Could Deployable Wind Turbines Solve Reliability Woes?
Image courtesy of Gary Goldberg under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License, resized to 700 x 391 pixels.
A consortium of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Idaho National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories is testing the use of so-called deployable wind turbines to assist with disaster relief efforts.
Overview of the Deployable Wind Turbines
Designing deployable wind turbines is easier said than done. There is a line that needs to be toed between shipping and assembly time. For example, a turbine that is shipped in 40 pieces will be easy to ship but time-consuming to assemble. Conversely, a fully formed turbine would not require any time for assembly, but it would be cost-prohibitive to ship. After 4 years of research & development, the optimal balance has been achieved and the technology is ready for a real-world pilot.
The beauty of the technology is that the portable turbines can be assembled and delivered quickly, which can save lives. In addition, it trumps solar power because not every location has a steady supply of sunshine. And like all renewable energy technologies, adding battery storage can help ensure reliability even when environmental conditions are sub-optimal.
Although diesel generators offer similar benefits, they obviously require a steady supply of fuel to remain operational, which would be difficult to maintain over long periods of time or in extremely remote areas.
Each portable turbine currently being tested is designed to generate 20 kW of power and can fit into the 20-foot shipping containers the American Red Cross and military often use. The initial testing will take place in remote areas of Alaska and the Artic – after installation, researchers will closely monitor performance.
Here’s hoping the pilot is a success. As another potential form of distributed generation, the technology could be a great option for military bases, or remote and/or small communities, when disaster strikes and the power goes out. Only time will tell if deployable wind turbines become viable, but conceptually I love where this convergence of clean and distributed energy is going!
