Community Wind Power Development Process Study
Type of initiative
FCM Green Municipal Fund - Plans, Studies, Pilots
Sector
Energy
Project value$87,000
Project Type
Feasibility Study
Sub Sector
Renewable Energy Generation – Wind
Grant amount$350,000
Program type
GMF
Municipality
City of Medicine Hat, AB
Status
Fully Disbursed
Population
63,271
Project timeline
2008 - 2011
Project number
9300
Description
Following wind resource assessments (including GMF 7112), the City of Medicine Hat will undertake a 1.5 megawatt (MW) wind power generation field test to further explore the City’s wind power generation potential and assess the feasibility of developing a local wind farm. The field test will confirm the accuracy of wind modeling assumptions in relation to speed, load factor and efficiency and economic assumptions in relation to capital, operation and maintenance cost, based on the actual performance of a 1.5 MW wind turbine. If successful, the City will develop, own and operate a full-scale 15 MW wind farm to provide citizens with renewable energy. The City estimates that a 35.3 percent load factor, based on the results of the wind resource assessment (GMF 7112), would result in the generation of 46,380 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity. Furthermore it estimates that since wind-powered electric generation does not burn fossil fuels to generate electricity and has no associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a 15 MW wind farm would displace natural gas consumption by approximately 330,000 giga joules (GJ) per year, resulting in annual GHG emission reductions of 23,650 tonnes or 420 kg per capita per year.
Applicant
City of Medicine Hat, AB