Community diesel grid APPLICATIONS

Grid owner/operators win when they implement wind power at their own site.

• Lower costs and greater profitability: Adding a wind turbine to your diesel grid safeguards you against volatile diesel prices and the expense involved in its transportation.
• Improved diesel generator operation: Demanding less of your generators over time can save on maintenance and operational costs.
• Increased energy security and independence: By reducing your dependence on refined crude oil, you can stabilize your daily operations and maximize energy drawn from the wind in your area.
• Reduced emissions: Burning less diesel will cut emissions – a benefit to the communities you serve, your neighbors and the global community.
• Marketing opportunities: By “greening” your operations, you will spark renewed interest from the your local community and the media.
• Ratepayer advantages: If your diesel grid provides power for a community, you can pass energy savings on to your rate-payers and help make their daily life more affordable.

Learn more about the benefits of wind power here.

• Technology: Not every wind turbine is created equal. A turbine’s technology and design can affect many things including ease of integration, energy capture, maintenance requirements, and sound levels. Because of the Northwind 100’s advanced Permanent Magnet Direct Drive technology, your diesel grid does not have to be located in a wind tunnel and you don’t have to implement costly maintenance programs. The Northwind 100 also includes VAR Support and Reactive power control as well as an IGBT Based Full Power Converter, which eliminates inrush current, simplifies grid interconnect, and adds to grid stability. You can seamlessly integrate wind power into your grid and not lose sight on what you do best – powering your operations or local community.   
• Grid penetration: All else being equal, diesel grid owner/operators will want to choose a turbine – or two or three – that can support as much of the grid’s electricity needs as possible to gain the greatest benefit from site-based generation. The Northwind 100 will produce enough power to make a real bottom line impact on your operations. Call for Northwind 100 specifications.
• Proven operation: As with any major capital investment project, you want to know that your wind turbine is not a concept waiting for a test site. The Northwind 100’s proven operation in the harsh conditions of remote Alaskan villages give you comfort and peace of mind that your investment will be with you for the next 20 years or more. See the Northwind 100s installed base (PDF) .
• Aesthetic fit: The turbine’s height profile and operational sound levels will be a consideration if it will be located near residences, resort accommodations, or other community areas. We call the Northwind 100 “community-scale” because it fits well into community settings, and our advanced technology makes it an extremely quiet machine. More on aesthetics.
• Upfront cost and lead time: Your financial options (below) will help you determine what type of investment you would like to make in wind power. Depending on the location of the diesel grid, a Northwind 100 wind-diesel installation can cost anywhere between $700,000 and $1,000,000. This is often a more attractive option than a multi-million dollar utility-scale turbine installation. See more about the Northwind 100 costs and leadtime.

Want to know more about how the Northwind 100 fits your grid requirements? Contact us today.

At Northern Power Systems, we are committed to helping diesel-grid operators improve their bottom line and serve their communities better with lower, more stable energy costs. We do that by providing a leading edge turbine, designed for high performance and low maintenance, and surrounding it with supporting products and services that can be tailored to fit any customer’s needs.

Northern Power Systems’ wind power solution set includes:

Northwind 100:

Our low-maintenance, low-noise turbine features:

• Permanent Magnet Direct Drive technology to maximize energy capture and out-perform conventional gearbox designs
• State-of-the-art IGBT Based Full Power Converter, which acts as a shock absorber for your grid and eliminates inrush current to simplify grid interconnect and add to grid stability
• VAR Support and Reactive power control to actively support grid voltage
• A Northwind 100 Arctic turbine is also available for extreme conditions

Supporting products:

Our support tools make it easy to track how your Northwind 100 is working for you:

• Northwind Load Controller, designed to reduce grid frequency variations through fast control of a secondary thermal or other electrical load
• Web-based turbine monitoring via our SmartView monitoring platform to gauge turbine performance and provide supervisory functions for one or more turbines from a PC anywhere in the world (custom monitoring interfaces available)

Service and support:

We’ll help make your wind project run smoothly through :

• Project planning and development advice
• Technical support for installation
• Ongoing maintenance support and advice
• Remote turbine monitoring and support

More about Northern’s products and services

Diesel grid owner/operators just like you are planning their Northwind 100 project to capture the wind and support their operations. When will you be adding your name to our installed base?

• Wind-diesel case study: Kasigluk, AK
• Full list of Northwind 100 case studies
• The Northwind 100 installed base (PDF)

Because of the high costs of diesel fuel, the cost benefits of integrating clean wind power into diesel grid operations often pays for itself – without other grants or incentives – in just a few years. However, you may also be eligible for grant funding or other regional programs that can help finance your project. Below you will find a sampling of some currently existing programs:

• NEW! REAP Grant for rural electric cooperatives (USA): The new Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) can provide $125,000 in cash grants. You can combine this grant with state programs, REAP low-interest loans, and even the federal Investment Tax Credit (see below). This grant is available to rural electric cooperatives.
• Regional grants and incentives: US states like Alaska, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Vermont offer attractive incentives for wind energy projects. Other regions offer grant programs and earmark project financing as well. For more information on US-based incentives, check the DSIRE website.
• Tax-deductible Depreciation (USA): As part of your economic analysis, you will want to take into account that you can depreciate your wind turbines over five years, and 50% of the value can be claimed in the first year.
• NEW! Federal 30% Investment Tax Credit or Monetized Grant (USA): The federal ITC program was recently enacted in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and is applicable to any wind power system installed by a for-profit entity in the United States sized at 100 kW or less. You can choose to monetize the ITC for up front cash to fund your project.
• PPA providers: There are companies whose business model includes developing and owning diesel-integrated wind turbine sites and then offering the turbine host a PPA (Power Purchase Agreement). The PPA is usually structured so that turbine hosts get the power produced at the site and pay for it at rates that are more stable and often lower than what is offered by the local utility. This may be an attractive option to the grid owner/operator who wants wind power but does not want to manage a turbine integration project or long-term monitoring and controls.

The Northern team can help you navigate through some of the incentives available to you as a diesel grid operator. Contact us today.

Or, for more information on incentives available in your state or at the federal level, check out the DSIRE website.

Learn more about wind power financing here.

Want to know more about how the Northwind 100 could fit your organizational goals? Contact us today.

Putting up a wind turbine is much like building a house. In general, the steps are as follows:

1. Feasibility
2. Engineering and design
3. Installation
4. Commissioning

It should be noted that the process for many diesel grid owner/operators may involve some additional components, such as:

• Community involvement: You may want to plan on early community notification and involvement for your wind turbine project. This helps with community acceptance and provides some early marketing opportunities.

Your wind project is unique to your needs and desires, but you will have a team of contractors and suppliers supporting you, including Northern Power Systems. Whether you are just getting started or are ready to buy a wind turbine, we can help you. Contact us today.

Learn more about wind power step by step here.

• Northern’s Wind for Diesel Grids Brochure (PDF)
• DSIRE website for information on state and federal incentive programs
• REAP grant information