Generación Eólica (Eolic Generation)

Project Description: We have formed an historical partnership between the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez Campus (UPRM), the Puerto Rico Energy Affairs Administration (PREAA) and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to increase the knowledge of wind resources in Puerto Rico.  We are particularly interested in assessing wind velocity probabilities at sites that may be used to install wind farms. The criteria to select the prospective sites shall not be convenience of data gathering, such as existing towers or existing wind recording stations, but land availability for establishment of a wind farm, road access, available electric grid connections, zoning regulations and indicators of potential wind resource such as existing wind data, topography, wind-deformed vegetation or eolian landforms.

The project aims to establish the first part of a wind resource assessment program in Puerto Rico. We call this first step Phase I: Partnership formation and prospective site identification. We envision the wind resource assessment study being a three part study that shall include Phase II: Wind energy assessment of proposed sites and an Phase III: Economic feasibility evaluation of electric energy production using commercially available wind turbines at selected sites in Puerto Rico.

Our objectives for Phase I are: (1) the creation of a Working Group with representatives from UPRM, PREAA and PREPA that will develop a plan to implement a wind resource assessment program in Puerto Rico. (2) Identification of prospective wind farm sites based on the aforementioned criteria on the island of Puerto Rico. (3) To visit prospective sites in order to select the most promising ones to conduct a wind assessment project. (4) To obtain the appropriate permits, rights-of-passage and authorization from land owners to install towers and wind measuring equipment for wind data collection. (5) Identification of the appropriate number and nature of wind measuring stations at each site selected to be part of the second phase of the wind assessment project. (6) To document this Working Group effort with a final report that shall include the prospective sites topographical layout and one or more maps identifying the prospective sites and their relation to possible electric utility connection points, zoning, road access and geographical features.

Students involved: David Marrero

Project Description: Development of a wind farm in the east coast of Puerto Rico has the potential of being an attractive economic proposal.  This is so because the best wind resource of Puerto Rico is located on its east shore.  Reliable wind data is available for several sites in the east coast, but important information to evaluate the economic feasibility of the wind farm can only be estimated or is unavailable. For example, land values, an unclear permitting process, lack of a legal framework, and no precedent in the Island of a purchase power agreement for a wind generation project makes any economic evaluation an uncertain one.

We use Present Worth (PW) economic analysis estimating the values of uncertain parameters and perform sensitivity analysis for such parameters. Also, we perform Monte Carlo simulation to do financial risk assessment.  The results show under what conditions is viable to develop a wind farm in the east coast of Puerto Rico.

Students involved: Carlos Ramos

Project Description: The cost of environmental damage resulting from electricity production is difficult to quantify. We are identifying factors that cause uncertainty in the calculation of pollution damage due to electricity generation and methods to calculate such costs. We aim to perform a comparison between the cost of generating electricity from wind and the cost of electricity generated from fossil fuels.

Students involved: Jennifer Jiménez

Project Description: We propose to study the impact of eolic generation projects on Puerto Rico’s environment. In specific we intend to identify the impact on birds and bats, noise pollution and aesthetics effects of wind farms. We selected these areas of study because they are the most commonly raised environmental issues used against eolic generation projects. This project complements research currently being conducted at UPRM in the area of eolic generation such as: assessing wind velocity probabilities at sites that could be used to install wind farms, the impact of different economic analysis methods to analyze cost/benefit of eolic generation and determination of economic credits for diminished pollution (Green credits).

Students involved: Veronica Narváez, Camille T. Ocasio

Project Description: To identify infrastructure factors that will impact the possibility of wind power development projects in Puerto Rico.  Our analysis is focus mainly on the construction phase of wind farms.

Students involved: David Marrero