The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), along with industrial partner Semikron and with funding from the California Energy Commission (CEC), has developed a prototype of a 50 kW inverter that converts distributed renewable energy, such as wind or solar power, into grid-compatible alternating-current (AC) power.
The 50 kW modular power block is the size of a microwave oven, and it can be included with a photovoltaic array, small wind turbine, battery charger, fuel cell or flywheel to control the flow of energy into the electric grid, according to NREL, adding that when the power block is produced in volume, the price is expected to be one-third of the cost of other integrated power electronics of the same rating.
Because the power block is modular, it can be used for multiple technologies. It is also scalable, so two or more can be connected to create a larger power converter without having to redesign a system, according to NREL.
The power block includes electronic switches, sensors, direct-current (DC) bus filtering, a heat sink, a driver and a controller board. It will be packaged inside a 6-foot by 2.5-foot inverter, which also will contain inductors, capacitors, sensors, contactors, pilot relays and a DC power supply, along with protective devices to suppress surges, protect against ground faults and ensure emergency shutoff.
"After one more redesign, we'll get a dozen or so of these into the hands of industry across different disciplines to get their feedback," says NREL's Bill Kramer, the principal investigator for the project.
NREL's Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the CEC is being used to develop the power block.
http://www.nawindpower.com/naw/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.8333
AECOM Energy
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Showing posts with label Solar and Wind Costs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Solar and Wind Costs. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Check it Out - Some assumptions and costs for Evaluation of Solar & Wind Potential!
Source: Load-Resource Balance in the Western Interconnection: Towards 2020
Author: Ren Orans and Arne Olson
Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc.
101 Montgomery Street, Suite 1600
San Francisco, CA 94104
415-391-5100
Wind Resource Potential from NREL
GIS input for WinDSmodel
98 resource regions in WECC
Exclude cities, lakes, federal lands, >20% slopes
Use resource class (1-7) to calculate capacity factor
Generation costs (in 2008 $):
Installed capital cost: $1634/kW for base plant (AWEA Wind Vision study)
Production tax credit: 1.9¢/kWh for 10 years
Levelized busbar cost range for all sites in supply curve: $65/MWh -$125/MWh
Other costs:
Interconnection (used NREL “assignment”method): $1/MWh -18/MWh
Firming (assume 10% capacity on peak): $19/MWh -$36/MWh
Integration (depends on region size and wind penetration): $2/MWh -$12/MWh
Ren Orans and Arne Olson
Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc.
101 Montgomery Street, Suite 1600
San Francisco, CA 94104
415-391-5100
Author: Ren Orans and Arne Olson
Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc.
101 Montgomery Street, Suite 1600
San Francisco, CA 94104
415-391-5100
Wind Resource Potential from NREL
GIS input for WinDSmodel
98 resource regions in WECC
Exclude cities, lakes, federal lands, >20% slopes
Use resource class (1-7) to calculate capacity factor
Generation costs (in 2008 $):
Installed capital cost: $1634/kW for base plant (AWEA Wind Vision study)
Production tax credit: 1.9¢/kWh for 10 years
Levelized busbar cost range for all sites in supply curve: $65/MWh -$125/MWh
Other costs:
Interconnection (used NREL “assignment”method): $1/MWh -18/MWh
Firming (assume 10% capacity on peak): $19/MWh -$36/MWh
Integration (depends on region size and wind penetration): $2/MWh -$12/MWh
Ren Orans and Arne Olson
Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc.
101 Montgomery Street, Suite 1600
San Francisco, CA 94104
415-391-5100
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