PNNL

Whether you are an established member of the wind industry, a student interested in clean energy technologies, or a member of a community-based organization that supports energy transitions, the 2024 Distributed Wind Energy Summit is for you! This collaborative event is designed for participants of all backgrounds to learn, discuss, and take action based on their goals, interests, and experiences. 

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 is 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 the event agenda below. 

Participants are welcome to join any or all Summit sessions. If you are only able to join for a portion of the day, we encourage you to review the information below to identify where you are in your distributed wind efforts to find relevant sessions. Our sessions are 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

The following agenda is still in development. Details will be added and modified as they are finalized.

Welcome

8–9 a.m. PDT
Introduction: Danielle Preziuso
Panelists: to be announced soon!

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

(Break: 9–9:15 a.m. PDT)
 

Distributed Wind 101

9:15–10:15 a.m. PDT
Presenters: Rachid Darbali-Zamora, Devyn Powell, Lindsay Sheridan, Brent Summerville

Learn: Distributed wind energy experts from DOE’s national laboratories will introduce 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
  Rachid Darbali-Zamora, Sandia National Laboratory

(Break: 10:15–10:45 a.m. PDT)
 

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. Join a breakout group to discuss important aspects of distributed wind energy:

• Effective Engagement and Building Trust
  Suzanne MacDonald, NREL
• Rural and Agricultural Income & Savings from Renewable Energy (RAISE) Initiative
  Ian Baring-Gould, NREL
• Equitable Workforce Development
  Kamila Kazimierczuk, PNNL
• Environmental Impacts 
  Cris Hein, NREL
  Lindsay Sheridan, PNNL
• Resiliency and Microgrids 
  Becca Avery, Idaho National Laboratory
  Rachid Darbali-Zamora, Sandia National Laboratory
• Hybrid Systems 
  Kaitlin Brunik and Genevieve Starke, NREL

 
(Break: 11:45 a.m.–12 p.m. PDT)
 

Deciding on Distributed Wind

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

Act: If you’re ready to take the next step toward deploying distributed wind technologies, join 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

(Conclusion: 1–1:05 p.m. PDT)
 

DW News and Announcements

Learn what's new in the distributed wind world before the summit! Or refer back to this section to catch up during breaks in the summit agenda. 

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

The Place to Build a Career in Wind
The Wind Works Forum (September 23-26) is a virtual networking event designed to help career seekers envision an exciting career in wind energy and take the first steps towards making that vision a reality. Learn more
 

Questions? 

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

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