Virginia Wind Energy Resources

Small Wind in Virginia

http://www.awea.org/smallwind/virginia_sw.html

Wind Energy in Virginia

Europeans used wind energy to sail to Virginia for 400 years, from the 1500's into the 1900's. Since those Europeans settled Virginia successfully in 1607, rural Virginians have used windpower to pull water up from wells - long before electrical lines connected farms to the "grid" and powered modern pumps. In some cases, wind power was also harnessed in Virginia to power manufacturing facilities, such as mills that ground wheat into flour. Pumping and powering grist mills required that the windmill be located directly next to the facility - gears and belts could not transmit the mechanical energy more than about 100 feet. http://www.virginiaplaces.org/energy/windenergy.html

The Virginia Wind Energy Collaborative

The Virginia Wind Energy Collaborative (VWEC) was established to educate the public and inform decision-makers about wind power development in Virginia, in support of the Commonwealth’s need for reliable and affordable energy, environmental quality, and economic development.

The Virginia Wind Energy Collaborative supports the balanced development of wind-derived energy in Virginia by providing information and analyses relevant to utility-scale, community-based, and smaller-scale applications. VWEC also provides a forum for collaboration among stakeholders and organizations interested in the benefits and opportunities associated with wind power development in the Commonwealth. More Information

Virginia Wind Resource Map

The Department of Energy's Wind Program and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) published a new wind resource map for the state of Virginia . This resource map shows wind speed estimates at 50 meters above the ground and depicts the resource that could be used for utility-scale wind development. Future plans are to provide wind speed estimates at 30 meters, which are useful for identifying small wind turbine opportunities.

As a renewable resource, wind is classified according to wind power classes, which are based on typical wind speeds. These classes range from Class 1 (the lowest) to Class 7 (the highest). In general, at 50 meters, wind power Class 4 or higher can be useful for generating wind power with large turbines. Class 4 and above are considered good resources. Particular locations in the Class 3 areas could have higher wind power class values at 80 meters than shown on the 50 meter map because of possible high wind shear. Given the advances in technology, a number of locations in the Class 3 areas may suitable for utility-scale wind development. More Information

Virginia Wind

http://www.vawind.org/

Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy - Alternative Fuels

Virginia supports the advancement of alternative fuels and looks for opportunities to support a variety of alternative fuel projects across the Commonwealth.  Below is a list of projects the Commonwealth of Virginia currently supports through various grants from the US Department of Energy. More Information