WindShare
Encyclopedia
WindShare is a for-profit wind power
co-operative
that was officially launched in February 2002 in Toronto
, Canada
. It was created by the non-profit Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative (TREC) which was incorporated in 1998. TREC continues to exist as a separate non-profit entity.
WindShare's ExPlace wind turbine
was erected on December 18, 2002, on the grounds of Exhibition Place
, in Toronto
. It was the first wind turbine
installed in a major North American urban city centre. and the first community-owned wind power
project in Ontario
.
The 91 metres (299 ft) tall ExPlace wind turbine is co-owned by the WindShare co-operative
and Toronto Hydro
, and annually adds an average of 1000 MWh of electricity to the city's main power grid.
WindShare and its parent, the Toronto Renewable Energy Cooperative (TREC), have plans for more wind turbines. As of March, 2010 these plans are called "The Lakewind Project." (See below)
The Ontario Power Authority
's Feed-In Tariff (FIT)
program is now in place as the most generous renewable energy support program in North America (See Green Energy Act 2009, and Ontario Power Authority "Standard Offer Program" (SOP) for Wind Energy Projects ). TREC is moving ahead with ambitious generation development plans. Building on the experience from the WindShare co-operative's Exhibition Place wind turbine project, TREC has submitted a FIT contract application for a 20-megawatt (MW) wind farm project called Lakewind. TREC has incorporated Lakewind Power Co-operative Inc., a for-profit co-operative of Ontarians that will develop and own the project near the village of Bervie, just east of Kincardine, Ontario
. The Lakewind project will be the largest co-operatively owned, wind power project in Canada and pending a successful FIT application, is expected to be generating power in the spring of 2012.
If awarded a FIT contract, WindShare hoped to be looking for investors by the summer of 2010.
introduced a Feed-in tariff
in 2006, and revised it in 2009, which in a draft proposal increases from 42¢/kWh to 80.2¢/kWh for micro-scale (≤10 kW) grid-tied photovoltaic projects. Ontario's FIT program also includes a tariff schedule for larger projects up to and including 10MW solar farms at a reduced rate. (See Ontario Power Authority "Standard Offer Program" (SOP) for Wind Energy Projects
and Ontario Power Authority Feed-in Tariff program for renewable energy)
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
co-operative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
that was officially launched in February 2002 in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was created by the non-profit Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative (TREC) which was incorporated in 1998. TREC continues to exist as a separate non-profit entity.
WindShare's ExPlace wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
was erected on December 18, 2002, on the grounds of Exhibition Place
Exhibition Place
Exhibition Place is a mixed-use district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, by the shoreline of Lake Ontario, just west of downtown. The 197–acre area includes expo, trade, and banquet centres, theatre and music buildings, monuments, parkland, sports facilities, and a number of civic, provincial,...
, in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. It was the first wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
installed in a major North American urban city centre. and the first community-owned wind power
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
project in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
The 91 metres (299 ft) tall ExPlace wind turbine is co-owned by the WindShare co-operative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
and Toronto Hydro
Toronto Hydro
The Toronto Hydro-Electric System is the local distributor of electric power in the City of Toronto. In 2005 the utility served a peak load of over 5,000 MW and had nearly 600,000 residential and 70,000 commercial and industrial customers, and had around 1,600 employees. In 2005 the corporation...
, and annually adds an average of 1000 MWh of electricity to the city's main power grid.
WindShare and its parent, the Toronto Renewable Energy Cooperative (TREC), have plans for more wind turbines. As of March, 2010 these plans are called "The Lakewind Project." (See below)
History
- 1998 - Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative (TREC) was incorporated
- 1999 - TREC received a grant to study three potential sites for an urban wind turbine project in Toronto.
- June 30, 1999 - TREC forms ad hoc partnership with Toronto HydroToronto HydroThe Toronto Hydro-Electric System is the local distributor of electric power in the City of Toronto. In 2005 the utility served a peak load of over 5,000 MW and had nearly 600,000 residential and 70,000 commercial and industrial customers, and had around 1,600 employees. In 2005 the corporation...
to build wind turbine(s) - February, 2002 - WindShare co-operative officially launched. (Members of non-profit TREC are asked to also become members of the for-profit WindShare co-operative.)
