Homework Question on Feasibility of Potential Renewable Energy Sites
- Salinas Solar: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy13osti/57893.pdf
- Buffalo River Wind: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy14osti/60440.pdf
- Illinois Biomass: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy13osti/57770.pdf
- As a renewable energy investor or funding entity, rank the three cases in your order of preference. Briefly explain the pros and cons of each in no more than a page. Sources should be the case studies!
Homework Answer on Feasibility of Potential Renewable Energy Sites
In a review of the three renewable energy proposed entities, the New York Buffalo River and South Buffalo Brownfield Opportunity areas are the most preferable. The Crazy Horse Landfill Site in Salinas, California follows the two, with the biopower at the Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois being the least preferable. This is largely in relation to the size and power potential of the New York Buffalo River and South Buffalo Brownfield Opportunity areas, which offer better opportunities for future growth in the size of their acreage at 2,500 acres (Roberts and Mosey iv).
Among the pros of the New York Buffalo River and South Buffalo Brownfield Opportunity areas is the fact that it offers a huge land acreage, and therefore opportunity for expansion. For economic viability, the project needs a power purchase agreement price (PPA) of $85/MWh. The current PPA in New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) is closer to the project’s estimate, making it economically viable (Roberts and Mosey iv).
The project is however far from major roads, has a number of ground restrictions and may have potential future uses, all of which impact negatively on the project.For the Crazy Horse Landfill Site in Salinas, California, the pros include a huge potential for photo voltaic system for energy generation. The area is additionally expandable across the 160 acres, which only has 20 acres appropriated for the project (Stoltenberg, Konz and Mosey v).