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Wind Powering America Past Workshops

This page documents many of the Wind Powering America workshops that have been held across the United States. Audio visual files and text versions of Wind Powering America's monthly webinars are available below and as a series.

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and/or 26 event(s).

 

Massachusetts Wind Working Group Meeting

Date: 2/1/2012

Location: Waltham, MA

Contact: Jody Lally, program manager, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Phone: 413-577-0887

Foley Hoag Emerging Enterprise Center, Suite 4000 on the 4th floor

2:00 - 4:00 p.m. EST
The agenda will feature the DEP/DPH Wind Turbine Health Impact Study. Presentation by DEP representative and independent expert panel members including Jim Manwell from UMass Amherst and Sheryl Grace from Boston University. There will also be a presentation by Mt. St. Mary's Abbey (invited) about their wind project; a legislative and regulatory update; and a showing of the film "Islands in the Wind" (about the Fox Islands wind project in Maine). Please RSVP.

Nevada Wind Working Group Meeting

Date: 2/1/2012

Location: Reno, NV

Contact: Larry Burton, Co Chairman

RenewableGenerations, 155 Country Estates Circle, Suite 100

3:30 p.m. PST
The meeting will also be available via teleconference.

Recent Market Acceptance Activities: A WPA Webinar

Date: 1/18/2012

This free webinar is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America 2012 webinar series. The webinar included a discussion of three projects that were funded as part of the DOE Wind and Water Power Program's "20% by 2030" funding opportunity to support market acceptance of wind technology.

Although focusing on three slightly different areas, each project addresses methods that wind stakeholders can use to proactively work with regional, state, and local decision makers and the public regarding the appropriate application of both small and large wind energy development. The following national experts presented:

  • Patrick Field of the Consensus Building Institute presented on the findings of a spring 2011 workshop, "Facilitating Wind Energy Siting," addressing how to best engage community stakeholders in the development of large-scale wind plants.
  • Suzanne Rynne from the American Planning Association introduced and discussed a new wind energy guidebook for rural, urban, and suburban planning professionals.
  • Simon Mahan of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy discussed the new Wind Working Group for the Tennessee Valley and Eastern Kentucky, focusing on lessons learned and plans for the group's long-term operations.

Audio and text versions of the webinar are available (WMV 15.3 MB) Download Windows Media Player. Time: 01:07:26. Text Version.

Save the date for future webinars.

Making Financial Sense of Small and Medium Community Wind Projects: A Workshop to Help You Understand the Economics

Date: 1/11/2012

Location: Freeport, ME

Contact: Sue Jones, executive director, Maine Windependence

Phone: 207-751-0749

Hilton Garden Inn

What types of questions will be answered?

  • What is the most cost-effective way to finance community wind projects in Maine?
  • How can I use it to help finance my project?
  • What if I don't have a good wind generation site but still want the benefits of a wind project?
  • Where I have multiple electricity accounts/meters, how can I best offset my aggregate usage?
  • What are the new changes anticipated in 2012 with the small wind rebates and community wind demonstration programs?

Who should attend?

  • Municipal leaders and town energy committee members
  • School facility operators, school science teachers and administrators
  • Campus representatives
  • Engineers and technical consultants working in the wind and renewable energy sector
  • Architects and green building professionals
  • Renewable energy consultants
  • Wind turbine installers
  • Landowners - woodlot owners and farmers
  • Any entities with multiple electricity accounts/meters
  • Any businesses, sustainability professionals, and others who want to fully explore and understand the opportunities in Maine that support small- and medium-sized community wind projects.

Distributed Wind Site Analysis Tool: An ASES Small Wind Division Webinar

Date: 1/5/2012

NREL and the American Solar Energy Society Small Wind Division co-hosted this webinar. Shawn Shaw, The Cadmus Group, provided an overview of the Distributed Wind Site Analysis Tool (DSAT) to discuss why it is needed, what it really is, how it came to be, and what and how it does it. The remainder of the presentation is about performance prediction, the sources of data, how they're used, how the tool performs against other tools, how it performs against reality, and the future for DSAT.

