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Renewable Energy

General Renewable Energy

Wind/solar presentation for Association of Towns (February 2005) (1.6MB .pdf)

Details about the real property tax exemption for qualified renewable energy systems

End-Use Renewables Market Characterization, Market Assessment and Causality Evaluation Report.

Connecting to the Grid

Connecting to the Grid: A Guide to Distributed Generation Interconnection Issues
This online guide, produced by the North Carolina Solar Center outlines the issues that need to be considered before connecting an energy system to the power grid. Contained in this guide are discussions on such matters as legal and safety issues.

Net Metering Agreement Model
This model, produced by the North Carolina Solar Center, outlines the basic facts that anybody should know before entering into any agreement with a power company as well as the rights provided by law to that individual.

NYS Energy and Production Act
This act protects the right of the individual to install an alternative energy system on private property.

Staying off the Grid

Off-Grid PV Systems
This fact sheet, created by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association outlines the considerations for building a PV system off the power grid. Some of these considerations include cost and safety issues. The page also provides a list of equipment that will be needed for the system.

Battery Power for Your Residential Solar Electric System

This online guide, produced for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, contains useful information about the usage of battery systems in conjunction with a solar electric system. These guides provide information on such things as the size and cost of different battery systems as well as the type of system required in a particular location. Also included are useful tips to consider when purchasing batteries.

Solar Electric (PV)

General PV Information

Clean Power Estimator

This NYSERDA-sponsored tool estimates the benefits and costs associated with photovoltaic (PV) energy. The only information needed is the customer type (commercial, residential, etc.) and zip code. This is a very useful tool for anybody looking into the installation a PV system.

Detailed Guide to Purchasing a Solar Electric System

This NYSERDA-sponsored consumer guide gives detailed information on every aspect of a photovoltaic (PV) system from the purchasing to maintenance of one. This guide also gives detailed information about various vendors and installers of PV systems.

New York State is Making Solar Energy for Your Home More Affordable
This NYSERDA online guide describes the environmental benefits of a photovoltaic (PV) system and economic incentives available from NYSERDA for New Yorkers when they choose PV for their homes.

Solar Electric System Introductory Brochure
This NYSERDA brochure provides answers to such questions as: What is PV? How much do systems cost? What are the benefits? How much can you save? This is a good general resource to anybody looking into a photovoltaic (PV) system.

The Solar Electric System Poster
This NYSERDA-sponsored poster shows how photovoltaics (PV) can be used in a residential home. The poster also provides information about the Clean Power Estimator and cash incentives available for homeowners to give a good idea about system costs and savings.

Getting the most out of School Power...Naturally -- Solar Education for New York and Beyond
This NYSERDA paper describes our solar education and demonstration initiative, and provides help and ideas for those wishing to start a solar education program in their own region.

Renewable Energy Installers in New York State

New York Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Residential Energy Systems Equipment

Exploring the Economic Value of EPAct 2005's PV Tax Credits
This study by the Lawrence Berkley Lab. and the Clean Energy States Alliance analyzes the effect of PV tax credits considering whether the system is for residential or commercial use; system size; the tax status of the system owner; whether or not the IRS considers grants made by state and utility PV programs to be taxable income; and finally, whether state and utility PV incentive programs move to capture some of the value of EPAct's credits by reducing grant size.

The Borrowers Guide to Financing Solar Energy Systems
This online booklet, provided by the National Renewable ENergy Laboratory, contains useful information about the federal programs that offer financial help to those who install a solar water heating system. This booklet also offers information that can be useful to lending institutions that provide loans to help consumers with installation and purchasing costs.

Consumer's Guide: Get Your Power From the Sun
Provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, this online booklet contains general information about photovoltaic (PV) systems. This booklet provides information on the different types of systems as well as the type of system suitable to a particular area. This resource could be very useful for anybody who is even considering purchasing a PV system for his/her home.

How to Size a Grid-Connected Solar Energy System
This online guide, provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, provides information to help you determine what size PV system is suitable for you.

NYS Energy Products Warranty Act
This law basically outlines the rights of the consumer when purchasing a renewable energy system. It is designed to promote the use of alternative energy resources in New York State

Training and Certifying a PV Workforce (republished courtesy of SOLAR TODAY)

Designing For Uninterruptible Power: Opportunities for Battery-Based Photovoltaic Systems

New York Solar Energy Industries Association Quarterly Newsletter January 2006

PV Systems for Agriculture

An introductory guide to typical farm applications for a variety of solar technologies

Guide to Solar-Powered Water Pumping Systems in New York State
The purpose of this NYSERDA guide is to provide New York State farmers and landowners with information on planning and installing solar-powered water pumping systems. Because every location has different needs and resources, this guide provides the general principles required to make an informed decision on whether or not a solar pump is right for your operation.

