflict a high cost on the industry, cause large lay-offs, and hold up investments. Long-term, consistent policy support would help unleash the industry's pent-up potential.
· Nondiscriminatory access to transmission lines. Transmission line operators typically charge generators large penalty fees if they fail to deliver electricity when it is scheduled to be transmitted. The purpose of these penalty fees is to punish generators and deter them from using transmission scheduling as a "gaming" technique to gain advantage against competitors. Therefore, the fees are not related to whether the system operator actually loses money as a result of the generator's action. Because the wind is variable, wind plant owners cannot guarantee delivery of electricity for transmission at a scheduled time. Wind energy needs a new penalty system that recognizes the different nature of wind plants and allows them to compete on a fair basis.
· New transmission lines. The entire transmission system of the wind-rich High Plains, which cover the central one-third of the U.S., needs to be extensively redesigned and redeveloped. At present, this system consists mostly of small distribution lines—instead, a series of new high-voltage transmission lines is needed to transmit electricity from wind plants to population centers. Such a redevelopment will be expensive, but it will also benefit consumers and national security, by making the electrical transmission system more reliable and by reducing shortages and price volatility of natural gas. Transmission will be a key issue for the wind industry's future development over the next two decades.
Wind Turbines…
1. How does a Wind Turbine Work?
If the wind is blowing hard enough (ex. 7 mph), the blades of a wind turbine will spin. The blades are connected to a drive shaft located in the nacelle, or the box on the top of the tower. As the blades turn, the drive shaft turns and produces electricity. The electricity flows down the tower and into a transformer located outside the turbine. Inside the transformer, the electricity from the turbine is converted into an electricity that we can use for power. The power flows to the project's substation and then into a large power grid. From here, the wind generated electricity is sent through utility lines to its final destination.
2. How big are wind turbines?
Utility-scale wind turbines for land-based wind farms come in various sizes, with rotor diameters ranging from about 50 meters to about 90 meters, and with towers of roughly the same size. A 90-meter machine with a 90-meter tower would have a total height from the tower base to the tip of the rotor of approximately 135 meters (442 feet).
Offshore turbine designs now under development will have larger rotors—at the moment, the largest has a 110-meter rotor diameter—because it is easier to transport large rotor blades by ship than by land.
Small wind turbines intended for residential or small business use are much smaller. Most have rotor diameters of 8 meters or less and would be mounted on towers of 40 meters in height or less.The towers are mostly tubular and made of steel. The blades are made of fiberglass-reinforced polyester or wood-epoxy.
3. How much electricity does one turbine produce?
A one megawatt wind turbine will typically produce enough energy for the annual needs of 350 average households. A two megawatt wind turbine may meet the needs of around 500 households. Actual production depends on a variety of factors, namely the size and reliability of the turbine, and the speed that the wind is blowing. These factors together produce the turbine’s capacity.
Typically modern turbines range in size from 660 kilowatts to over 3 megawatts of capacity. They are placed in fairly windy locations with minimum wind speeds in the range of six meters per second (around 13 miles per hour). Wind turbines generally run at 30 to 40 percent capacity, so a 1 MW turbine could produce around 3 million KWh of electricity in a year.
The ability to generate electricity is measured in watts. Watts are very small units, so the terms kilowatt (1,000 watts), megawatt (1 million watts), and gigawatt (1 billion watts) are most commonly used to describe the capacity of generating units like wind turbines or other power plants.
Electricity production and consumption are most commonly measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). A kilowatt-hour means 1,000 watts of electricity produced or consumed for one hour. One 100-watt light bulb left on for 10 hours consumes one kilowatt-hour of electricity (100 watts x 10 hours = 1,000 watt-hours = 1 kWh).
4. How much area does the turbine take up?
The actual space that a turbine tower occupies is fairly small, usually less than 100 square feet. Some towers require fenced-in enclosures for additional monitoring equipment, transformers, and other equipment.
5. How much do wind turbines cost?
A large-scale wind turbine (i.e. greater than 600 kilowatts) costs approximately $1,000/kilowatt of nameplate capacity. That means a hypothetical 1,000 killowatt (1 megawatt) turbine will cost approximately $1 million to fully installed.
Smaller farm or residential scale turbines cost less overall, but are more expensive per kilowatt of energy producing capacity. Wind turbines under 100 kilowatts cost roughly $3,000 to $5,000 per kilowatt of capacity. That means a 10 kilowatt machine (the size needed to power an average home) might cost $35,000-$40,000.
Wind Generation Facilities ….
1. How much does wind power cost?
When the first utility-scale turbines were installed in the mid 1980’s, wind-generated electricity cost as much as 30 cents/kWh. Now, state-of-the-art wind power plants are generating power at costs as low as 4-to-5 cents/kWh. This is competitive with traditional sources of electrical generation and is the cheapest renewable energy source.
Considering factors such as the rising cost of fossil fuels, the cost of pollution including greenhouse gasses, and the cost of site rehabilitation when a power plant closes, the cost of wind power is competitive with, and may actually be less than, fossil fuels. After a wind turbine is purchased and installed, the operating costs are minimal and the fuel is free. Over the last 20 years, the cost of electricity from utility-scale wind systems has dropped by more than 80%.
2. How long does it take to build a project?
It varies with the size of the project but most utility-size projects take over a year to complete. However, in certain scenarios, the construction time can take much less. The upfront analysis of wind speeds prior to construction can also take anywhere from 6 months to a year and will add to the overall timeline for the project.
