Synergies in Renewable Energy

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• Synergies in Renewable Energy

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Renewable Energy Synergies
If we are going to reap the potential economic,
environment, and energy security benefits that
are the promise of renewable energy, integrated
energy systems must be developed.
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Renewable Energy Synergies

• Production Systems
• Economics
• Conservation

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Renewable Energy Production Systems

• Wind
• Biofuels and Biomass
• Hydrogen
• Other and Emerging technologies
• Multiple energy sources for multiple uses.

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Production Systems

• University of Minnesota Renewable Energy Research
  and Demonstration Center in Morris

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NWROC
NCROC
WCROC
Twin cities
U More Park
SWROC
SROC
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WCROC Renewable Energy Project

• The beginning
• Turn the resources available in the region into
  an advantage.
• - Strong desire to make a positive and
  substantial impact on the citizens of the state,
  especially in rural Minnesota.

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Renewable Energy

• Goal
• To develop a community scale, integrated,
  research and demonstration Renewable Energy
  Center.

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Vision

• 1) Provide a model for rural communities and
  agricultural producers to integrate renewable
  energy into their economies
• 2) Conduct and facilitate the research and
  development of the knowledge and technology
  needed to stimulate a renewable energy industry

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Renewable Energy
Turn resources of west central MN into an
advantage

• Wind-to-hydrogen research and demonstration.
• UMM biomass/district heating facility.
• Community Anaerobic digester
• Solar Smart WCROC Building addition.

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WCROC Wind Turbine

• -Research tool and production system.
• -1.65 MW V 82 Wind Turbine
• -5.6 million kWhr per year
• -Direct line to the UM-Morris campus.
• -Projected to supply over 60 of the
• campus electrical needs.

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Wind-to-Hydrogen Research and Demonstration

• 3-Phase Project
• Provide systems to store wind energy for base
  load / dispatchable / on-demand power.
• 2. Develop value added products and hydrogen
  bridge technologies from wind energy. NH3.
• 3. Combine these technologies and systems and
  conduct economic analysis.

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Biomass Gasification System

• A biomass assessment was conducted to quantify
  the resource. 600,000 tons in 60 mile radius
• Funded with 6 million from state, university,
  private funds. Construction to begin Spring
  2006.
• Builds on the current UMM district heating and
  cooling system across the campus (natural gas)
• Adds a 15,000 psi biomass boiler to the current
  system and provides fuel flexibility
• 7,000 to 9,000 tons of biomass required

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SCADA System

• On-line access for learning and information
  distribution
• Allows real time access to system performance
• Collaborative research across nation

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Morris Methane Facility

• Large livestock operations
• Facilitate assessment
• Renewable Industrial Park, Ethanol Facility.

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Renewable Energy Economic Systems
Peak demand electricity
Transportation fuels
biofuels

Wind
Gasification
Hydrogen
biomass
Other products
NH3
Value added
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Conservation Systems

• Ultimately, not only do we need to develop
  robust, dependable, and efficient renewable
  energy systems to meet a growing global energy
  demand, we need to use less energy and have less
  impact on our environment.

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Renewable Energy
Turn resources of west central MN into an
advantage

• Wind-to-hydrogen research and demonstration.
• UMM biomass/district heating facility.
• Community Anaerobic digester
• Solar Smart WCROC Building addition.

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Research and Demonstration Education Center

• Solidify educational infrastructure for the
  site.
• Integrate solar, lighting and energy
  technologies.
• Long-term research and education capabilities.
• Systems approach

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Renewable Energy Production Systems

• - Ultimately use waste products from energy
  production systems for value added uses.
• Aqua Culture
• Hydroponics
• ????

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Renewable Energy Production Systems

• - Being safe or being good?
• - Safe
• - Comfort
• - Growing global demand
• - Political stability
• - Environmental stability