Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Date of Graduation

Spring 2011

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Department of Integrated Science and Technology

Abstract

This work is in support of the development of the Small Wind Training and Testing Facility at James Madison University. The facility is intended to provide small wind training and testing capabilities that are tailored to the needs of small wind energy stakeholders in the Commonwealth of Virginia and across the greater mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. This work focuses on the development of testing capabilities by analyzing the state of the small wind industry in the region, by surveying a sample of small wind stakeholders in the region, and by tailoring the development of the facility to meet the identified needs. The results of the small wind industry analysis include an interactive geographic information system tool which contains relevant stakeholder information. The results of the stakeholder surveys are analyzed and have yielded multiple recommendations for the further development of the test facility. The development of capabilities to meet stakeholder small wind turbine testing needs includes an analysis of a prospective site location for the facility, the specification of instrumentation packages to equip the facility, and the creation of tools to help facilitate the continued development and eventual operation of the facility.

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