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Back to the Basics
Wind-Site Problems and Logistics
A good wind-site assessment report should identify potential landmines.
by
MICK SAgRILLO
Mick Sagrillo (msagrillo
wizunwired.net) of
Sagrillo Power & Light is a
small wind consultant
and educator.
I
n the Nov./Dec. issue of
SOLAR TODAY
, I described the broad outlines of the report a good wind-site assessor will produce. Beyond that, the assessment report should go
into specifics regarding problems that might be encountered
in the construction phase. These are potential landmines for
the installation. For example, where is the septic tank and
field? You certainly do not want a backhoe excavating for
a tower anchor in the leach field. Nor do you want a crane
driving over the septic tank.
MicK SagRiLLo
A good wind-site assess-
ment report will address
potential obstacles your
turbine installation might
encounter.
Other critical questions
about the site include —
•;What;is;the;location;of;the;well;and;any;water;lines?
•;Is;there;an;underground;gas;or;LP;line;in;the;area?
•;What;about;other;underground;services;such;as;utility;or
phone lines?
•;What’s;the;soil;type?;Critical;soils;consisting;of;gravel;or
muck won’t support a standard tower foundation.
•;Does;the;property;have;a;high;water;table,;which;might
impact the foundation design?
•;How;deep;is;the;bedrock;on;the;property?;This;too;may
affect the foundation design.
Infrastructure issues
include —
•;What;is;the;capacity;of;the;electrical;service?;Is;the;circuit
breaker box adequate?
•;What;about;the;utility;transformer;on;the;pole;at;the
road? Is it adequately sized?
•;Are;there;any;plans;for;future;buildings;on;the;property?
Consider hazards to aviation,
such as —
•;Where;are;the;nearest;airstrips;or;heliports?;Does;the
FAA need to be notified?
•;Does;anyone;engage;in;aerial;applications;of;pesticides
on neighboring fields?
Zoning issues
you should consider include —
•;Are;there;any;height;restrictions;in;the;township;or;county?
•;What;setback;restrictions;from;roads;or;property;lines
would apply to the tower?
Keep utility interconnection issues
in mind, such as —
•;What;are;the;local;utility’s;regulations;for;interconnect-
ing the system to the grid? Are there any turbine capacity
limitations?
•;Is;there;a;requirement;for;a;wind;system;disconnect
switch? If so, is there a specified location for this discon-
nect?
•;What;are;the;insurance;requirements;of;the;utility?
•;Will;the;insurance;company;insure;the;system;without
charging a substantial premium?
Siting logistics
you’ll want to think about include —
•;Where;is;the;proposed;wire;run;to;terminate?
•;Will;bedrock;or;buried;water,;gas,;phone;or;electric;lines
interfere with the wire run?
•;Is;there;a;secure;and;environmentally;conditioned;loca-
tion for the balance-of-system components (e.g., controls
and inverter) that has an adequate circuit-breaker box? Is
there adequate space for all such components?
•;Can;the;wire;run;be;minimized;by;siting;the;turbine;close
to the controls and inverter without compromising the
wind resource or creating more turbulence due to ground
clutter?
•;Is;there;an;elevated;area;on;the;property;that;is;rela-
tively close to the location of the balance-of-system
components that can be utilized to optimize the wind
resource?
•;Where;are;the;site;obstacles;and;trees;relative;to;the;pre-
vailing wind directions? It is important to site the tower
upwind of such obstacles to maximize wind speed and
minimize turbulence.
•;What;is;the;distance;and;mature;height;of;the;trees;in;the
area (which are usually the tallest obstacles that must be
overcome by the tower)? Plan for mature tree height 20
to 30 years into the future, not today’s tree height.
•;What;is;the;planned;future;use;for;the;location;of;the
tower? Are there any activities or planned structures that
will either interfere with the installation or with accessing
the tower for future maintenance and repair work?
•;Are;there;any;overhead;power;lines;that;could;pose;a
danger during installation or while workers and service
personnel are on the tower?
Installation logistics
to consider —
•;If;the;tower;style;chosen;is;guyed,;is;there;adequate;room
for the guy cables?
•;If;a;tilt-up;tower;will;be;installed,;is;there;sufficient;space
to lower the tower to the ground, and possibly leave it in
that position for periods of time?
•;Can;a;concrete;truck;access;the;site;to;pour;the;founda-
tion?
•;Will;a;crane;be;able;to;access;the;location;to;set;the;tower
and turbine in place?
•;Will;either;of;these;heavy;pieces;of;equipment;need;to
drive over the septic tank or field? Is there other infra-
structure that could be damaged by heavy weight?
Food for thought
It may take awhile to read and digest the assessment
report. Don’t procrastinate — read it, and then read it
again. The assessor may put a score of hours into preparing
the report. There’s a lot of valuable information there, so
make sure you read it thoroughly. You will probably have
questions. Be sure to contact the assessor for answers in a
timely manner. The fresher the visit and report are in every-
one’s head, the more valuable the entire effort will be.
ST
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