- December 16–18, 2002 - WindShare's ExPlace wind turbineWind turbineA wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
erected - January 23, 2003 - ExPlace turbine began generating electricity
- 2006 - The government of Ontario introduced a Feed-in tariffFeed-in TariffA feed-in tariff is a policy mechanism designed to accelerate investment in renewable energy technologies. It achieves this by offering long-term contracts to renewable energy producers, typically based on the cost of generation of each technology...
(renewable energy payments) - February 23, 2009 - Ontario Green Energy Act 2009 introduced in the Ontario legislature
- March, 2009 - The government of Ontario revises feed-in tariff
Specifications of Ex Place turbine
- Exact location (coordinates): 43°37′49.5"N 79°25′29.3"W
- Model: 750 kW, direct drive, Lagerwey WindLagerwey WindLagerwey Wind BV is a Dutch company. It is located in Barneveld and is focussed on the design of modern direct drive wind turbines.In 2009 the L82-2MW was put into operation...
model LW 52 wind turbine - Height: Total 91 m (299 ft), or roughly 30 storeys; tower 65 m (213 ft)
- Weight: approximately 121000 kg (266,759 lb)
- Rotor diameter: 52 m (171 ft)
- Blades: three blades, each 25 m (82 ft) in length
- Rotation: maximum approximately 24.5 rpmRevolutions per minuteRevolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...
- Power Output: range of 625 - 650 kilowatts at 12 m/s (871 electrical hpHorsepowerHorsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
) in winds of 10 kn (20 km/h; 12 mph) to 12 kn (24 km/h; 15 mph) - Cost: approximately CAD$1.8 million (including foundation, interconnect, and erection)
The Lakewind Project
Lakewind Power Co-operative Inc. (incorporated before June 25, 2008) is a sustainable energy development entity consisting of two Ontario co-operatives: Countryside Energy Co-operative, and TREC-Windshare 2 Co-operative.The Ontario Power Authority
Ontario Power Authority
The Ontario Power Authority is an independent, non-profit corporation established through the Electricity Restructuring Act, 2004...
's Feed-In Tariff (FIT)
Feed-in Tariff
A feed-in tariff is a policy mechanism designed to accelerate investment in renewable energy technologies. It achieves this by offering long-term contracts to renewable energy producers, typically based on the cost of generation of each technology...
program is now in place as the most generous renewable energy support program in North America (See Green Energy Act 2009, and Ontario Power Authority "Standard Offer Program" (SOP) for Wind Energy Projects ). TREC is moving ahead with ambitious generation development plans. Building on the experience from the WindShare co-operative's Exhibition Place wind turbine project, TREC has submitted a FIT contract application for a 20-megawatt (MW) wind farm project called Lakewind. TREC has incorporated Lakewind Power Co-operative Inc., a for-profit co-operative of Ontarians that will develop and own the project near the village of Bervie, just east of Kincardine, Ontario
Kincardine, Ontario
The Municipality of Kincardine is located on the shores of Lake Huron in the County of Bruce in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has a population of 12,000, and covers an area of 580 square kilometres...
. The Lakewind project will be the largest co-operatively owned, wind power project in Canada and pending a successful FIT application, is expected to be generating power in the spring of 2012.
If awarded a FIT contract, WindShare hoped to be looking for investors by the summer of 2010.
Ontario's Feed in Tariff program
OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
introduced a Feed-in tariff
Feed-in Tariff
A feed-in tariff is a policy mechanism designed to accelerate investment in renewable energy technologies. It achieves this by offering long-term contracts to renewable energy producers, typically based on the cost of generation of each technology...
in 2006, and revised it in 2009, which in a draft proposal increases from 42¢/kWh to 80.2¢/kWh for micro-scale (≤10 kW) grid-tied photovoltaic projects. Ontario's FIT program also includes a tariff schedule for larger projects up to and including 10MW solar farms at a reduced rate. (See Ontario Power Authority "Standard Offer Program" (SOP) for Wind Energy Projects
and Ontario Power Authority Feed-in Tariff program for renewable energy)
See also
- List of wind farms in Canada
- Community wind energy
- Feed-in tariffFeed-in TariffA feed-in tariff is a policy mechanism designed to accelerate investment in renewable energy technologies. It achieves this by offering long-term contracts to renewable energy producers, typically based on the cost of generation of each technology...
- Green Energy Act 2009 - introduced in the Ontario legislature on February 23, 2009, is intended to expand renewable energy production, encourage energy conservation and create green jobs.