Frequently Asked Questions

 

"SODAR Wind Measuring Equipment - Image by Advance Power"

 

FAQ's

(1) Why is it important for the US Virgin Islands have wind power?

Long-term cost savings to the US Virgins Island community and its rate payers, as wind power on the island can be produced at lower costs than fossil fuel generated power. And at the same time wind power is a clean renewable energy source.

 

(2) How will the investment in the Bovoni wind project benefit the USVI community?

Besides providing clean power from a renewable source at a competitive price from the moment the Bovoni wind turbine installation is brought on-line; the major financial advantage is the certainty of long-term power costs, sometimes referred to as a “Power Hedge”. Other power generation facilities which have to rely on “fuel” such as natural gas, LNG, coal, or other fossil fuels to generate power have historically been subject to volatile market price swings. In contrast wind power is not subject to fossil fuel market price fluctuations.

 

(3) How is the Bovoni wind turbine project being constructed?

The Bovoni wind project is being built based on a “Power Purchase Agreement” (PPA) by which Advance Power will fund and build the wind installation at Bovoni Point. The PPA is a contract to provide power to WAPA from the installation. WAPA has the advantage of long-term power price certainty, without having to make the initial capital investment to build the installation. WAPA simply purchases the power produced from the facility upon completion.

 

(4) Who pays for the construction of the Bovoni wind project?

Under the PPA approach Advance Power will fund, construct, and complete the Bovoni wind project installation generally up to the point of interconnection to WAPA's grid. Advance Power is responsible for any cost associated with connecting the wind turbine installation to WAPA's facilities.

 

(5) Under the PPA approach how much will the wind generated power cost?

Advance Power understands any delivered power from the wind turbine installation has to be competitive compared to the current power costs. The PPA agreement itself is a negotiated contract between the WAPA and Advance Power to sell power to the end user on a long-term basis. The Bovoni wind power PPA is specific to WAPA’s long-term power needs. Any PPA agreement will clearly set out per kWh costs to WAPA prior to the construction of the project. Some of the factors that influence the direct kWh costs to WAPA are the overall size of the installation, annual power consumption, operating costs, length of the primary term, etc. Any price negotiated between WAPA and Advance Power under the PPA agreement for power is subject to final regulatory approval by the US Virgin Islands Public Service Commission.

 

(6) What is the average time it takes for a wind turbine installation to pay for itself?

Simply put, the Bovoni wind turbine installation is a long-term investment, which, like any investment, can be influenced by any number of unforeseen circumstances. Investment payback time can vary greatly depending on wind resources, escalating costs of energy, tax incentives and other factors. Under the PPA approach being used at the Bovoni wind project, Advance Power assumes the investment and yield risk of the wind turbine installation, and WAPA only has to purchase any power as it is produced.

 

(7) Who will operate the Bovoni wind turbine installation?

The Bovoni wind project will be operated by Advance Power, supported by a unique arrangement with the wind turbine manufacturer, Leitwind. Advance Power and Leitwind have entered into a comprehensive and long-term operations & maintenance (O&M) agreement, specifically for the Bovoni wind project. This is an exceptional and first of its kind agreement and demonstrates the high level of commitment that the manufacturer has in the project. The Bovoni wind facility will have remote operational capabilities and be monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

 

(8) Will the wind turbine installation continue to generate power if WAPA has a power outage?

The short answer is no. Technically speaking the Bovoni wind facility would have the capability to continue to generate power during a WAPA power outage, but the wind turbines are to designed to go "off-line" in the event of an outage for safety reasons. In the event of an electrical outage the wind turbines have to be "off-line" to prevent "backing feeding" electricity into WAPA's grid so that repair personnel are not put in danger while they work to repair or restore power to WAPA's grid.

 

(9) How much power can be produced by the Bovoni wind turbine installation?

The simple answer is, it depends on the wind resource at Bovoni Point, the wind turbine installation at the Bovoni site will contain six (6) 1.65 MW direct drive wind turbines for a aggregate nameplate capacity of 9.9 MW. Wind turbine power production is expressed in annual terms based on average annual wind speed and other factors. Based on these factors the Bovoni wind project is estimated to produce in the neighborhood of thirty-million kWh's per year.

 

(10) How much of the time do wind turbines produce electricity?

A modern wind turbine produces electricity 70-85% of the time, but it generates different outputs depending on the wind speed. Over the course of a year, a wind turbine can generate anywhere from 25% to 40% of the designed maximum output, depending on the wind resources available at the specific site location. This generating variable is also known as the turbine’s load or capacity factor.

 

(11) If a wind turbine's capacity factor is 33%, doesn't that mean it is only running 1/3 of the time?

No, at a typical wind turbine installation location the turbine operates about 70-85% of the time. During much of that time the turbine will be generating at less than full capacity (see previous answer), making its capacity factor lower.

 

(12) What does the wind turbine "availability factor" refer to?

The availability factor is a measurement of the reliability of a wind turbine. It simply refers to the percentage of time that a wind turbine is ready to generate power (and is not out of service for maintenance or repairs). The Leitwind wind turbines at Bovoni wind project will have a ninety-eight percent (98%) availability standard.

