Wind Energy

Southwest Windpower Wind Turbines Power Remote Alaska Village Water Treatment Plant

Southwest Windpower, in conjunction with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) and Anchorage-based Susitna Energy Systems installed three Skystream 3.7 wind turbines, which will power ANTHC’s two-year-old state-of-the-art water plant. The wind turbines are projected to supply approximately 75 percent of the roughly 18,000 kWh consumed annually by the facility. In high wind conditions, excess energy produced by the wind turbines will be distributed amongst the village through a micro-grid.

“The wind turbines take advantage of an available natural resource and will be used to offset electrical power demands for the water system and ultimately make sanitation and improved health more sustainable for the community,” said John Warren, P.E., Engineering Services Director, Division of Environmental Health and Engineering (DEHE), Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC).

“The Goodnews Bay project is great example of small-scale wind energy systems helping people while also saving money and fostering a sense of self-sufficiency,” said Greg Erdmann, VP Sales and Marketing at Southwest Windpower. “Our new corporate tag-line is ‘Energy where it matters’ and this is a perfect example of our products providing on-site energy for village electrification projects in developing and remote areas of the world.”

Goodnews Bay, one of Alaska’s poorest communities, is a coastal village located about 500 miles west of Anchorage and is the home of about 250 residents. Until the wind turbines became operational last month, the village was completely reliant on diesel generators to supply its electricity. Because of the remote location, diesel must be imported by boat or aircraft, further adding to the cost of this energy source. Wind speeds at the village are classified as “Class 5” or “Excellent” by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Skystream 3.7 wind turbines by Southwest Windpower were selected because they provide an affordable cost of energy and have been proven effective other village electrification projects in coastal regions of Alaska, such as a 10 Skystream micro-grid for the village Perryville installed in 2008.

ANTHC is a not-for-profit private tribal health organization managed by Alaskan native tribal governments and their regional health organizations. The Anchorage-based organization was formed in 1997 to provide statewide native health services.

Susitna Energy Systems is an Anchorage, Alaska-based supplier and installer of renewable energy systems. The company installs single- and multiple-unit Skystream 3.7 wind turbine projects to help individuals and communities cut reliance on expensive energy. The company endorses the Skystream turbines because of their ease of installation and maintenance. Susitna has implemented wind energy projects throughout the state such as a village micro-grid in Perryville that cuts the community’s reliance on electricity generated from diesel fuel.

Southwest Windpower is the recognized global leader in the design, manufacturing and distribution of small wind systems. A pioneer in wind technology development, Southwest Windpower has built and shipped more than 170,000 wind turbines to over 120 countries worldwide with a sales representation in over 88 countries. Headquartered in Broomfield, Colo., the company manufactures in Flagstaff, Ariz. and has operations in Cologne, Germany. Southwest Windpower systems can be applied at commercial properties, micro-grids, remote cabins, telecom transmitters, offshore platforms, residential homes, water pumping and desalination projects. Southwest Windpower is the manufacturer of Skystream®, Whisper™ and AIR™ lines of wind energy systems.

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