NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Tags: physical sciences, renewable energy, atmospheric sciences, economic feasibility, wind energy

Objective(s): To measure the wind energy potential at Berry Hill and at CN Hill for two years.

Project Description: The objective of this wind monitoring proposal is to measure the wind energy potential at the Berry Hill (approximately 18 km north of Yellowknife) and at CN Hill (approximately 130 km from Yellowknife) for two years. This is part of an alternative energy study for the Yellowknife area. Wind data will be collected using instruments that measure wind speed, direction, and temperature. At Berry Hill, a 50 m wind monitoring tower will be installed at the site. At CN Hill, the sensors will be installed on an existing Northwestel Tower. Two full years of wind measurements and an economic analysis will be necessary to confirm the wind energy potential for the two study sites and the surrounding area. 1) Installation of wind monitoring equipment at the proposed monitoring sites will be led by the project engineer, who has conducted all wind tower installations in the Northwest Territories to date and has been working on wind monitoring projects with the Aurora Research Institute (ARI) since 2004. The engineer will be supported by local technicians from Public Works and Northwestel. BERRY HILL: A 50m wind monitoring tower will be installed (not to be confused with a turbine: data collection using small sensors only; no power is produced). Equipment will be transported from Yellowknife to the site by ground. The tower installation will consist of driving anchors into the ground, laying the tower and sensors out on the ground, assembly of the tower, installation of the guy wires, and then lifting the tower into place using a ginpole and electric winch. No heavy equipment will be required during tower installation - only hand tools and small power tools. The anemometers (sensors that measure wind speed) will be positioned at 30m, 40m and 50m. All anemometers will be calibrated prior to installation. Other sensors will include a wind vane and temperature sensors. CN HILL: Anemometers, a wind vane, and a temperature sensor will be installed on the upper portion of a pre-existing Northwestel communications tower by the project engineer and Northwestel staff. 2) Wind monitoring data collection, analysis and reporting. Data files will be transmitted via a satellite link, and downloaded remotely by the project engineer and technician. Reporting and data management will be the responsibility of both the project engineer and technician. Data will be collected from the wind tower for a period of two years. All data will be stored at ARI, and analyzed by the project engineer. The results from this work will be compiled into a wind analysis report which will be posted on the Aurora Research Institute website (www.nwtresearch.com). Copies of the report will also be distributed to nearby community organizations and project partners, and a plain language report will be distributed to community members. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from August 15, 2015 to December 31, 2015.