Integrated analytical, visualization, and decision support software for placement of wind turbines by rural residents and small businesses

Improved materials, innovative/cost-lowering manufacturing, and federal and state incentives guarantee that "small wind" turbines will play an important role in meeting government goals for promoting renewable energy. "Small wind" turbines, defined as having <100 kW capacity, can potentially supply 50-90% of the power for a rural residence or impressively augment the power needs of a rural agricultural or manufacturing business. However, determining optimal turbine placement and site design is complex, yet critical for success. Existing site selection methods consist of a mish-mash of inefficient, imprecise, and uncoordinated "checklists," or highly technological programs geared for large wind farm developers, requiring too much computing power, engineering expertise, and budget for the average rural small wind developer. Small wind projects encounter challenges and objections regarding visual, aural, property value, environmental, regulatory, wildlife, habitat, viewshed and "not-in-my-backyard" issues. And overriding all of these is the financial question: how long will this take to pay for itself The overall goal of this multi-phase SBIR project is to develop, validate, and commercialize novel software that will eliminate the problems with current practices by providing an automated, next-generation method of guiding small wind developers as they weigh multiple and often conflicting variables to come up with an optimal rural turbine placement. These decisions involve "informed trade-offs," but they are not compromises; poorly placed turbines are a disappointment to owners and neighbors alike, a terrible advertisement for the wind energy industry, and an inefficient attempt to solve the nation's growing energy needs.