PNNL

Wind turbines used as distributed energy resources—also called distributed wind—produce electricity that is consumed on-site or locally, as opposed to large, centralized wind farms that generate bulk electricity for distant end users. Distributed wind energy is critical to meeting a cleaner, more equitable energy future—and collaboration is key to increasing distributed wind energy deployment. 

This event was hosted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in collaboration with National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as part of the National Distributed Wind Network, established under the Strategize, Engage, Network, Deploy (SEND) Distributed Wind project funded by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Wind Energy Technologies Office. See event slides, recordings, and other resources below.

The sessions below were designed around the following levels of familiarity with distributed wind:

Learn: You are new to distributed wind or want to hear more about a specific topic. These sessions will primarily disseminate information to Summit participants through presentations, panels, and interactive polling.

Discuss: You have experience with distributed wind or in-depth knowledge of other renewable energy technologies. These sessions will create interactive and participatory conversations around key distributed wind energy topics.

Act: You understand distributed wind energy and are looking for ways to advance deployment opportunities for yourself or others. These sessions will demonstrate existing decision-support tools and opportunities for deployment.
 

Agenda

Welcome

Introduction: Danielle Preziuso
Panelists: Mike Bergey (Bergey Windpower), Padma Kasthurirangan (Buffalo Renewables), Mike Ohnemus (Adams Electric Cooperative)

Learn: A panel of individuals with firsthand experience deploying distributed wind energy technologies joined Summit organizers to set the stage for the event and highlight successful distributed wind energy projects across the country.

Slides 
Recording
Resources/links:

• Distributed Wind Resource Hub
• How much do you know about distributed wind? Take the quiz!
   

Distributed Wind 101

9:15–10:15 a.m. PDT
Presenters: Devyn Powell, Jimmy Quiroz, Lindsay Sheridan, Brent Summerville

Learn: Distributed wind energy experts from DOE’s national laboratories introduced the concept of distributed wind, where it is installed, and the benefits it can generate.

• An Introduction to Distributed Wind: What, Where, and Who
  Lindsay Sheridan, PNNL
• Technology Improvements and the Importance of Certification
  Brent Summerville, NREL
• Benefits of Distributed Wind
  Devyn Powell, PNNL
• Demonstrating the Benefits of Distributed Wind
  Jimmy Quiroz, Sandia National Laboratory

Slides 
Recording
Resources/links:

• Distributed Wind Market Report
• Competitive Improvement Project
• Local Benefits of Distributed Wind
• Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Transitions to 100% Renewable Energy Study
   

Dimensions of Distributed Wind

10:45–11:45 a.m. PDT
Presenters: Becca Avery, Ian Baring-Gould, Kaitlin Brunik, Cris Hein, Kamila Kazimierczuk, Suzanne MacDonald, Lindsay Sheridan, Genevieve Starke 

Discuss: Distributed wind energy technologies have made significant advances in the recent past, but questions remain regarding scaling deployment. Participants joined breakout groups to discuss important aspects of distributed wind energy:

• Effective Engagement and Building Trust
  Suzanne MacDonald, NREL
  
  Significant research and development over the past decade has led to advances across the full range of wind turbine technologies used in distributed applications. In this new chapter for distributed wind, communicating technological improvements and building trust through effective engagement is critical for successful deployment. Engagement can take place at local, state, and national scales. Participants exchanged ideas on building trust, overcoming deployment barriers, and tailoring engagement approaches for these various scales.
   
• Rural and Agricultural Income & Savings from Renewable Energy (RAISE) Initiative
  Ian Baring-Gould, NREL
  
  The Department of Agriculture and DOE launched the RAISE initiative to help rural small businesses, farmers, and electric cooperatives cut costs and increase income using smaller-scale renewable energy technologies such as distributed wind. Distributed wind energy projects come in a variety of sizes and configurations. Participants discussed how the various forms of distributed wind energy are supported through RAISE and how the initiative can support them.
   
• Equitable Workforce Development
  Kamila Kazimierczuk, PNNL
  
  Despite recent progress for workforce development in utility-scale and offshore wind, challenges remain for that success to translate to the distributed wind industry due to its unique criteria and constraints for workforce development. What does the road ahead look like for the distributed wind workforce? This session presented one approach and then discussed needs and barriers to equitably advancing the distributed wind workforce. 
   
• Environmental Impacts 
  Cris Hein, NREL
  Lindsay Sheridan, PNNL
  
  Siting is critical to minimizing potential environmental impacts of wind turbines. Since most distributed wind projects are installed in areas that are already developed, such as on farms or at commercial or industrial sites, the likelihood of impacts to species of concern are typically considered low. Participants shared their examples of ways that environmental impacts arise in their work with distributed wind, and discussed ways to differentiate distributed wind from other renewable energy technologies and wind applications, such as large, utility-scale and offshore wind projects. 
   
• Resiliency 
  Becca Avery, Idaho National Laboratory
  
  “Resiliency” is a metric that can be difficult to quantify. We know that reliable power in the face of increasingly destructive climate and weather events saves money and lives, but how can this be systematically taken into consideration when planning a distributed energy project? The ResDEEDS tool has been created by Idaho National Lab to evaluate the resilience addition of distributed wind, taking into account system layout and resiliency of the wind systems themselves. This tool is still in the development stage as a product for end users to plan their distributed wind inclusive distributed energy system. After a brief demonstration, participants provided feedback as to how this tool can be most useful to them and how they address resiliency in their work. 
   
• Hybrid Systems 
  Kaitlin Brunik and Genevieve Starke, NREL
  
  Finding the best mix of resources for a distributed wind hybrid system can be challenging. How do you solve this problem in your work? What methods do you use, and how do you overcome obstacles? Participants learned how the Hybrid Optimization and Performance Platform (HOPP) approaches optimization for system sizing, and traded ideas on how to increase the deployment of distributed wind hybrid systems across the nation. 
   

Deciding on Distributed Wind

12–1 p.m. PDT
Presenters: Sarah Barrows, Avinash Joshi, Caleb Phillips, Danielle Preziuso

Act: Participants who are ready to take the next step toward deploying distributed wind technologies joined this session to learn about decision-support tools and deployment opportunities.

• Distributed Wind Explorer
  Danielle Preziuso, PNNL
• WindWatts
  Caleb Phillips, NREL
• WINDVALT
  Sarah Barrows and Avinash Joshi, PNNL

Slides
Recording
Resources/links:

• Strategize, Engage, Network, Deploy Distributed Wind (the project that developed Distributed Wind Explorer)
• Tools Assessing Performance for Distributed Wind (the project that developed WindWatts)
• On-Site Wind for Rural Loads (the project that developed WINDVALT)
   

DW News and Announcements

Learn what's new in the distributed wind world! 

Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) accepting applications
The next round of C2C Peer-Learning Cohorts is open, with one of the focus areas being Distributed Wind. Interested local governments, Tribes, electric utilities, and community-based organizations should apply. Learn more
 

OCED Announces Plans to Fund up to $400 Million for Clean Energy Projects in Rural and Remote Areas Across the Nation
Read the energy.gov article
 

Questions? 

If you have any questions about this event, please contact:

Danielle Preziuso
danielle.preziuso@pnnl.gov
(509) 372-6085