An audio report about the different organizations in and around Boone that are devoted to sustainable energy solutions.
Reports
To better understand our wind resource potential and the effects of harvesting this renewable resource, an extensive amount of research is constantly undertaken in North Carolina and around the world. The North Carolina Wind Energy Website intends to provide a comprehensive list of this research as it unfolds. Some of the reports on this site are results of the Small Wind Initiative's current research projects at the Research and Demonstration Facility on Beech Mountain including: product durability testing, power curve verification, noise emission, and avian impact studies. In addition to the Small Wind Initiative, the Appalachian State University Energy Center has also contributed a significant amount of wind policy and economic research in North Carolina. Other reports on this site are courtesy of a variety of sources engaged in wind research around the world. Please make use of the work compiled here and contact us if there are reports that should be included.
Economic Research
Wind Power: A New Cash Crop
Today, many farmers and ranchers across the nation and the world are turning to wind power as a source of supplemental income. See these site and articles for more information.
The Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has begun work with JEDI (Jobs and Economic Development Impacts), a new economic impact modeling software that helps communities, counties, and regions estimate the impacts wind energy can have on their local economy. ASU is currently one of the first recipients of this software and have found these results. The Impacts of wind energy are felt at a local and national level as wind is bringing new jobs, manufacturing, and keeping local energy dollars in the area. Location of Wind Turbine Manufacturers is a report on some of the latest developments on the impact of the wind industry on our economy.
ASU Research
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This is a survey of attitudes towards wind energy conducted in the spring of 2010 by Public Policy Polling in Raleigh. Residents of western NC were included in the survey
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Nov 25, 2008 report taking a quick look at actual Skystream performance vs. new 2.4kW rated power.
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Final report. Task J: Western North Carolina Renewable Energy Initiative Jan 2006 – Dec 2007 Dr. Dennis Scanlin & Mr. Brent Summerville
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Contemporary Problems in Appropriate Technology. Adam Sacora. 2004
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Contemporary Problems in Appropriate Technology. Ernest V. F. Hodgson. 2004
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This WNCREI microhydro factsheet provides an overview of the technology, details on site assessments, types of systems, incentives, regulations, resources and WNC installers.
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Research paper by Brent Summerville, ASU Graduate Student in Appropriate Technology
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An ASU Appropriate Technology graduate student builds an 8-foot, axial flux wind turbine in the Fall of 2005.
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The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Jobs and Economic Development Indicators summary results for wind development in Western North Carolina counties.
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The ASU Energy Center and Department of Economics report on wind power in WNC.
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The contingent valuation method (CVM) is used by ASU Energy Center Research to survey public value, and willingness to pay for, the perceived benefits of air quality improvements in Western NC Mountains
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The WNC Anemometer Loan Program is an effort to increase understanding of wind resources in the Southern Appalachian Region. This report explains findings from data acquired at several sites in western North Carolina, including a topographical map, equipment.
Economic
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An AWEA Factsheet on the cost and payback considerations of residential wind systems.
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The contingent valuation method (CVM) is used by ASU Energy Center Research to survey public value, and willingness to pay for, the perceived benefits of air quality improvements in Western NC Mountains.
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AWEA article regarding the impacts of natural gas price increases on farmers and ranchers as they are forced to pay higher utility bills AND higher production costs.
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Electricity from the wind on the family farm. From the Department of Energy's Wind Powering America Program.
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The ASU Energy Center and Department of Economics report on wind power in WNC.
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Results from an Economic and Policy Analysis Tool by Berkley National Laboratory.
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An Evaluation of Potential Impacts Wind Power on Property Values,Tax Revenues, and the Local Economy.
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This particular brief by the National Wind Coordinating Committee includes a detailed list of publications available on a range of economic development topics.
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November 2008: Mark Bolinger, Galen Barbose, and Ryan Wiser (Berkeley Lab)
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The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Jobs and Economic Development Indicators summary results for wind development in Western North Carolina counties.
Audio and Visual
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Sample clips from Michael Klemen's Small Wind Research. Turbines sampled include Air 403, Bergey XL.1, AWP 3.6, Whisper 1000, Whisper H40, and WT2500.
