Consult the Technical Report NREL/TP/500-39851, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and which the IEE collaborated Distributed Wind Market Applications
Monthly Wind Energy Assessment Reports at NMSU's Agricultural Science Center at Clovis, GO!!
Wind Energy Activities at the Institute for Energy and the Environment
New Mexico is ranked fifth in the U.S. for wind power utilization
Background
New Mexico is ranked fifth in the U.S. for wind power utilization,
with 497 MW installed capacity, including one of the world’s
single largest windfarm at 204 MW. Windpower technology is a rich
part of New Mexico State University’s 119 year history. Early
on, windpower pumped water for the university and the windmills
provided practical training for students, ranchers, and farmers.
NMSU professors taught the windmiller’s trade through the
College of Agriculture’s classes and Extension Service. In
the 1980’s, the NMSU Energy Institute implemented a state-wide
anenometer loan program and monitored the wind resource at over
40 sites across New Mexico, while also installing New Mexico’s
first wind-electric systems.
Today the NMSU Institute for Energy and Environment in the College
of Engineering provides support for wind energy development, including
resource assessment, feasibility studies, project implementation,
training, and systems monitoring. Over the last decade, NMSU has
been active with wind energy development both at home and abroad.
The College of Engineering has assisted with dozens of wind energy
development projects for communities in Mexico and the Dominican
Republic for USAID, DOE, and Winrock International. IEE is collaborating
with NASA White Sands Test Facility to establish the first windfarm
in Doña Ana County. IEE provides technical assistance to
the National Renewable Energy Laboratory with wind energy research
and training.
Main Activities and projects
NASA White Sands Test Facility Wind Feasibility –
(2003-07)
Since 2003, NMSU identified and has been monitoring the wind resource
at two locations. The College of Engineering conducted a utility
interconnected wind feasibility assessment for the NASA JSC White
Sands Test Facility in 2004. Results have been favorable and NASA
plans to develop a small (5-15 MW) windfarm by 2008.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Wind Training &
Research Support (2000 –07)
The College of Engineering provides assistance to the NREL on wind
energy training, monitoring, and research. Since 2000, NMSU has
assisted NREL with the annual Wind Energy Applications Training
Symposium (WEATS) focused on international and Native American participants;
the next training is scheduled for summer, 2007. NMSU collaborates
closely with West Texas A&M University on this program. NMSU
has also built, installed, and monitored a half dozen data acquisition
systems for NREL to monitor village hybrid wind systems in Mexico
and Chile. The University has conducted three research studies for
NREL on off-grid and hybrid wind energy systems between 2002-06.
NSF OIP Partnerships for Innovation (Borderlands Wind)
(2006-08)
The NMSU Office of International Programs has teamed with the College
of Engineering and Business on a National Science Foundation U.S./Mexico
Partnerships for Innovation collaboration. NMSU is partnering with
the Tecnológico de Monterrey in developing a bi-national
Border wind energy development program. The bi-national team of
staff and students is working on a two year program supporting new
wind technology development, resource assessment, and wind development
along the Border (New Mexico, Texas, and Chihuahua).
USAID & UNDP Mexico Wind Energy Development (1992 –
2006)
The NMSU College of Engineering recently finished a study (Dec.
06) for the United Nations Development Program and the Mexican Electric
Research Institute (IIE) on issues for the establishment of three
small 5 MW grid-tied wind systems for Mexican ejidos (communal ranches)
as a tool for local economic development. NMSU is also assessing
possible avian turbine interaction issues in support of the Mexican
Secretariat for the Environment (SEMARNAT).
Between 1992 and 2005, the NMSU College of Engineering assisted
with the development of several wind projects in Mexico as part
of the USAID and Sandia Labs Mexico Renewable Energy Program. This
included the installation of small (1-10 kW) wind-electric installations
for water pumping in Quintana Roo, Oaxaca, Yucatan, and Zacatecas.
NMSU also monitored the wind resource at 20 sites in Mexico in the
states of Baja California Sur, Coahuila, Chiapas, Chihuahua, and
Quintana Roo. In 1997, NMSU coordinated wind hybrid system rehabilitation
for the North American Fund Environmental Cooperation and American
Wind Energy Association for the Xcalak village wind hybrid system
in Quintana Roo.
Figure 4 NMSU and NREL engineers installing a 10 kW wind-PV hybrid energy system at an eco-tourist hotel in Quintana Roo, Mexico
Fort Bliss Wind Assessment – DOD (2007-08)
IEE is conducting site selection and monitoring of two sites on
Ft. Bliss in New Mexico for wind resource. Two met towers are in
the process of being placed in the Otero Mesa area. This is part
of a larger Ft. Bliss Energy Plan associated with the large base
expansion. The Ft. Bliss goal is to install a 200 MW windfarm on
the base.
USAID Dominican Republic Wind Energy Development (1996
– 1999)
Between 1996-1999, the College of Engineering provided technical
assistance for wind energy development to Winrock International
and USAID as part of the Dominican Republic Electrical Energy Sector
Restructuring Project. The University set up 22 wind resource towers
in the country and monitored several of the most remote sites (e.g.,
Isla Beatas) via satellite. Monitoring activities later led to the
installation of the first windfarm in the country. Several wind
training courses were conducted for Dominican engineers and technicians,
and over three dozen small wind power projects were installed in
the Dominican Republic with NMSU support.
Figure 5 USAID-NMSUDominican Republic wind project
Brazil Water Supply (2004 – 2007)
IEE is assisting Winrock International with the design and implementation
of 16 solar and wind powered water pumping systems in Bahia State
for community water supply.
Figure 6 NMSU engineer assisting with Bahia, Brazil community water wind pumping systems April, 2007
Wind Energy Education (1992 – 2007)
The College of Engineering has conducted over 3 dozen wind energy
training courses. In the U.S., courses have been taught in Arizona,
Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Overseas, courses have
been taught in Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. NMSU engineering staff
can provide instruction in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. These
course have been conducted for USAID, World Bank, DOE, UN, utilities,
and various overseas government agencies. IEE is also conducting
the wind energy portion of the ET 381 renewable energy course in
the Spring of 2007.
North American Wind Energy Research and Training
Center (2007)
Mesalands Community College is establishing the North American Wind
Research and Training Center in Tucumcari, New Mexico. In 2007,
the U.S. Department of Labor $2 million President's Community-Based
Job Training Grant and a recent $2,101,697 appropriation from Governor
Richardson and the New Mexico Legislature. NAWRTC will develop an
internship program for students, as well as a professor/trainer
exchange program. NAWRTC has formed strategic collaborations with
NMSU, Sandia National Labs, the Regional Development Corporation
(RDC), Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy (CCAE), and the Greater
Tucumcari Economic Development Corporation. NMSU IEE has partnered
with NAWRTC and Sandia to develop the research agenda, which will
focus on O&M issues with an overall objective of performing
applied research on reducing O&M costs for utility-scale wind
farms. Mesalands plans to admit the first class for wind energy
technicians in the fall of 2008.
Figure 7 NMSU wind energy course in Oaxaca, Mexico
Institute for Energy
and the Environment
New Mexico State University
Box 30001, MSC 3SOLAR
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003-8001