SBIR-STTR Award

Distributed wind turbines present an opportunity for rural end-users to significantly reduce their exposure to high and volatile electricity prices while increasing their electric security. The critical problems that limit the deployment of distributed wind turbines particularly small-scale systems less than 100kW are fundamental inabilities to compete on cost with other sources of generation and achieve a high capacity factor in regions of low wind speed. The objective of Pecos' Phase I research is to demonstrate that increasing the rotor diameter of distributed wind turbines is both a technically and economically feasible approach to decreasing the cost of electricity in rural areas nationwide. During Phase I Pecos Wind Power will demonstrate the feasibility of this approach through there search and development of a drivetrain for their PW85 turbine that utilizes an 56% larger rotor swept area than pre-existing distributed wind turbines. The proposed research includes the design and aeroelastic-simulation testing of a drivetrain capable of meeting the demands of a larger rotor diameter. The desired outcome is validation of a drivetrain that improves energy generation in low wind speeds. The effort has industry-recognized potential to make dramatic improvements to both capacity factor and levelized cost of energy. The realization of a turbine optimized for low wind speed would deliver significant cost-savings and energy security to commercial end-users - such as agricultural industrial academic and islanded/microgrid grid applications - across rural areas nationwide. The research objective supports the USDA Strategic Goal 4 to Facilitate Rural Prosperity and Economic Development.

The goal of Pecos Wind Power's USDA SBIR project is to demonstrate that increasing capacity factor of small-scale distributed wind turbines is a technically and economically feasible solution to providing lower cost electricity to rural areas nationwide. The concept will be demonstrated through research and development (R&D) of a high-capacity factor drivetrain for Pecos WindPower's 85kW distributed wind turbine the PW85. It will enable the PW85 to utilize the nation's untapped vast low-wind speed resource while achieving a breakthrough levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of $.068/kWh 43.3% less than today's most cost-competitive small wind turbines (DOE 2019).As estimated by the Distributed Wind Energy Association (DWEA) the number of properties nationwide with enough space and wind resources for distributed wind turbines could satisfy the entire country's electricity demand (DWEA 2015). However the vast majority of this potential exists in low wind speed areas 5-6m/s. In these areas annual energy production of today's small wind turbines is so low that they fail to be cost-competitive with other sources of electricity. PecosWind Power's high capacity factor drivetrain will optimize the PW85 for the low wind speed markets most prevalent in rural America. By doing so it will extend the benefits of distributed wind power to a geographic territory nearly 10x greater than the current market footprint. This USDA SBIR project aims to research and develop a high capacity factor drivetrain capable of withstanding the exceptionally high loading from a rotor with a swept area 56% greater than competing distributed wind turbines. During Phase I Pecos Wind Power used numerical modeling to design and analyze a drivetrain capable of achieving a capacity factor of 43% in 6m/s annual wind speeds - a 2.5x increase over the average capacity factor of small wind turbines installed to date (DOE 2019). The Phase II effort will validate Phase I results via fabrication and field testing of the PW85 prototype. After Phase II Pecos Wind Power will be well-positioned to commence development of a paid customer demonstration project at SUNY Morrisville in New York State. Pecos Wind Power's USDA SBIR project reinforces and supports USDA-NIFA's commitment to renewable energy innovation and advancing the economic prosperity of rural America. If successful the R&D proposed herein will extend the benefits of distributed wind power to a vast and untapped geography of rural communities; communities and individuals will benefit from significant electricity cost-savings increased electric security improved resiliency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.