NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: renewable energy, engineering, wind energy, wind monitoring, solar energy

Objective(s): To conduct wind and solar resource assessment monitoring campaigns in the communities of Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.5384. The objectives of this project are to conduct wind and solar resource assessment monitoring campaigns in the communities of Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic, Northwest Territories. Lidar has emerged as a powerful tool to remotely sense wind characteristics via measurement of the Doppler shift of light emitted by the lidar and scattered back from particles in the atmosphere such as dust, moisture and pollen. This ability to remotely measure wind characteristics allows lidars to be used where it is practically difficult or financially impractical to install meteorological towers. The Aurora Research Institute (ARI) has purchased three ZX 300 Wind Lidars from NRG Systems. The ZX 300 Wind Lidar is accredited to be deployed alone for use in bankable/finance-grade wind resource assessments with no on-site meteorological tower comparisons. The ZX 300 Wind Lidar collects precise data at a range of heights ideal for wind resource assessment and can used in a variety of climates and terrains. NRG Systems also designs solar resource assessment systems that suit a variety of climates, terrains, and applications. ARI is currently in the process of acquiring three NRG Systems SRA (Solar Resource Assessment) Systems. The SRA System is a complete and integrated measurement solution for the formal resource assessment of solar projects. The Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic Wind and Solar Resource Assessment Monitoring Campaign will be broken into multiple sections as follows: 1) One SRA System will be deployed to the roof of ARI’s Western Artic Research Centre where the research team will train and become familiar with the equipment. Note that the team has already trained on and become familiar with the ZX 300 Wind Lidars in previous wind resource assessment monitoring campaigns. 2) One SRA System and one ZX 300 Wind Lidar will be transported to both Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic and installed at pre-determined sites which have access to power. 3) Measurements of a variety of meteorological parameters for wind and solar resource assessment will be taken over the course of at least one year. Once installed, regular maintenance of the equipment is critical to produce meaningful resource assessment results. The data gathered by the SRA Systems and ZX 300 Wind Lidars will be regularly collected and analyzed for maintenance issues. 4) Once the data collection for this monitoring campaign is complete, the SRA Systems and ZX 300 Wind Lidars will be completely removed and transported back to Inuvik. Site cleanup will be thorough and in accordance with Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Department of Lands requirements. 5) The wind measurements will be used to estimate the future power output of a variety of wind turbines and to design potential layouts for the wind turbines. The solar measurements will be used to characterize the solar resource, estimate PV panel efficiency and inform PV panel design decisions. The communication plan is comprised of three parts: 1) Informational pamphlets and tours of the SRA System and ZX 300 Wind Lidar installation in both Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic will be arranged to inform the communities of the monitoring campaign. These materials will be aimed at raising public awareness surrounding wind and solar monitoring equipment and their importance in the development of wind and solar energy projects. 2) The primary output will be the data collected during the campaign, which will be made available to the communities and their partners to make vital decisions regarding future wind and solar developments. Reports will also be produced which analyze the data and characterize the resource, and estimate the future power output of a variety of wind turbine and solar PV (photo-voltaic) panel designs, with the end goal being accurate estimates of the potential annual energy production of the sites. The reports will also be aimed at organizations and funding partners looking to expand wind and solar resource assessment and their application to future energy programs in the north. 3) As part of a broader initiative, the research team is working to increase the amount of video content that is being produced about its projects. As a result, the team plans to produce informational videos surrounding the work for this project. The videos will not only concentrate on the results, but also describe the process for setting up the project, managing the installations, and operating the equipment. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from January 16, 2023 to December 31, 2023.