Electricity When and Where You Need It from the Sun: Photovoltaics for Farms and Ranches
An online booklet produced by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory outlines the different uses of a photovoltaic (PV) system on a farm. It also describes the different types of systems that could be used depending on the job to be done. The end of the booklet contains a list of additional resources that could be used by anybody thinking about implementing such a system.

PV Systems for Livestock Water Pumping
The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides this report that describes a study researching the feasibility of implementing a photovoltaic (PV) system for use in pumping water for livestock that took place in a rural Nebraskan community. The local power authority purchased the equipment and then rented it out to farmers who wished to convert their water pumping systems to solar power. This site states the findings of the study as well as points to be considered when installing such a system.

Solar Water Heating Systems

Consumer's Guide: Heat Your Water with the Sun
The U.S. Department of Energy published this 20-page guide on solar heating for your home or pool.

Freeze Protection for Solar Heating Systems
Like anything containing water, in the winter, solar water heating systems need to be protected from the elements. This fact sheet gives some solutions to this "freezing problem," solutions such as adding anti-freeze to the pipes. This sheet is very useful to anybody living in an area that experiences sub-freezing temperatures during the winter months.

Heating Your Swimming Pool with Solar Thermal Energy
This National Renewable Energy Laboratory fact sheet provides detailed information about installing a solar system for heating water in a pool. Some of the facts includes include information regarding the size of the system and pump needed as well as the best placement for such a system. For the inquisitive mind, this sheet also shows how exactly a solar heating system works.

Wind Energy

General Wind

2008 KidWind Workshop

2005 KidWind Workshop

Wind Energy Air Emission Reduction Benefits
This report was prepared for NREL by D. J. Consulting LLC, and Resource Systems Group Inc.

Large Wind Energy Applications

Wind Energy Toolkit: Community Resources for Wind Development
This tool kit is designed to provide information on all aspects of wind energy development and to help communities prepare for wind development, should they so desire. The reports and documents in this tool kit are intended to provide objective information necessary for everyone concerned with wind development in a community – from the farmer or landowner who want to lease their land -- to the local officials charged with zoning, planning and permitting -- to interested members of the public. The tool kit houses information about the process for siting wind energy facilities in municipalities in this state, and all the considerations that go into the decision-making effort.

Using Wind Power to Hedge Volatile Electricity Prices for Commercial and Industrial Customers in New York. Executive Summary (94kb.pdf) Complete (577kb.pdf)

Wind Turbine Sounds and Health Effects: An Expert Panel Review
This report on the effects of sound produced by wind turbines on human health was prepared by a multidisciplinary panel comprised of medical doctors, audiologists, and acoustical professionals from the United States, Canada, Denmark, and the United Kingdom.

FAQ's -- Large-Scale Wind Projects
This document answers questions on many aspects of large-scale wind projects including: technology, socioeconomic impacts, environmental impacts, safety, site exploration, land control and landowner information, permitting, construction, electricity, economics, and incentives.

Guide to Wind Site Development (3.21MB .pdf)

Wind Integration Study
This study, prepared for NYSERDA by General Electric International, Inc., evaluates the reliability implications of increased wind penetration in New York State. Study appendices are also available.

Presentation by Peter Smith to Adirondack Park Agency (April 2005) (2MB .pdf)
Wind Presentation - large wind (January 2005) (1MB .pdf)

Community Wind Financing: A Handbook by the Environmental Law and Policy Center
There have been numerous publications and conferences on community wind development, but less specific attention on options for project structuring and financing. The goal of this handbook is to identify critical financing issues and present several possible financing models that reflect the differing financial positions and investment goals of various project owners/developers. The handbook includes six sections:

Section I describes various models for community wind power ownership.
Section II examines sources of equity and debt financing and the steps necessary to secure this financing.
Section III identifies federal grant and loan programs and state incentives for wind power development.
Section IV reviews the federal tax incentives supporting wind power projects, the impact of these incentives on project economics, and limitations on utilizing these incentives.
Section V examines power purchase agreements and the value of green tags to community wind power projects.
The Appendix contains a list of operating community wind projects in the United States and a list of project consultants and financing resources."

Considerations for Site Plan Approval of a Windmill
This one-page document, prepared by the Cornell Cooperative Extension, provides useful guidance to municipalities that are asked to permit a windmill.

Wind Power for Farms
This booklet, produced by Green Energy Ohio provides information about wind farms from the landowners' perspective, including general information, steps in building a wind farm, attracting developers, benefits, case studies, and more.

