UWIG Undertaking Expansion of Distributed Wind Impacts Project

Effort Underway to Enhance Resources, Make Analytical Applets Easier to Use

Reston, Va. – December 10, 2008 – the Utility Wind Integration Group (UWIG) today announced that it is moving into the next phase of its landmark project to study the impacts of small-scale wind generation on utility distribution networks

From 2003 to 2007, UWIG undertook the Distributed Wind Impacts Project, which yielded a number of deliverables including Web-based software tools, application guides, case studies, and site measurements related to utility-scale wind turbines connected to distribution primary feeders. The deliverables, which are located on the UWIG web site, are available to employees of UWIG members as well as utilities that are members of APPA’s DEED program and NRECA’s Cooperative Research Network.

The project resulted in a set of useful tools for analysis of distributed wind applications, but a day of training is helpful for most utility engineers to use the tools. UWIG decided that the next step should be a tool suite that can be used on-line with no formal training at all. To that end, UWIG has assembled funding from APPA’s DEED program as well as NRECA in partnership with CEA Technologies Inc., to undertake an effort that will yield the following deliverables:

• Wind Energy FAQ Document – will help utilities and their customers decide whether wind power is a viable strategy or a good policy for their situation.
• Distributed Wind Interconnection Guide – will help utilities specify wind turbine interconnection requirements, and identify areas of technical concern for safe and reliable operation.
• Distributed Wind Modeling Guide – providing technical background and typical data on wind turbine dynamics, flicker, and power electronic interfaces for more detailed study by utilities or their consultants, using the UWIG Feeder Simulator.
• Interconnection Checklist – a concise, time-saving guide for handling wind turbine interconnection requests, with links to appropriate software tools and application guide sections for each item in the checklist.
• Updated Screening Tool – quickly evaluates a proposed wind turbine interconnection with respect to the FERC fast-track acceptance criteria, flicker, voltage control, overcurrent protection, and temporary overvoltage.
• Turbine Monitoring Report – providing the flicker performance and capacity factor for two turbine types at three sites. This will provide a template for possible future monitoring of other turbine types.

To learn more about the project, as well as gain access to the deliverables, please contact Sandy Smith, sandy@uwig.org.

The Utility Wind Integration Group (UWIG) was established in 1989 to provide a forum for the critical analysis of wind technology for utility applications and to serve as a source of credible information on the status of wind technology and deployment. The group’s mission is to accelerate the development and application of good engineering and operational practices supporting the appropriate integration of wind power for utility applications through the coordinated efforts and actions of its members, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, its National Renewable Energy Laboratory and utility research organizations. UWIG currently has over 140 members from the United States, Canada, Europe, and New Zealand, including investor-owned, public power, and rural electric cooperative utilities; transmission system operators; and associate member corporate, government, and academic organizations.