Audio and text versions of the webinar are available (WMV 23.1 MB) Download Windows Media Player. Time: 01:15:42. Text Version.

Wind and Wildlife Interactions: A WPA Webinar

Date: 12/21/2011

This free webinar is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America 2011 webinar series. This webinar provided an overview of wind turbine and wildlife issues, including a summary of research plans by the American Wind and Wildlife Institute, an update of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wind regulations, and bat/wind turbine interactions.

Audio and text versions of the webinar are available (WMV 27.7 MB) Download Windows Media Player. Time: 01:39:24. Text Version.

U.S. Small Wind Market Report: 144,000 Turbines Deployed: Community and Small Wind Webinar Series

Date: 12/15/2011

Windustry invited you to attend a webinar examining the market for clean, affordable, homegrown wind energy and recent growth in sales, capacity, and incentives for small wind turbines (up to 100 kW) powering homes, farms, and businesses.

Audio and text versions of the webinar are available (WMV 19.0 MB) Download Windows Media Player. Time: 01:23:41. Text Version.

This was the first in a series of free webinars funded by the DOE Wind Powering America initiative.

The webinar was designed for attendance by the general public, local officials, state and federal regulators, permitting officials, facility siting officials, state and federal policy makers, and others interested in small and community wind development.

America's small wind turbine industry saw substantial growth in 2010, highlighted by a 26 percent expansion in the market for small wind systems with 25.6 megawatts (MW) of capacity added, as well as a robust increase in sales revenue. Nearly 8,000 small wind units were sold last year, totaling $139 million in sales. The U.S. small wind industry represents an estimated 1,500 full-time equivalent jobs. Small wind turbines manufactured in North America typically incorporated 80-percent domestic content.

With small wind scaling up during the last few years, its benefits are becoming more noticeable. Growth in 2010 pushed cumulative sales in the United States to an estimated 179 MW of capacity-a total that reaches well into the range of many utility-scale wind farms. As a result, small wind is having a positive impact on the environment, as installations now annually displace 161,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. That is the equivalent of taking 28,000 cars off the road.

The webinar speakers discussed:

  • Market Highlights
  • Federal and State Incentives
  • Small Wind Market Drivers
  • Distinguishing Product Features
  • Economic Value of Small Wind
  • 2010 Developments and Challenges
  • Industry Perspectives

Speakers

Larry Flowers, AWEA deputy director of Distributed and Community Wind

Heather Rhoads-Weaver, eFormative Options principal consultant and DWEA board member

Moderator

Lisa Daniels, Windustry executive director

More Information

2010 U.S. Small Wind Market Report

Wind Power Economics: Past, Present, and Future Trends: A WPA Webinar

Date: 12/14/2011

This was an added webinar to the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America 2011 webinar series.

Wind turbine prices in the United States have declined, on average, by nearly one-third since 2008, after doubling from 2002 through 2008. Over this entire period, the average nameplate capacity rating, hub height, and rotor swept area of turbines installed in the United States have increased significantly, while other design improvements have also boosted turbine energy production. In combination, these various trends have had a significant—and sometimes surprising—impact on the levelized cost of energy delivered by wind projects.

This webinar featured three related presentations that explore these historical trends and provide insight on what the future may hold. Mark Bolinger of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory covered highlights from the recent Lawrence Berkeley report Understanding Trends in Wind Turbine Prices Over the Past Decade, focusing in part on turbine scaling as a critical turbine price driver. Ryan Wiser of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory demonstrated that—despite putting upward pressure on turbine prices—turbine scaling and other design improvements over this period have provided a net benefit in terms of the cost of wind generation, and that with today's lower turbine prices, the cost of wind generation from soon-to-be-built plants is lower than it has been in years. Finally, Eric Lantz of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory discussed the potential for further technology-based cost reductions, assuming ongoing turbine scaling and full realization of opportunities for technology improvement.