The Environmental Case for Wind Power in New Jersey
A recent report (Spring 2005) by the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group (NJPIRG), which makes a comparison between wind energy and New Jersey’s current energy sources. The report makes several recommendations for an environmental permitting process for wind development on land that could also be relevant to offshore development.

Wind Development in New York State by County
This map shows the number of projects and capacity of wind development in New York on a county-by-county basis. Data for this map is based on projects that have applied to the New York Independent System Operator to interconnect to the electric utility grid.

On-Site (or Small) Wind Applications

Map of NYSERDA-Sponsored End-Use Wind Installations as of December 7, 2007

The Power of Wind - Using Wind to Power Your Home, Farm, Building,
or Business (pdf)

FAQ's -- Small-Scale Wind Energy Systems -- Using Wind to Power Your Home or Business
This document answers commonly-asked questions about small wind systems including questions on whether wind is practical for you, choosing a site, is there enough energy, permitting, and more.

2006 AWEA Small Wind Permitting Presentation

Wind Presentation - small wind (January 2006) (931KB .pdf)

Renewable Energy Installers in New York State: A Guide for the Insurance Industry

Lessons Learned from the Photovoltaic Industry
This presentation NREL and Washington State University at the 2006 WindPower conference investigates lessons learned in the photovoltaics industry and applies them to the small wind industry.

Consumers Guide: Small Wind Electric Systems
An online version of a booklet produced by the U.S. Department of Energy, this guide gives the basic facts about a wind-energy system, from installation to maintenance. This booklet is useful even for the person who is still in the consideration stages of the process as it gives useful tips about wind resources in specific areas of the country.

Model Small-Scale Wind Zoning Ordinance
This sample zoning ordinance, prepared by AWS Truewind, can be useful to municipalities considering adopting a zoning ordinance for small wind systems.

Small Wind Net Metering Law (pdf)
This law provides for net metering of small wind systems at residences and farms.

Noise Tests of Small Wind Turbines
This highly-technical paper produced by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory measures the acoustic emissions of eight small wind turbines ranging from 400 watts to 100kW.

Permitting Small Wind Turbines: A Handbook Learning from the California Experience
A very useful resource provided by the California Energy Commission that gives detailed information that needs to be considered when planning the installation of a small wind energy system. Gives some of the differences and advantages a small residential system has over a larger, commercial one. This booklet was produced by the American Wind Energy Association's Small Wind Advocate.

Apples and Oranges 2002-Choosing a Home-Sized Wind Generator
This article, written by Mick Sagrillo for Home Power Magazine, provides information that will help you choose the wind generator that is right for you.

Data from Small Wind Turbines in New York
These documents provide performance data on several small wind turbines located in New York.
Weimann Farm July 1 - October 30, 2004 (pdf)
Olde Chautauqua Farm April 1 - June 30, 2004 (pdf)
Apple Pond Farm (pdf)

Wind Turbine Buyer's Guide
This article by Mick Sagrillo and Ian Woofenden discusses small wind system components, wind turbine basics, and specs for various small wind turbines.

Wind Energy Projects in New York State

Maple Ridge Wind Farm (formerly Flat Rock) - Environmental Impact Statement

Radar and Visual Study of Nocturnal Bird and Bat Migration, 2004
Appendix S - Supplemental Avian Data
Phase I Avian Risk Assessment
Addendum to the Phase I Avian Risk Assessment
Addendum II to the Phase I Avian Risk Assessment
Breeding Bird Survey

WindFarm Prattsburgh - Final Scope

Madison Windpower Project in Madison County - Final Report

Biomass Resources

Guide for Siting Small-Scale Biomass Projects in New York State (1.37mb .pdf)

Evaluating Potential Biodiesel Manufacturing Sites in New York State (2.87mb .pdf)

Feasibility Study For a Potential NYS Biodiesel Industry (pdf)

Commercialization of Corn to Ethanol in New York State Final Report (790kb .pdf)

Executive Summary: Wool Scouring (washing) (pdf)

Improving New York's Biomass Supply: The Salix Consortium was formed to enhance New York State's ability to produce biomass on a large scale. About 500 acres of fast-growing willow are in production in NYS now. More Information

Low-Cost BioHeating Oil Application
A report by Brookhaven National Laboratory

Biodiesel Blends in Space Heating Equipment
A report by Brookhaven National Laboratory

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide to Extract Vegetable Oil or to Produce Biodiesel
A report by Syracuse University

Woody Biomass Gasification, a Feasibility Assessment for a 5 Megawatt System
A report by SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

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