Residential Wind Workshop, Des Moines
Clay Sterling, MREA
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This class is an overview of how wind systems work, basic components and how they interrelate, sizing exercises, identification of wind quality and quantity and to provide resources for the student too do further research.

When: Saturday May 31, 2008 from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Where: Des Moines Botanical Center

Cost: $100 I-Renew Members; $150 Non-Members; Become a Member and Save $15

Lunch: A lunch menu available on the registration form and is $11. Attendees are also welcome to bring their own lunch.

To Register: Download Registration form and return to I-Renew with payment. Problems? Contact I-Renew at (319) 643-3160 or by email at irenew@irenew.org

Course Agenda:

9am – 9.15: Introductions, course overview

9.15-9.30: Resources: books, websites, magazines

9.30-9.45: Definitions and terms: utility grid; rated output; watts; kilowatts; kilowatt hours; average annual wind speed; net metering; net metering limits/states

9.45-10.00: Wind history

10.00-10.40: Size categories, residential wind defined, rotor comparison, size rotor for the job; cabin sizes and examples- capacity, weight, rpm and $

              Home size- examples, capacity, weight, rpm and $

              All Electric size, examples, capacity, weight, rpm and $

10.40-11.00- Applications of wind systems; Quick sizing exercise

11.00-11.10 Break

11.10-11.35- Energy efficiency- reducing the load, fuel switching, phantom loads

11.35-12.00 - Rotor types- drag device: how they work, examples, best uses             

                            Lift devices- how they work, parts, twist & taper, materials, examples, 2 blade vs 3 blade

12.00-12.30 lunch

12.30-1.00- System types: utility intertie w/o batteries, utility intertie w/batteries, stand alone, Pv/Wind hybrid, wind/solar resources, examples

1.00-2.00 Tower types: why tall towers, resources; freestanding-construction, things to consider, advantages/disadvantages, cost

              guyed lattice- construction, things to consider, advantages/disadvantages, cost

TUT- construction, things to consider, advantages/disadvantages, cost

              FAA; Ginning a tower; Foundations

2.00-2.10 Break

2.10-2.45

Wind Resources: Quantity- how wind is made, prevailing winds and variations. Power equation; Comparison of output/P at various wind speeds; Evidence of wind resource, environmental, Griggs Putnam; snow fence, shelter belts, snow drifts, dirt drifts, dirty snow, flags; Wind maps; Airport data; Skewed data collection

Wind Quality- How wind acts: wind profile, turbulence, affects of shelterbelts, affects of hills, affects of terrain

Overcoming effects of turbulence and ground drag; Tower height vs production; Cost difference short vs tall

Power equation and  resource; Rules of Thumb; Siting; examples of good and bad; Measuring turbulence and objects

2.45-3.10 Measuring objects (2 groups)- measure tallest objects using at least one method explained, determine minimum tower height for site, evaluate the 2 sites pro’s and con’s

3.15- 4.00 Parts of a turbine- Rated output/rated wind speed, Distribution of wind speeds

              Generators- Parts, Axial design, Low speed vs high speed, Advantages/disadvantages

Speed control- Passive: tilt back, side facing, fold, spoilers, examples; Active: flyball, blade activated, examples

4.00-4.30 Wind turbine sizing4.30-4.45 The Good, Bad and the Ugly: What’s out there, rumor on the street; good news, questionable, just doesn’t work

4.45-5.00: Wrap-up, Q&A

5.00: Evaluations, Certificates