Wind Assessment Allows Wind-to-Energy Project to Proceed

The Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority (BRSA) plans to construct an estimated 2.0-megawatt wind turbine at its Union Beach, NJ, wastewater treatment plant as an environmentally friendly way to offset considerable energy costs. BRSA contracted WESTON^® to conduct a 1-year study to quantify wind resources at Union Beach and determine if the proposed turbine was feasible. WESTON’s study confirmed that the Union Beach site has the necessary wind power to cost effectively generate on-site wind energy.

Eye on Sustainability

• Electrical power consumption at wastewater treatment plants is typically a significant expense. This wind-to-energy project will reduce the environmental impact of operations while managing costs.
• Initial regional wind resource assessments indicated that Union Beach exhibited Wind Power Class 2, or marginal wind-power potential. WESTON’s study found that the site actually exhibits, on average, Wind Power Class 3, indicating sufficient resources to support wind power.

Features

• Developed an alternative approach and used a SODAR unit to collect multi-level data with the necessary parameters to determine wind-power calculations. The frequency shift of the echo varies according to the wind speed (this is the Doppler Effect), while the echo intensity varies according to thermal turbulence and structure.
• Installed a 15-meter meteorological tower to collect standard measurements and provide quality assurance. A tall tower equipped with meteorological monitoring equipment could not be used because of nearby airports.
• Performance audits were conducted by a qualified independent consultant as part of WESTON’s quality assurance program.

Performance Milestones

• Determined Union Beach has greater-than-expected wind power to cost-effectively generate on-site wind energy.
• Developed an alternative technique—a Doppler sonic detection and ranging (SODAR) unit that allows measurements to be taken at several levels higher than would be possible with a tall tower.
• Collected 1 year of quality-assured data at multiple levels that will allow BRSA to select the optimal turbine design.