Renewable Energy Technology Assessments - Kauai Island Utility ...

Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative
Renewable Energy Technology Assessments 9.0 Wind
Wind Speed (m/s)
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Fall
Winter
Summer
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
21 March 2005 9-4 Black & Veatch
Spring
Figure 9-1. Hourly Average Wind Speeds by Season, Port Allen.
9.3 Project Option Screening
Based on a wind resource map for the island, eleven areas were identified by
Black & Veatch and KIUC as having some potential for wind energy development. These
are shown in Figure 9-2. To evaluate each site, Black & Veatch considered several
additional factors that impact a site’s feasibility and cost. These factors included:
• Pattern of wind resource (time of day, time of year)
• Proximity of transmission lines
• Land ownership
• Construction accessibility
• Compatibility with existing land uses
• Environmental sensitivity and permitting issues
A brief discussion of each site is provided below. It should be noted that the
focus of this report is to identify broad areas that may be generally suitable for wind
development. Specific project locations, including possible turbine layouts, have not
been identified. A Vestas V47 wind turbine at 50 m hub height was assumed in
generating capacity factor estimates. The V47 is a typical turbine of this class.