 

(13) How much electricity does one wind turbine produce?

As a general example, over the course of a year a single large 1.65 MW (1650 KW) Leitwind turbine operating at an average load capacity of 38% is expected to produce approximately 5,492,520 kilowatt hours (kWh). It is normal for annual energy output to fluctuate depending each specific years relative performance parameters, such as varying winds, etc.

 

(14) What does a wind turbine’s "rated production capacity" refer to?

A wind turbine’s “rated production capacity” is one element in measuring the productivity of a wind turbine. It is a statement of the wind turbine’s actual production potential over a given period of time for the amount of power the wind turbine would have produced if it had run 100% of the time at full capacity during that period.

 

(15) What happens when the wind stops blowing?

When the wind stops blowing, electricity continues to be provided to the community from the traditional power grid.

 

(16) How strong does the wind have to blow for the wind turbines to produce power?

The Leitwind wind turbines start operating at wind speeds of 3.0 meters per second (roughly 6.7 mph) and reach maximum power output at around 11.5 meters per second (about 25 mph). When wind speeds start to exceed around 25 meters per second (55 mph) the wind turbines will shut down.

 

(17) Is there enough wind at the Bovoni site for a wind turbine installation?

The Bovoni Point peninsula has abundant wind resources capable of producing commercial quantities of wind power. A specific site assessment and evaluation of the wind resources available for the development of a wind turbine installation was performed at the Bovoni wind project site.

 

(18) What is the life expectancy of a wind turbine?

Most commercial wind turbines produced today have a thirty (30) year design life.

 

(19) How long does it take to complete a wind turbine installation?

The construction phase of the Bovoni wind project is expected to take from twelve to fourteen months from start to finish. However, as with any construction project schedules can be impacted by permitting delays, equipment and materials availability, or other factors outside the scope of the project.

 

(20) How much space will the wind turbines at the Bovoni site need for installation?

A variety of factors such as the, the number of turbines to be installed, physical size dimensions of each wind turbine itself, prevailing winds, manufacturer spacing requirements, tower configurations, foundation requirements, soil types, distance from inhabited buildings, zoning requirements, set backs, distance from property lines, etc. were taken into account to arrive at an optimal number of six (6) wind turbines for the Bovoni wind project.

 

(21) How tall will the wind turbines at the Bovoni wind project be?

For the Bovoni wind project "low profile" towers will be used. The hub height (where the generator / blades connect to the tower) will be 65 meters (213 feet) above ground level (AGL), while the at the "top of the rotor's rotation" (the highest point that the blades reach) is 105 meters (345 feet) AGL.

 

(22) What is the wind survival rating of wind turbines?

The wind turbine survival rating of wind turbine depend on a number of factors, including hub heights, tower re-enforcement measures, foundation design, length of time the winds are sustained, type of winds (straight-line, down bursts or shear), etc. However generally speaking, the Leitwind wind turbines are designed to withstand wind speeds associated with hurricanes and typhoons of GL Tropical Cyclone A Class wind, with design standards for exposure to extremely high wind gusts of up to 70 m/s (250 km/h or 156 mph) for short periods.

 

(23) Is lightning a problem with wind turbines?

Wind turbines carry an inherent risk of lightning strikes due to their height. Properly grounded-surge arrestors are installed at key points on turbines to mitigate damage from lightning strikes. Generally, damage from lightning strikes is minimal.

 

(24) How much noise does a wind turbine produce?

Modern wind turbines are exceedingly quiet. The sound produced by an operating wind turbine (at 400 feet) is 52db, which is comparable to the level of noise you would experience if you were to stand near an idling car. Noise produced by a wind turbine comes from a combination of the “swoosh” of the blades passing through the air and the hum from the gearbox and generator.

 

(25) Do wind turbines produce low frequency noise?

Low frequency noise is always present in any ambient quiet background and it can be produced by a variety of man-made sources, including machinery and natural sources such as the wind and thunder. Repeated measurements have shown over the past decade, and been accepted by experienced noise professionals, that the levels of low frequency noise and vibration radiated from modern, upwind configuration wind turbines are at a very low level, and lie below the threshold of perception.

 

(26) Do wind turbines harm birds?

Early wind turbine machines were built in migratory paths, spun faster than the turbines of today and as a result did pose problems for birds. Bird mortality has been absent to very low at all newer wind installations studied in the U.S. The National Wind Coordinating Committee (NWCC) completed a comparison of wind farm avian mortality with bird mortality caused by other man-made structures in the U.S., and found that commercial wind turbines cause the direct deaths of only 0.01% to 0.02% of all birds killed by collisions with man-made structures and activities. For reference please see the "Birds & Other Wildlife" section under the "Island Friendly" menu of this website.

 

 

 

 

Please Note* - While Advance Power, LLC strives to provide the most accurate information possible, Advance Power, LLC makes no representations or warranties, either express or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness, reliability or suitability of the information presented in this website. Advance Power, LLC disclaims all liability of any kind arising out of the use or misuse of the information contained or referenced herein.