Small wind energy systems can supply cheap, clean, renewable energy to residential, rural, and small business owners. The California Wind Energy Collaborative is committed to supporting the development of safe, reliable, cost effective, and environmentally responsible wind power and to spreading practical knowledge about small wind systems to the public.
We are hosting a one-day workshop to identify the hurdles that small wind faces in California and to discuss appropriate actions that can be taken to overcome them. We are inviting a diverse set of parties to participate in the workshop. They include industry professionals, established and emerging manufacturers, installers, certification agencies, policy makers, and other people engaged in small wind activities and issues. Our goal is to gather information to develop a document that can start a path to overcoming the hurdles confronting the growth of small wind in California. A well-rounded effort from all parties will be needed to solve today's issues to ensure tomorrow's success.
The workshop will be held on October 29, 2008 at 1065 Kemper Hall on the UC Davis campus in Davis, California.
Kemper Hall is a twenty minute walk from downtown Davis. For those driving, the closest visitor parking lot is VP47. Parking is $6 per day, payable via cash or credit card at the yellow dispenser located at the entrance of the parking lot.
A map of campus showing Kemper Hall and visitor parking can be found here.
Registration is now open. Please register with the form on the right. A fee of $28 will be used to defray facilities and event expenses. To facilitate quality discussions, attendance will be limited.
A block of rooms are set aside at the Aggie Inn. Please call the hotel directly for reservations.
For other places to stay, eat, and other local recommendations, visit Yolo County Visitors Bureau.
Schedule is subject to change.
| 8:00 | REGISTRATION AND CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST |
| 9:00 | INTRODUCTION C.P. (Case) van Dam, Director, California Wind Energy Collaborative |
| 9:30 | LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY Pete Price/Justin Malan, Price Consulting |
| 10:00 | PERMITTING ISSUES Joe Guasti, Joe Guasti Construction |
| 10:30 | REFRESHMENT BREAK |
| 10:45 | PROJECT DEVELOPMENT Fred Brown, Entegrity Wind |
| 11:15 | IMPORTANCE OF SITING Shawn Shaw, Cadmus Group |
| 11:45 | LUNCH BREAK |
| 12:30 | TURBINE TESTING & CERTIFICATION Trudy Forsyth, NREL |
| 1:10 | CALIFORNIA INCENTIVE PROGRAM James Lee, California Energy Commission |
| 1:30 | OPPORTUNITIES for the URBAN ENVIRONMENT Jason Houck, City and County of San Francisco |
| 1:45 | OPPORTUNITIES for the AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY California Wind Energy Collaborative |
| 2:00 | BREAKOUT DISCUSSION SESSION |
| 3:00 | RECONVENE |
| 3:45 | CLOSING REMARKS California Wind Energy Collaborative |
| 4:00 | DISMISSAL |
Small wind energy systems are wind-powered electric systems sized for homes, farms, and small businesses. These turbines are defined as 100 kilowatts in capacity and below, but typically are sized between 1 to 10 kW. Small turbines can be divided into two types: horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) and vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs). While HAWTs are more common for a variety of reasons, VAWTs are gaining popularity, specifically in urban environments. Turbines are used by individuals to lower their electric bills and can be installed where electric power is not readily available (off grid) and can be plugged directly into the existing utility grid (on grid).
The small wind turbine industry has experienced tremendous growth in the past decade for a number of reasons. Technology is advancing, new companies are entering the market, incentives are available, policy makers are working to promote the industry, and the public perception is generally positive. Below is a list of some of the benefits offered by small scale energy generation.
Although there are a wide variety of benefits associated with small scale energy generation, there are just as many hurdles that need to be resolved to ensure the industry, as a whole, continues to prosper.
Although the industry is on the rise, it is more important now than ever to identify and address the issues facing the industry. Resolving issues now is not only important to sustain growth, but ignoring them could have a huge detrimental effect on the industry in California and elsewhere. Below is a list of a several issues that will be discussed during the workshop.
These concerns and many others will be addressed during the workshop.
If you have any questions about the upcoming Small Wind Workshop or small wind systems in general, please e-mail us at smallwind@cwec.ucdavis.edu.
REGISTRATION OPEN
SMALL WIND WORKSHOP• • •
OCTOBER 29, 2008ENROLLMENT CLOSED
WIND ENERGY COURSE FOR TECHNICIANS• • •
OCTOBER 18-19, 2008