Current Events
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Wind News in the Region
Scientists: Tangier ripe for wind-energy project, The Virginian-Pilot (Oct.10th, 2008)
Caroline man generating his own electrical power, The Free Lance-Star (Sept 15th, 2008)
Wind is Given 2nd Look As Energy Needs Grow, Washington Post (Aug. 3rd, 2008)
Community Wind Energy 2008, Windustry (Feb. 28th, 2008)
USDA Outreach Conference at Virginia State University, USDA (Feb. 28th, 2008)
2008 Renewable Energy Workshops, North Carolina Wind Energy (Feb. 25th 2008)
Wind farm proposed near Elkins, Charleston Gazette (Feb. 13th, 2008)
An Island Of Energy, Daily News Record (Feb. 6th, 2008)
State-Based Anemometer Loan Program (SBALP)
Principle Investigator: James Madison University
The State-Based Anemometer Loan Program provides Virginia landowners an opportunity to quantify their wind resource with the objective to spur the development and use of wind energy throughout the state. Under the program grant, JMU received ten 20-meter anemometer towers with instrumentation. Each tower takes one year of measurement on-site for the duration of one year and then is relocated to a new site over the span of three years. This is meant to obtain data from thirty locations throughout the state. JMU also owns a 50-meter tower and will soon own a 40-meter tower as additions to the program. The data obtained from the towers is reported to the borrowers, and is used by Virginia and NREL to validate wind resource models. JMU is responsible for receiving applications of interested participants in the program, selecting which sites are most appropriate for the wind energy study, distribution and installation of the anemometers, and gathering and processing the data.
Mark Lotts is currently serving as the SBALP Administrator. He is responsible for selecting sites to install anemometers and to schedule the un-installation of anemometers. Sites are selected by evaluating applications sent in by homeowners. Mark also serves as the main contact for parties interested about the program and to the borrowers. The program has developed a Geographic Information System integrating county parcel data and a wind resource map of Virginia to make the program more proactive in site selection. This allows him to locate properties with desirable wind resource, contact the owner, and invite them to apply to the program. He is also using GIS to find sites in the national forest with favorable wind resource and accessibility upon which the forest service will allow the installation of anemometer towers. Mark can be contacted at vwec@jmu.edu.
Matt Walters is currently serving as the SBALP Data Administrator. This role includes managing and organizing all the data for the anemometer loan program participants past and present. This task involves monthly uploads of data from each current site, as well as mailing new data plugs out to clients. In addition at the end of each client's year with a tower, a detailed report is made with all important wind data (wind speed frequency distribution, wind rose, monthly speed variations, etc.) and a short report is sent to the client summarizing what their data means. Matt can be contacted at waltermr@jmu.edu.
Term: December 2001 - December 2006
Deliverables / Outcomes:
- Issue press releases to solicit applications
- Review applications and select sites most suitable for study
- Install, maintain and relocate anemometers
- Gather and process data obtained
- Disseminate processed data to borrowers and raw data to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
For more information on the program, please visit the SBALP website at http://www.jmu.edu/sbalp.