3. How do I find out more information about small, home-based wind systems?
The American Wind Energy Association web site contains numerous manufacturer links and FAQ’s for small home-based wind systems, and you can subscribe to their Home Energy Systems Electronic Mailing List.
4. How big are wind projects?
Wind projects can be as small as one turbine or as large as more than 300 turbines. Utility-size projects generally start around 50 MW but that figure is increasing as the economics of the turbines/construction/etc get more favorable.
5. What is "capacity factor"?
Capacity factor is a key element in measuring the productivity of a wind turbine (or any other power production facility). It compares the plant's actual production over a given period of time with the amount of power the plant would have produced if it had run at full capacity for the same amount of time.
A conventional utility power plant uses fuel, so it will typically run as much as possible unless it is shut down due to equipment problems or for regularly scheduled maintenance. A capacity factor of 40% to 80% is typical for conventional plants.
A wind plant is "fueled" obviously by the wind, which blows unpredictably. It is stead at times and not at all at other times. Although modern utility-scale wind turbines typically operate 65% to 90% of the time, they often run at less than full capacity. Therefore, a capacity factor of 25% to 40% is common, although they may achieve higher capacity factors during windy weeks or months.
It is important to note that while capacity factor is almost entirely a matter of reliability for a fueled power plant, it is not for a wind plant—for a wind plant, it is a matter of economical turbine design. With a very large rotor and a very small generator, a wind turbine would run at full capacity whenever the wind blew and would have a 60-80% capacity factor—but it would produce very little electricity. The most electricity per dollar of investment is gained by using a larger generator and accepting the fact that the capacity factor will be lower as a result. Wind turbines are fundamentally different from fueled power plants in this respect.
6. What is "availability" or "availability factor"?
Availability factor is a measurement of the reliability of a wind turbine (or other power plant). It refers to the percentage of time that a plant is ready to generate. Modern wind turbines have an availability of more than 98%--higher than most other types of power plant. This is due in part to more than 20 years of engineering improvements.
Environmental Concerns …
1. Is there an issue with bird mortality?
Overhead high-voltage power lines, and automobiles pose significantly greater threats to birds than do wind turbines. Typically, wind generation facilities have their wires buried underground wires and tubular towers to eliminate bird perching, and U.V. reflective paint to make sure that birds see the turbines.
2. What is the noise like at a wind project?
Typical noise levels are less than 50 Db on the ground below the blades, equivalent to the sound of normal conversation.
3. Are there harmful effects from stray voltage from wind power plants?
There is nothing different or unusual about managing the electricity flow from an operating wind plant. Standard electric wiring practices are adequate to prevent stray voltage from occurring and will not be transmitted through the ground nor will harm livestock.
4. Will a wind project interfere with electromagnetic transmissions such as radio, television, or cell-phone signals?
The materials used to make small wind turbines are non-metallic (composites, plastic, wood) and are too small to create electromagnetic interference (EMI) by "chopping up" a signal. Large wind turbines can interfere with radio or TV signals if a turbine is in the "line of sight" between a receiver and the signal source. This problem can usually be dealt with by improving the receiver's antenna or installing relays to transmit the signal around the wind farm. Radar can also be impacted but, again, measures can be taken at airports to offset the affect of moving/spinning blades.
5. Can landowners hunt on property used for wind generation?
Wind easements do not restrict landowner hunting activities, as long as they do not unreasonably interfere with the development, construction or operation of the wind farm.
Economics of wind …
1. What is the "production tax credit" for wind energy?
In 1992, the Energy Policy Act include a 1.5-cent/kWh* production tax credit (PTC) for wind energy. Extension of the PTC in early 2002 was recognition of the important role that wind energy played in our nation's energy mix. It also was intended to partially correct the existing tilt of the federal energy tax code, which has historically favored conventional energy technologies such as oil and coal. This PTC has been renewed annual since although there have been times when it lapsed and cause great uncertainty in the industry.
Generally, the credit is a business credit that applies to electricity generated from wind plants for sale at wholesale. It applies to electricity produced during the first ten years of a wind plant's operation.
2. How are landowners paid for having a wind turbine on their property?
In order to put wind turbines on a particular property, landowners sign an agreement which grants IER and its business partners the right to erect wind turbines, power lines, and roads on the property. Landowners receive a per-year rental fee for each turbine on the property and/or some percentage of revenues generated from the turbines. Agreements can vary. However, even if the wind turbine does not produce any electricity in the year, landowners are still typically guaranteed a minimum payment.
3. Will my real estate taxes increase due to this project
Developers normally incur any of the additional real estate taxes due on the property in connection with the development of the wind generation facility. This arrangement typically extends through the entire term of the lease agreement.
4. Will I be liable if someone gets injured on my land during construction, or later down the road, possibly during maintenance of the wind turbines?
Develops and the companies supporting ongoing maintenance normally incur this liability.
5. Can I sell my land if I have signed a lease option?
Since you will maintain ownership of the land, even after signing an exclusive lease option with a developer, you have the right to sell your land at anytime during the lease agreement. However, it is important to note that potential buyers will be required to assume the existing lease on the land with the purchase.
6. Will I incur any out-of-pocket expenses if I agree to sign a lease option for construction of a wind project?
Developers normally incur any out-of-pocket expenses. The developer will also typically maintain the necessary accident insurance and assume the responsibility for paying any additional real estate tax specific to the increased valuation of the land due to the wind generation facility.
7. Will wind turbines negatively affect my property values?
Recent studies have found that wind turbines have no negative affect on property values, particularly in rural, agricultural areas. In fact, wind turbines frequently add value to property by establishing a long-term revenue stream for the owner of the property on which turbines are installed.
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