Distributed Wind Valuation
What is valuation?
Distributed wind systems have the biggest impact when they can be implemented in ways that bring the most value.
Valuation — determining the relative worth, utility, or importance of different alternatives — begins by identifying and categorizing various value elements. Distributed wind, including hybrid systems, can provide a wide array of benefits: energy generation, resource diversity, resilience, ancillary services, transmission and distribution support, and societal, environmental, and economic impacts. Valuation includes assessing which locations, technologies, configurations, and business models are most beneficial. It requires understanding who is impacted, what they care about, transparent evaluation, and clear communication.
Wind energy systems can play a crucial role in the transformation of the electric power distribution grid. Despite relatively low deployment levels compared to other renewable sources like solar photovoltaic, distributed wind holds significant growth potential and can contribute to achieving cleaner energy goals.
WINDVALT
WINDVALT, a software tool developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was designed to provide stakeholders with an easy-to-use, transparent, and consistent method for assessing the costs and benefits of distributed wind projects.
WINDVALT is a valuable web-based tool for stakeholders in distributed wind project evaluation and decision-making. It allows users to select a location and turbine type, then walks them through value stream inputs for either behind-the-meter or front-of-the-meter use. The tool also provides default values for many inputs, which a user can customize.
The tool outputs the net present value of the project, annual cash flows, and a breakdown of costs and benefits. WINDVALT also allows a user to download CSVs of the tool output and figures of the results.
Continued work on WINDVALT includes the incorporation of energy storage to evaluate hybrid systems.
