Community Wind Assessment
Type of initiative
FCM Green Municipal Fund - Plans, Studies, Pilots
Sector
Energy
Project value$45,000
Project Type
Feasibility Study
Sub Sector
Renewable Energy Generation – Wind
Grant amount$22,500
Program type
GMF
Municipality
City of Medicine Hat, AB
Status
Fully Disbursed
Population
63,271
Project timeline
2005 - 2011
Project number
7112
Description
The City of Medicine Hat will undertake a Community Wind Assessment to determine the feasibility of wind powered electricity generation within the corporate limits of the City. Wind data from a 60-metre tower will be collected and analyzed over a 12-month period to determine if a suitable wind resource exists. A long-term data set, indicating if wind speeds are adequate for a wind turbine application will be produced. If the results of the feasibility study prove positive, the City has indicated that it would be in a position to move forward with wind flow modeling, a wind farm design and the development of a business case for a pilot installation of a one-megawatt wind turbine. It is estimated that such a pilot installation running at a typical 30 per cent load factor (i.e. equivalent to running the turbine at full capacity 30 per cent of the time), would result in the generation of 2,628 MWh of electricity. Based on the City’s conventional electric generation equipment, the annual baseline GHG emissions for the production of 2,628 MWh (equivalent to a one megawatt (MW) wind turbine) would be 1,340 tonnes.
Applicant
City of Medicine Hat, AB