Audio and text versions of the webinar are available (WMV 30.1 MB) Download Windows Media Player. Time: 01:41:58. Text Version.

Wind Power as a Neighbor: Experience with Techniques for Mitigating Public Impacts: A NEWEEP Webinar

Date: 12/7/2011

Location: MA

Contact: New England Wind Energy Education Project

This is the sixth in a series of free webinars funded by the DOE Wind Powering America initiative. The webinar is designed for the general public, local officials, state regulators, facility siting decision makers, policy makers, and others interested in a review of objective information on the impacts of wind energy.

Speakers

  • Charles Newcomb, wind technology deployment supervisor, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, described the technical mitigation strategies invented and refined by wind manufacturers and developers to minimize or avoid impact to project neighbors, along with the background of how these strategies work and where they have been applied.
  • John Knab, town supervisor, Sheldon, NY, discussed the project adjustment and other mitigation techniques used by the Town of Sheldon in the process of allowing the High Sheldon Wind Project to be developed in their town and how these techniques impacted the siting decision-making process.
  • Nils Bolgen, program director, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, described project adjustments and mitigation steps taken by wind project proponents during both the planning and post-operation stages, with outcomes and results where available.

Discussion Topics

The presentations and discussion provided webinar participants with an understanding of:

  • Technical and non-technical approaches to minimize, eliminate, or compensate for direct or indirect impacts during the planning, construction, and operation of a wind power project
  • Lessons learned on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of available mitigation techniques and how specific techniques helped produce better outcomes
  • The process of negotiation to achieve public acceptance, and what concessions communities should (and shouldn't) expect from project proponents
  • The key to successful siting through balancing mitigation of impacts with project economic viability
  • Where current strategies fall short and what additional research is needed to fill the gaps

Audio and text versions of the webinar are available (WMV 39.5 MB) Download Windows Media Player. Time: 02:21:35. Text Version.

Background

The New England Wind Energy Education Project (NEWEEP) is a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Wind Powering America initiative under a two-year grant. NEWEEP is directed by a steering committee consisting of New England state agencies, regional and national research organizations, and New England's regional grid operator who have committed to participate in the project. NEWEEP is neither industry-funded nor industry-driven. The project consists of an 8-part webinar series and an in-person conference. Read more information about NEWEEP.

Receive Notices for Future Webinars in the Series

If you would like to be on the NEWEEP mailing list to be notified of future NEWEEP webinars via email, please provide us with your contact information. Subscribers will also receive periodic email announcements about newly posted information on the New England Wind Forum website and new editions of the New England Wind Forum newsletter. The addresses and information of those signing up will not be distributed to anyone else for any other purpose. Past NEWEEP webinar audio visual files and transcripts are available.

Georgia Offshore Wind Energy: Siting Considerations

Date: 11/29/2011

Location: Tybee Island, GA

Contact: Anna Cayce

Phone: 404-373-5832, ext. 17

Tybee Island City Hall, 403 Butler Avenue

6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
The Georgia Wind Working Group and the Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division, Coastal Management Program invites local residents, businesses, and officials to bring their questions, support, or concerns on wind energy to this exciting, free event.

Agenda

Meet and greet the wind energy experts starts at 6:30 p.m.; Forum starts at 7:00 p.m.

  • Welcome by Mayor Jason Buelterman (invited)
  • Brief Overview of Offshore Wind Energy—Simon Mahan, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
  • Findings from study on "Siting Analysis for Potential Near-Term Offshore Wind Farm Development: Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina"—Dr. Jason See, Geo-Marine
  • Question & Answer Session

Wind for Schools Project Overview: A WPA Webinar

Date: 11/16/2011

The Wind for Schools project enjoyed another successful year: Wind Application Center activities in 11 states, K-12 demonstration and education projects, KidWind Challenges, and National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project wind energy curricula adoptions across the country. This webinar provided an overview of a few Wind for Schools project highlights, including how Wind Application Centers approach the challenges of identifying strong candidate K-12 projects, attracting funding for educational projects, and helping to move these projects from concept to commissioning. KidWind and NEED Project representatives shared how their organizations and products have evolved to leverage the Wind for Schools project opportunities. Finally, a brief overview of the Affiliates program was presented. It is a channel through which schools, universities, and others can access many of the Wind for Schools resources.

