Improved grid and less diesel for Kodiak Island
Improved grid and less diesel for Kodiak Island
- The challenge
Doubling the wind project´s capacity to 9 MW
- The solution
Design, build, install, and commission an integrated 3 MW battery system
- The impact
Deliver 114 million kWh of wind energy and save 8 million gallons of diesel fuel
Client:Kodiak Electric Association (KEA)
Location:Alaska, Kodiak Island
Sectors:Renewable energy
The Challenge
Doubling the wind project’s capacity to 9 MW
Kodiak Electric Association's (KEA) aimed at doubling their wind project’s capacity to 9 MW. Given the inherent intermittency of wind power, KEA performed a detailed study to investigate the possible impact that adding 4.5 MW of wind would have on grid reliability. While the hydroelectric facility provided an excellent source of clean energy, it was not responsive enough to maintain grid frequency in the event of a sudden loss of wind power. In order to maintain the same level of reliable power delivery, KEA faced the unfavorable prospect of bringing more diesel generators online to provide frequency regulation and spinning reserves during high wind generating hours.
This additional diesel generation would require curtailing available wind power and consuming more diesel fuel – effectively increasing the cost of delivered energy and diluting the percentage of energy sales from renewable resources.