Electricity + Control May 2018

ENERGY MANAGEMENT + ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Windfarm Layouts: Reduce CO 2 Emissions and Improve Energy Yield

Klaus Vogstad, WindFarmDesigns

Take Note!

The process of optimis- ing windfarm layout for maximum efficiency is called ‘micrositing’. The aim of ‘micrositing’ would be to maximise the energy production of a windfarm while mini- mising infrastructural and operating costs. By using theworld’smost advanced optimisation software, wind energy producers can quickly and easily solve complex problems.

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Governments around the world know the importance of supplementing fossil-fue- led energy with renewable energy – and the ultimate goal is to make this sustaina- ble resource the order of the day. All of this is done in an effort to ensure a greener and cleaner environment for our planet.

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W ind is a renewable energy resource. There are no fuel costs associated with it and no harmful polluting gases are produced when using wind energy as an option to produce electricity. According to the 20-year Integrated Resource Plan (IRP2010), about 42% of electricity generated in South Africa should be supplied from renew- able resources in the near future. The Western, Eastern and Northern Cape are the leading prov- inces in wind energy in South Africa. The majority of renewable energy projects are located in the Northern Cape, which home to the second largest number of wind farms, the first being the West- ern Cape. All three of these provinces provide a suitable environment for wind farms thanks to the abundance of wind throughout the year in each of the three provinces. Lowering the costs When developing a wind farm, it is critical to op- timise its layout for maximum efficiency. This pro- cess is also called wind farm ‘micrositing’. The

aim of such a process would be to maximise the energy production of the wind farm while minimis- ing infrastructural and operating costs. For most projects, the economics are substantially more sensitive to changes in energy production than in- frastructure costs. It is therefore appropriate to use energy pro- duction as the dominant layout design parameter. Factors to be considered when micrositing can include: • Maximum installed capacity (due to grid con- nection or Power Purchase Agreement terms) • Site boundary • 'Set back’ − distances from roads, dwellings, overhead lines, ownership boundaries and so on • Environmental constraints • Location of noise-sensitive dwellings, if any, and assessment criteria • Location of visually-sensitive viewpoints, if any, and assessment criteria • Location of dwellings that may be affected by ‘shadow flicker’ (flickering shadows cast by

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34 Electricity + Control

MAY 2018