On Site Wind for Rural Load Center [Video]

Launched in 2022, the On-Site Wind for Rural Load Centers (On-Site Wind) initiative is a multi-laboratory research effort that empowers rural communities to realize the potential of distributed wind energy and tackle obstacles to accessible, reliable and affordable clean energy. The initiative is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Energy Technologies Office. Idaho National Laboratory collaborated with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and Iowa State University to address technical, economic and social barriers to distributed wind adoption.

On-site wind energy, also called distributed wind, refers to wind energy that is primarily produced and consumed locally. Typically, these wind installations are relatively small, ranging in size from a single turbine to utility-scale projects connected to the local distribution utility. Both front-of-the-meter and behind-the-meter wind installations may be considered on-site wind.

The On-Site Wind initiative is developing templates for wind-hybrid …