This free webinar is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America 2011 webinar series.

Audio and text versions of the webinar are available (WMV 18.7 MB) Download Windows Media Player. Time: 01:10:06. Text Version.

Save the date for a future webinar

Interactive Webinar and Demo of Distributed Wind Policy Comparison Tool: Making the Best Use of Incentive Dollars

Date: 11/9/2011

3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Register now: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/528589802

This webinar will provide state and utility incentive managers, county planning officials, and other interested stakeholders with an interactive demonstration of the recently-released Distributed Wind Policy Comparison Tool. The Policy Tool is designed to identify distributed wind policy best practices as part of a U.S. DOE-funded project that ranked states based on their current incentives and market environments, and calculated impacts on project economics for various levels of rebates, feed-in tariffs (FIT), and other incentives.

Participants will better understand what policy improvements—including zoning and interconnection hurdles as well as rebates and tax incentives—are most needed for small wind turbines up to 100 kW, and where. The Policy Tool and accompanying guidebook, available at www.windpolicytool.org, show which policy combinations have the most (and least) impact on the bottom line.

The Policy Tool's demo will show how sensitivity analyses can be conducted on various policy options and assumptions to determine impacts and optimal scenarios and guide efficient use of public and ratepayer funds supporting small wind technology. Case studies will be presented to compare and contrast existing policies and "what if" scenarios, evaluating potential feed-in tariff rates and tower height allowances.

The webinar will highlight attractive markets and policy targets that offer the quickest return on investment, encouraging state and utility program managers and local planners to build on lessons learned with best practices to sustain and improve support for small wind. Possible next steps for the project will be discussed to expand upon the initial effort and further assist policy makers in addressing market challenges identified in the U.S. DOE "20% Wind Energy by 2030" report and reaching net levelized cost of energy (COE) targets for distributed wind as part of a diverse clean energy portfolio.

Webinar presentations and Q&A will be led by:

Tony Jimenez, senior engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Heather Rhoads-Weaver, policy & market analyst, eFormative Options
Jen Banks, wind energy project coordinator, North Carolina Solar Center
Alice Orrell, energy analyst, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Overview of the Distributed Wind Energy Association and its Activities: An ASES Small Wind Division Webinar

Date: 11/3/2011

Contact: Arielle Wolfe, NREL

Phone: (303) 384-6925

NREL and the American Solar Energy Society Small Wind Division co-hosted this webinar. Mike Bergey, Bergey Windpower Company, Distributed Wind Energy Association (DWEA) president, presented an overview of the DWEA organization including its history, mission and goals, and structure. Mr. Bergey also discussed each of DWEA's committees: Federal Policy Committee (structure and objectives, current initiatives); State Policy Committee (structure and objectives, target states, second tier, and policy tracking activities); and, Permitting and Zoning Committee (structure and objectives, fact sheets, national partnerships, installation map, and mentoring program).The webinar wrapped up with an open discussion on participant needs, barriers and target states, and a question and answer session.

Audio and text versions of the webinar are available (WMV 13.2 MB) Download Windows Media Player. Time: 01:00:46. Text Version.

Nevada Wind Working Group Meeting

Date: 10/26/2011

Location: Reno, NV

Contact: Larry Burton, co-chair

Phone: 775-852-1400, Ext. 15

RenewableGenerations, 155 Country Estates Circle, Suite 100.

3:30 p.m.
Please RSVP if you are going to join us in person. Audio access (877) 873-8017, passcode: 2593078#.

Agenda

  • Subcommittee(s)
  • Building Ordinances: Ordinances that encourage distributed wind energy
  • Wind Working Group Chair: Elections for a new chair(s) by February 1, 2012
  • Issues to address prior to the 2013 Legislature
  • Goal of the Nevada Wind Working Group: Do we remain as is or become more of a voice for wind energy in Nevada?

Southern Appalachian Regional Wind Energy Institute Meeting Presentations Available

Date: 10/25/2011 to 10/26/2011

Location: DC

Presentations, photos, and a video from the 4th Annual Southern Appalachian Regional Wind Energy Institute meeting in Washington, D.C., are now available.

Offshore Wind Development and Industry Update: A WPA Webinar

Date: 10/19/2011

Speakers

  • Dr. Christopher G. Hart, manager, Department of Energy Offshore Wind, provided an overview of the DOE Wind Program activities and reported on the recently amounted wind FOA awards to spur offshore wind development.
  • Darryl Francois, head of the Project & Coordination Branch, Office of Renewable Energy, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, discussed BOEM's regulatory activities, providing an update on permitting guidelines. Darryl also talked about current BOEM stakeholder engagement activites, including the state and regional working groups.

This free webinar is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America 2011 webinar series.

Audio and text versions of the webinar are available (WMV 19.5 MB) Download Windows Media Player. Time: 01:07:37. Text Version.

Michigan Wind Working Group Meeting

Date: 10/12/2011

Location: Lansing, MI

Michigan State University Pavilion Rooms C and D

Agenda

  • Introductions
  • MPSC Update—Julie Baldwin, MPSC
  • Advanced Battery Storage for Wind Integration—Kim Pargoff, A123Systems
  • Public Engagement for Offshore Wind—Erik Nordman, GVSU
  • Future of Wind Energy In Michigan—Jennifer Alvarado, GLREA
  • Discussion

Massachusetts Wind Working Group Meeting

Date: 10/6/2011

Location: Waltham, MA

Contact: Jody Lally, program manager, UMASS-Amherst

Phone: 413-577-0887

Foley Hoag Emerging Enterprise Center, Suite 4000 on the 4th floor

2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Panel on Stakeholder Engagement

  • Land-based Wind Energy: A Guide to Understanding the Issues and Making Informed Decisions—Aviva Rothman-Shore and Walker Larsen, CLF Ventures
  • Issues Affecting Public Acceptance: NEWEEP Conference Report—Deborah Donovan and Bob Grace, Sustainable Energy Advantage (Invited)
  • Improving Stakeholder Engagement on Wind Siting and Policymaking—Dr. Jonathan Raab, Raab Associates

There will also be an update from Rose Forbes from the Mass. Military Reservation on their wind projects and a presentation by Mass. DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia on the Wind Siting Reform bill.

Please RSVP to Jody Lally.

Growing Georgia Wind: Developing Supply Chain in the Peach State Webinar

Date: 10/5/2011

Location: GA

1:00 - 2:15 p.m. EDT
Participants will hear from experts at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) on the key role that economic development agencies and their partners can play to support the development of wind energy manufacturing in Georgia. Topics will include: research and development, commercialization of new and advanced technologies, workforce development, retooling and diversifying existing companies, financial incentives, and success stories from other states.

Featured speakers will be Eric Lantz, NREL energy analyst and Jeff Anthony, AWEA director of business development.

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now.

ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Date: 9/28/2011 to 9/30/2011

Location: Russellville, AR

Phone: 479-498-6035

Source: American Society for Engineering Education

Arkansas Tech University, Lake Point Conference Center

Ian Baring-Gould, Wind Powering America technical director, will be presenting.
The American Society for Engineering Education has provided leadership and information to the U.S. engineering education community since 1893. Through several key policy studies of engineering education, provocative and informative publications, and opportunities for interaction among its members, ASEE has helped the community adapt to society's changing needs to ensure the continued relevance of engineering education.

Nevada Wind Working Group Meeting

Date: 9/28/2011

Location: Reno, NV

The next meeting of the Nevada WindGenerations Working Group will be held at the offices of RenewableGenerations, 155 Country Estates Circle, Suite 100 or by teleconference. Please RSVP to Larry Burton at mburtonconsul@gmail.com if you will attend in person. The teleconference number is 877-873-8017; passcode is 2593078.

