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Interconnection
Interconnection
The relatively small size of community wind projects makes the process of connecting them to the utility grid both flexible and confusing. Large wind developments need to interconnect to transmission lines through a substation, and residential wind turbines simply connect to the electrical panel serving the residence. Both of these processes are fairly standard. An example of a one-line diagram illustrating a typical interconnection of one wind turbine to a distribution line can be viewed here. The important components are the wind generator, the pad mounted transformer, the disconnects and the substation.
A properly sited community wind project
can help to relieve an overloaded subtransmission line by providing power to
the load and supporting the line voltage. Unfortunately, there is no single map
displaying the location and capacity of electricity lines and the transmission
constraints on the grid. Much of this information is not available to the
public or is known only internally by each utility. This makes it particularly
important to begin the interconnection process with the local utility as soon
as it is feasible.
To learn more about interconnecting wind systems, visit the interconnection pages in the Utility Relationships section:
