Small Wind Steals the Show
A panel of three, Julien Lafaille (BC Hydro), Bill Thomson (AVEC) and Steve Drouilhet (Sustainable Energy Automation) spoke to a full room on the potentials and realities of Wind Diesel and Wind/Hybrid Systems For Isolated Communities. The topic has an immediacy that captured the large audience for both the world wide needs and the exciting realities of real world applications.
British Columbia's Clean Energy Act consolidated BC Hydro and BC Transmission Corporation to provide a single entity that plans and delivers the clean energy required to meet British Columbia's growing demand for electricity while fostering job creation throughout the province and helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Remote Community Electrification (RCE) is mandated by the Government of British Columbia which ensures BC Hydro is a leader in looking for progressive alternatives to expensive fossil fuels.
Currently BC Hydro serves 20 off-grid communities and will be adding 30-40 more as the RCE is implemented, Nearly all of their communities are in at least early stage development of renewable energy projects. Their current target is for 50% renewable within the decade.
For many of these communities the solution will be to connect them to the existing grid. Although wind is faster to develop, small hydro and biomass may be more appropriate because of local conditions and community needs. Despite the fact that not one small wind system is currently being developed, BC Hydro continues to install the monitoring and testing infrastructure for a time when wind may be needed.
In stark contrast both of the Alaskan presenters showed where and how to make wind energy a viable alternative to expensive diesel power.
Alaska Village Electric Cooperative serves over 53 villages in Western Alaska - all are off the grid, all but one off the road system. Though they serve 22,000 customers, the average village has only 400 people. With a couple of small interties between villages, they run 48 independent power plants to power one of the most inhospitable climates on the planet.
As Bill Thomson points out "the only thing these villages have is gravity and wind".
Wind is the natural choice to replace expensive diesel plants. 77% of their fuel is burned in villages with class 4+ wind. Terrain and climate make hydro unattractive and solar isn't ready for the arctic. AVEC currently operates 37 wind turbines in 15 villages with more in various stages of development.
Impressive as the numbers, the logistics of installing wind in this harsh, unforgiving land brought to many of the audience the clear message that renewable and alternative does not mean futuristic technology. Though the slide show of mud and permafrost and skids plowing down murky rivers was entertaining, the really impressive facts were the success of an organization to move through the murky social and political climates to make changes a reality.
Sustainable Power Systems' Steve Drouilhet focused on a single project in another part of remote Alaska with parallel challenges to those faced by AVEC villages. Kokhanok Alaska is a small village on Lake Illiamna of 160 people. Off the road and river systems they set a goal of 50% diesel fuel savings. The technologies being developed to make this goal a reality are eagerly anticipated by other remote diesel operators world wide. Though the project is behind schedule, the vision of the principals will make Kokhanok a model for sustainable energy throughout remote communities around the world.