SMALL WIND POWER CONSIDERATIONS

INTRODUCTION Wind energy can be a supplemental source of energy to an electric grid or the complete power supply for an isolated source.It produces no waste particulate matter,uses no water for cooling,and contributes no green house gasses to the environment.A short description of the Alternative Energy Institute,at West Texas A&M University,and the basics of wind energy as well as some discussion of home scale wind systems are presented here.The uses of wind energy and many of the basic concerns and considerations of placing wind energy conversion systems on or near primary structures are discussed.The basic plan for a renewable energy system inclusion into a home or building is shown;it is always preferable to reduce the energy load and ensure that the structure will use energy as efficiently as possible before a system is designed.Current federal support for renewables is at a new high,and the source for local and regional description of programs is shown.

INSTALLATION OF 42 KW SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAICS AND 50 KW WIND TURBINE SYSTEMS

INTRODUCTION A solar photovoltaic(PV)system and a wind turbine system are to be utilized to reduce energy use from the electrical grid consumption at West Texas A&M University(WTAMU)through the use of renewable energy.WTAMU’s Alternative Energy Institute(AEI)performed the installation of the PV/wind turbine systems.A 42 kW PV system located at the Palo Duro Research Facility(PDRF)is suitable to offset the energy use of the PDRF since the energy consumed by the facility is primarily during the daytime,with a peak energy use of approximately 225 kW.The expected energy match of 42 kW compared to the typical daily energy consumption of the building(75-80 kW)will have a significant impact on grid energy cost for this office and research space.A 50 kW wind turbine.

RENEWABLES IN THE DESERT SOUTHWEST:SUSTAINABLE,SUITABLE,AND SUPPLEMENTARY

INTRODUCTION Testing and resource assessment for Texas,New Mexico,and Oklahoma have shown that renewable energy can provide a significant portion of the energy needs for the region.The Alternative Energy Institute at West Texas A&M University has been collecting resource data since 1978 and placing test projects for specific research topics for renewables at WTAMU and selected field sites.The potential for renewables and how they have merged into the existing grid and community/home/ranch use shows that these technologies have a place in the region of the Texas/Oklahoma panhandles.The potential for power production with reduced use of water is also important for this region.This paper presents the success stories,the potential downsides,and the lessons learned from 30 years of renewable energy research.The focus is to provide evidence that renewables have a place in the energy plans of the Desert Southwest,and if properly placed and planned,are a long-term sustainable energy solution.