by Shane Henson — January 18, 2012—Facilities owners and managers who are considering installing a wind energy system on their site may benefit from two new online tools recently unveiled by the Department of Energy (DOE). DOE’s new tools were designed to assist state and local policymakers, consumers, and stakeholders in evaluating siting and policy issues to help accelerate the use of distributed wind energy systems, such as wind turbines installed at businesses and homes.
DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) funded development of the “Distributed Wind Site Analysis Tool” and “Distributed Wind Policy Comparison Tool” through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants.
Developed by the Cadmus Group, Inc., the Distributed Wind Site Analysis Tool allows users to input location and terrain information about a potential wind system site in the United States and predict the energy output and environmental benefits of that site. According to DOE officials, the tool is designed to help potential wind energy system consumers choose the most effective site for their wind energy project.
The Distributed Wind Policy Comparison Tool, developed by eFormative Options, LLC, provides practical information for policymakers about potential state and local government policy options—including rebates, tax incentives, and ways of overcoming zoning and interconnection hurdles—to encourage rapid deployment of distributed wind energy systems. The dynamic tool allows sensitivity analyses to be conducted on various policy options and assumptions. These analyses model the impacts of policies and incentives and identify combinations of policies that may help guide efficient use of public and ratepayer funds.
