Selecting, Implementing, and Funding Distributed Wind Systems in Federal Facilities  

Education Type: 
On-Demand
Duration: 
2 Hours
Level: 
Intermediate
FEMP IACET: 
0.3 CEU
Sponsored by: 

DOE Federal Energy Management Program - FEMP

This on-demand course explains how and where distributed wind systems could be installed at federal sites. The training includes an overview of what distributed wind is and covers the wind-specific issues that need to be addressed to proceed through the Federal Energy Management Program's recommended project development and implementation process (i.e., what is needed to go from an initial screening to assessing procurement options).

These issues include wind resource assessment, common wind myths, applicable policies and incentives, applicable regulations, land availability, mission compatibility, project costs, project sizing and siting, turbine technology, and other logistical, technical, and economic considerations.

Instructors

Alice Orrell, Energy Analyst, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory  

Alice Orrell is the distributed wind subject matter expert at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). She provides renewable energy resource assessments and wind energy project development support for U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) clients and distributed wind market research and analysis for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). As part of a team that evaluates DOD sites for wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, waste-to-energy, and ocean energy, Alice is responsible for the wind energy resource assessments and wind project development efforts. She has helped to evaluate over 75 DOD sites for wind energy potential and has managed the installation of three meteorological towers on DOD properties. Alice is the lead author of the annual Distributed Wind Market Report produced for DOE. The Market Report serves as a primary information source that helps manufacturers, installers, developers, policy makers, and other industry players better understand the U.S. and global distributed wind markets. Alice is a professional engineer in the State of Washington and worked in the power industry prior to joining PNNL, both as an independent consultant in the wind power industry and as an engineer for an engineering, procurement, and construction contractor designing natural gas fueled power plants. Her educational accomplishments include a B.S., mechanical engineering, from the University of Vermont and a M.B.A., business administration, from the University of Washington.

Rachel Shepherd, Distributed Energy and Energy Procurement Program Leader, Federal Energy Management Program  

Rachel Shepherd leads the Federal Energy Management Program's Distributed Energy and Energy Procurement program (FEMP), which facilitates the implementation of cost-effective on-site renewable energy, energy storage, and combined heat and power technologies for federal agencies. Rachel is also responsible for FEMP's Data Center and Smart Labs programs which provide subject matter expertise to organizations with energy and cost saving projects in critical facilities. Prior to FEMP, she was a project engineer conducting energy audits and retro-commissioning studies for existing commercial and industrial facilities. She worked with building owners to identify and prioritize deployment of energy-efficiency and renewable energy projects. Shepherd holds a bachelor's degree in Applied Physics from the University of Maryland.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this workshop, attendees will be able to:

  • Conduct the basics of distributed wind project development and implementation (i.e., from preliminary screening and project sizing to procurement strategies);
  • Understand the importance of using certified (proven technology) wind turbines;
  • Estimate a site's wind resource and potential wind energy generation;
  • Recognize common "red flags" of unethical marketing and false claims, and recognize wind "myths" commonly perpetuated;
  • Evaluate incentives and rebates, electricity rates, and other economic factors to determine project cost effectiveness; and
  • Select project funding options for on-site renewable power.
Federal Agencies and Facility Criteria: