TCU College of Science & Engineering

7/26/13 7:38 PM

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A powerful wind
By Jenna Simard, CSE communications intern Wind power: the worlds fastest source of renewable energy. With growth of 25 to 50 percent each year over the past five years, the rapidly expanding industry currently supplies nearly 2.5 percent of annual electricity consumption in America. As concern over climate change and the high cost of fossil fuels has increased over the past several decades, researchers have recognized wind power as a viable solution to the energy crisis. The relatively benign resource produces zero waste, causes no harmful pollutants and requires minimal cost. That is not to say, however, that it is without concerns. Researchers are now studying wind powers overall impact on the environmentand leading the exploration are members of the TCU community. Established in 2008, the TCU Wind Initiative unites TCU and NextEra Energy Resources, the number one generator of solar and wind power in North America, to research wind power as it relates to environmental and social issues. The project runs through 2016 and aims to analyze the resource through researching three core areas: winds ecological footprint, its socio- Kalyssa Pollard (L), undergraduate student, and Jenny Korstian, graduate student) had economic impact and its relationship to carbon and just completed a fatality search at a wind climate. turbine and are getting ready to collect data on the dead bat they found (in front of their Michael Slattery, professor and director of the Institute for Environmental Studies and the initiatives feet). lead scientist, said the wind energy industry will benefit from the teams research. If we believe in renewable energy sources, we must know how to use them wisely, said Slattery. We must exploit these renewable resources but acknowledge the impact of doing so.

Ecological Impact
One objective of the initiative involves evaluating the effect of wind on wildlife. Led by assistant professor of biology Amanda Hale, the ecological team addresses environmentalists concern of the threat turbines pose on bird and bat populations. The growth of the Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative (BWEC) and development of the wind industry, especially in Texas, led Hale to commence research in 2008. Texas has more installed wind than any other state, but at the time there was no research on the impact on Texas wildlife, she said. Over the past five years the team has conducted field studies at Wolf Ridge Wind Energy Center in Cooke County, Texas, to monitor bird and bat mortality. The team also compares bird and bat activity at the facility to that of nearby control sites to determine the impact of wind farms on these species. In their first year of research, the team discovered thousands of dead bats on site. We want to determine how we can stop this from happening, Hale said. The team uses out-of-the-box methods to study bat mortality, including using an extensive molecular method to genetically barcode bats. Hale and her team are working with NextEra to determine how to use their research to reduce the ecological impact of wind energy.

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Socioeconomic Impact

A second objective of the initiative is producing meaningful data to be used for growth of the industry. Researchers in the socio-economic team, led by Becky Johnson, professor of Professional Practice, have developed a cross-sectional study to observe the influence of wind farms on ecosystems and local economies. The teams ultimate goal is to generate a strategy for presenting wind energy and determine the best way to communicate the benefits of wind farms for local communities. Johnsons team began research in 2008 in the rural west Texas counties of Coke and Sterling, where wind was the primary source of economic momentum. The group has since expanded its study to other rural areas in Texas and throughout the nations wind corridor, including Kansas, Iowa and Oklahoma, and has partnered with universities to collaborate in regional research. By collecting county-specific information and gathering local economic figures over time, the team has been able to observe the impact of wind farms on these areas. Johnson said that, while the level of impact varies for any given area, the wind industry usually has the largest effect on smaller, more rural economies.

The initiative also focuses on wind farms psychological impact on communities. Johnson and her team distribute surveys to a random sample of individuals in each area to study environmental attitudes and gauge public perception on the impact of wind farms. Public opinion has been mostly positive, especially after the construction phase, said Johnson. There are generally high approval ratings, regardless of individuals proximity to wind farms. Johnson said she and her team plan to continue analyzing other areas throughout the wind corridor, and possibly expand research to Canada.

Graduate student Aaron McAlexander is setting up the playback experiment equipment at a cattle pond in the wind farm. This allows researchers to see what bat echolocation calls look like when they are reflected from water so they can compare them to echoes from wind turbine towers.

Climate and Carbon

Matthias Fripp of Oxford University currently leads the initiatives third area of focus. Fripp has worked with TCU and NextEra to research low-impact methods of sustaining wind energy. He and his team have introduced a model for estimating the uncertainty of wind power forecasts. Despite that wind farms provide electricity without producing harmful emissions, fossil-fired generators may be required to provide power when wind is unexpectedly low. Thus, Fripp uses a model to determine the generation capacity and spinning reserves required to sustain wind power structures. Ultimately, the Oxford team seeks to determine how wind can most efficiently integrate into the energy grid. Slattery said he is unaware of any project that discusses issues of such expansive scope and special scale. Researchers involved have published 50 papers so far, and in the next six months will publish 20 more. Slattery and other team members have traveled to locations around the world to present the initiatives findings and have worked with regional governmental organizations to influence legislation, thereby offering TCU the opportunity to impact regulation and, as a result, gain visibility among other researchfocused institutions. Its gratifying to put TCU on the map, Slattery said. Johnson echoes Slatterys reaction to the initiatives success, the product of what she said is the largest single research grant TCU has ever received. A research grant of this magnitude on an issue of this importance speaks volumes, she said. People in the wind industry know of TCU now. Furthermore, the initiative gives students the opportunity to engage in meaningful research and learn alongside experienced scientists. Graduate and undergraduate students involved with Hales ecological
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alongside experienced scientists. Graduate and undergraduate students involved with Hales ecological team partake in field studies, thereby contributing to on-site research with faculty and technicians. In addition, students participate in analyzing data and presenting at conferences around the country. Some have gone on to earn masters degrees related to their work. Slattery said that, ultimately, seeing students engaged in the research is one of the projects most significant successes. (For more information about the TCU Wind Initiative, visit www.wind.tcu.edu.)

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