Lincoln Wind Energy Facility
Fourteen large wind turbines are now making electricity for customers of Wisconsin Public Service. The final wind turbine was connected to the Wisconsin Public Service Corporation electrical system on Saturday, June 26, 1999, completing the 9 megawatt project in the Kewaunee County Town of Lincoln.
Project Purpose - Add 9 megawatts of renewable wind energy to the Wisconsin Public Service electric system to comply with the Governor's Electric Reliability Law of 1998 (1997 Wisconsin Act 204). When operating at full power, the wind turbines should be able to power 3,600 typical homes.
Project Description - Construct and operate a total of 14 wind turbines on the high lands in the Kewaunee County township of Lincoln.
Land Requirements - Public Service is leasing the land from private landowner(s). Public Service intends to have minimal impact on the leased land. A single-lane access road and about a 40'-square parcel of land is needed for each unit.
Revenue Pay Back - The Town of Lincoln and Kewaunee County will receive an annual payback based on the state's existing "Shared Revenue" tax formula (The wind turbines are exempt from property tax). Based on initial project cost estimates of about $10-million, the town would receive about $23,000 and the county would receive $45,000 for the first year. This annual payback would decrease every year as the equipment depreciates over 30 years. The total net revenue over 30 years is $200,000 for the town and $375,000 for the county.
Project Time line - Spring/Summer of 1999:
- Construct tower bases
- Erect towers
- Erect generators and turbine blades
- Install appropriate electrical equipment
- Test/declare operational by July 1, 1999
Turbine Design - Vestas V-47 660Kw is a horizontal axis up wind turbine, pitch-regulated with OPTISLIP and OPTITIP designed specifically for cold weather application. The OPTISLIP concept permits increased rotor speed at wind gusts thus minimizing fluctuations on to the grid as well as reducing mechanical wear and tear. OPITIP regulates the pitch of the blades.
Turbine Manufacturer - Vestas (Denmark)
Generator - Generator - Asynchronous with OPTISLIP
- 660 Kw
- 60 Hz
- 28.5 RPM
- 690 Volt
Control - V.M.P. - Controller (Vesta Multiprocessor Controller)
Microprocessor - based monitoring of all turbine function, plus OPTISLIP - regulation of output and OPTITIP - pitch regulation of the blades. (Cut in and cut out of turbine, automatic yawing of the nacelle(rotation of generator, and blades), synchronizing to the grid, error statistics, etc.).
Rotor Design - Three blades constructed of glass fiber reinforced epoxy. 75.4' (23 meters) in length.
Rotor Diameter - 154' (47 meters)
Brake System - Disc (3) hydraulic activated
Tower - Conical tubular steel, constructed in three sections with internal safety ladder and nacelle access.
- Bottom diameter 10.8' (3.3. Meters)
- Top diameter 7.5' (2.3 meters)
- Hub height 213' (65 meters)
- Overall height 292' (89 meters)
Integrated Lightning Protection - The protection system includes lightning arrestors, deep earth grounding, and shielding
Foundation Design - Proprietary design by Patrick & Henderson utilizing two cylindrical rings 14 feet and 10 feet in diameter and embedded in existing rock approximately 16 feet.
Turbine Performance:
- Rated Power Output: 660Kw @ 33.5mph (15m/s)
- Start-up Wind Speed: 9.2 MPH (4m/s)
- Cut Out Wind Speed: 55 MPH (24 M/s)
- Optimal Operating Wind Speed: 33.35 Mph (15m/s)
- Survival Wind Speed: Over 100 MPH
Project Site - East Central Wisconsin Kewaunee County,Town of Lincoln approximately 1½ miles north of Rio Creek.
Site Acreage - Approximately 5 acres leased
Elevation - 800' above sea level
Site Description - Agricultural use
Grid Connection - 24.9Kv underground distribution feeder
Transformers - 14 @ 750 Kva each 24.9Kv - 690 Volt
Wind Resource - The average annual wind speed at the project site is estimated to be approximately 15.4 mph (6.9m/s) at a height of 213 feet (65 meters) above ground level, the hub height of the wind turbines.
Wind Direction - The wind direction is predominately west southwest.
Weight:
- Rotor: 15,900. Lbs
- Nacelle: 45,000 Lbs
- Tower (top): 32,800 Lbs
- Tower (milile): 52,000 Lbs
- Tower (bottom): 62,200 Lbs
- TOTAL: 207,900 Lbs
Project Specifics - WPS share of the 50 megawatts required under act 204 is 9 megawatts thus the 14 turbines rated @ 660 Kw.
- Total Cost: $10.25 Million
- Annual Energy Production: 24,282,720 Kwh Gross (Total) energy for approximately 3600 homes.
- Expected Life of the Turbines: 30 years
Permits:
- Town of Lincoln: Conditional Use Permit, Building Permit
- Federal: Federal Aviation Administration (Filed for each turbine)
Wisconsin Public Service Wind History - Public Service is part of the Glenmore Wind Energy Facility. The project entailed permitting, licensing, constructing and operating two large low-wind speed turbines in the town of Glenmore in southern Brown County. The project became operational in February of 1998. Four Wisconsin utilities and two national labs took part in the project.