Catch the Wind: Late September 2020
In This Issue
Continue to follow the Wind Energy Technologies Office for the latest news, events, and updates.
News
An ultrasonic bat deterrent technology developed by NRG Systems with funding from DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) has achieved commercialization and is now being deployed widely on Vestas and Siemens Gamesa turbines. Since 2009, WETO has funded several efforts to develop, improve, and field test ultrasonic deterrents to prevent bats from interacting with wind turbines. The deployment and utilization of ultrasonic deterrents show promise in reducing risk, particularly in low-wind-speed areas where the cost of curtailing wind turbine operations could affect the financial viability of a wind farm.
A new training course called Selecting, Implementing, and Funding Distributed Wind Systems in Federal Facilities is now available. The course is primarily targeted at federal agency staff members responsible for renewable energy project development so they can make fact-based, data-driven decisions about whether a distributed wind project would be appropriate and cost effective for their agency. It was developed by PNNL with support from NREL, on behalf of DOE’s Federal Energy Management Program. The on-demand training is now available through the Whole Building Design Guide’s Continuing Education webpage and is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training. For more information about wind as a distributed energy resource, visit WETO’s distributed wind webpage.
On September 10, DOE issued the Fiscal Year 2021 solicitation for the Technology Commercialization Fund, supported by the Office of Technology Transitions. The Technology Commercialization Fund enables DOE’s applied energy program offices to pursue a strategic, forward-looking approach to commercializing technologies developed at DOE’s National Laboratories. For more information about the solicitation, please visit the Lab Partnering Service webpage.
Events
Online: September 30–October 2, 2020
WETO and National Laboratory researchers plan to participate in the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) Wind Project Siting and Environmental Compliance Virtual Summit. The summit lends itself to showcasing DOE-funded R&D to better understand and mitigate wind’s impacts on wildlife and air traffic, weather and defense radars, and community siting. David Solan, DOE’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Renewable Power, will deliver a keynote address on October 1 about the important environmental and siting research DOE is supporting. Register for the event on AWEA’s website.
Online: September 30, 2020 12:30–1:30 p.m. MDT
The Collegiate Wind Competition (CWC) prepares college students from a variety of academic backgrounds for the wind energy workforce by providing real-world technology and planning experience. The 2022 competition will challenge college teams to design, build, and test a model wind turbine and to plan, financially analyze, and present research on a hypothetical wind plant.
The CWC 2022 organizing team will hold an informational webinar on September 30, in which interested students and faculty can learn more about the competition and the application process.
Online: October 13–14, 2020
Join DOE’s National Laboratories at the AWEA Offshore WINDPOWER 2020 Virtual Summit. This annual conference brings together leaders from the offshore wind industry, developers, academia, government, and the public sector to educate and discuss successes, challenges, employment, and economics related to deploying more offshore wind in the United States. Presentations will include WETO-funded projects focused on reducing costs and improving the economic feasibility of floating offshore wind technology and commercializing new floating technologies. Daniel R Simmons, DOE’s Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, will participate in a panel on October 13 entitled “Powering the Renewable Blue Economy.” Register for the event on AWEA’s website.
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