West Virginia Wind Working Group Meeting

Date: 9/27/2011

Location: Davis, WV

Contact: Patrick Mann

Canaan Valley Resort and Conference Center.

8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
The conference will feature sessions on updates of wind energy projects in the state, an update on wind energy research funded by Wind Powering America, the future of renewable energy and other energy sources, training for green-collar jobs, issues in transporting wind turbine components in mountainous areas, and a toolkit for the advocacy of wind energy. In addition, there will be two sessions on attracting wind component manufacturing. There is no registration fee for attending the conference.

Arizona Wind Working Group Meeting

Date: 9/23/2011

Location: Flagstaff, AZ

Contact: Pat Ponce

Phone: 928-523-2380

Northern Arizona University, Meadows Room, du Bois Center

9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Agenda

  • Arizona's wind development summary and outlook by the electric utilities
  • State-of-the-Art in wind energy
  • the focus of the Governor's Office of Energy Policy
  • Coconino County's energy element in their comprehensive plan
  • the new Distributed Wind Energy Association
  • and more!

Wind Powering America Program Update: A WPA Webinar

Date: 9/21/2011

With the end of the fiscal year, Wind Powering America staff reviewed accomplishments from the past year and provided an initial overview of 2012 activity plans, including:

  • Ian Baring-Gould, NREL: Wind Powering America stakeholder engagement
  • Charles Newcomb, NREL: Wind for Schools project and workforce development
  • Suzanne Tegen, NREL: Modeling and wind energy benefits assessment

This free webinar is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America 2011 webinar series.

Audio and text versions of the webinar are available (WMV 15.1 MB) Download Windows Media Player. Time: 00:56:47. Text Version.

Tools and Techniques for Assessing Energy Yield Potential for Small Wind Turbines: An ASES Small Wind Division Webinar

Date: 9/1/2011

Contact: Arielle Wolfe, NREL

Phone: (303) 384-6925

NREL and the American Solar Energy Society Small Wind Division co-hosted this webinar. Trudy Forsyth, from NREL moderated. Shawn Shaw, The Cadmus Group, was the speaker.

Mr. Shaw discussed some of the challenges of estimating the energy output of small wind turbines. These systems, typically installed at the residential and light commercial scales, do not have the benefit of expensive meteorological studies to make accurate energy yield predictions. Instead, there are various computer models, rules of thumb, and assumptions made to calculate annual energy yield. However, these approaches are not always consistent with actual, measured, performance data. In addition to discussing these general challenges, tools, and techniques, Mr. Shaw demonstrated the use of online tools, such as the Small Wind Energy Evaluation Tool (SWEET) to improve the accuracy of pre-installation performance predictions.

Shawn Shaw, senior associate with The Cadmus Group, has 10 years of experience working in the renewable energy field and has worked extensively with distributed wind energy projects and programs in the northeastern United States. In particular, Mr. Shaw has focused on performance monitoring, funding program design and evaluation, site assessment, and the development of tools and resources to help improve the accuracy of pre-installation energy yield predictions.

Audio and text versions of the webinar are available (WMV 21.4 MB) Download Windows Media Player. Time: 01:23:19. Text Version.

Jobs and Economic Development Impacts: A WPA Webinar

Date: 8/17/2011

Contact: Susan Hinnen, NREL

Phone: 303-384-6962

This free webinar is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America 2011 webinar series. Suzanne Tegen, senior energy analyst at DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), led a discussion on the economic effects of new wind generation for local communities. In addition to a review of the Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (JEDI) model, Eric Lantz of NREL discussed results from recent Wyoming work on wind transmission and natural gas and Peggy Beltrone, Exergy Integrated Systems, discussed how Montana counties have been quantifying wind project impacts using JEDI.

Speakers

  • Suzanne Tegen, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
  • Eric Lantz, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
  • Peggy Beltrone, Exergy Integrated Systems

Audio and text versions of the webinar are available (WMV 14.5 MB) Download Windows Media Player. Time: 00:55:54. Text Version.