Telecommunications Issues for Wind Power Facilities

Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee

Presentation

June 14, 2005

Presentation Outline

• Telecommunication Issues Involving Wind Power Facilities

• Review of Analysis for Spectrum Users Operating Under FCC Jurisdiction

• Example of Previous Project

• Options for Government Spectrum Users

• Next Steps

• Summary

Potential Telecommunications Issues Involving Wind Power Facilities

• Wind Power facilities create possible line-of-sight blockage to point-to-point microwave links

• Turbines potentially alter propagation characteristics of nearby telecommunications facilities

• Turbines potentially affect the electromagnetic characteristics of surrounding telecommunications facilities

Wind Power Developers Are Pro-Active In The Early Planning Stages Of Facilities To Quantify and

Minimize Any Disruption To Existing Telecommunications Networks

Telecommunication IssuesGovernment Spectrum

• Microwave point-to-point communications

• RADAR

• Land mobile radio (LMR)

• Cellular and PCS telephones

Microwave Point-to-Point Communications

• Potential line-of-sight (LOS) path blockage

• Evaluate Wind Power facilities with respect to:

All licensed and coordinated microwave links

Critical Information Coordinates, Ground Elevation, Antenna Centerlines,

Frequencies of Operation, etc.

Location of wind turbines (geographic area)

Dimensions of individual turbines (tower height and

blade diameter)

• Evaluate Fresnel zones of microwave paths for potential

path blockage

RADAR Issues

• Potential signal blockage in sector of wind

turbines

• Overload of Doppler processor

• Target detection capability reduction

• Range and target tracking degraded

LMR, Cellular and PCS Issues

• Wind facility has minor affect on LMR,

cellular and PCS coverage

• Repeater antennas for LMR can be

located on wind turbine or utility towers

• Cellular and PCS base station antennas

can be located on wind turbine or utility

towers

Possible Corrective Actions

• Microwave Relocation of wind turbines Relocation or re-engineering of microwave

facility

• LMS, Cellular, PCS, RADAR Relocation of wind turbines Re-engineering of communication facility Insure separation distances from turbines

based on application

Proposed Distance Separations Verse Frequency Band

Frequency Range Radius (mi)

10 – 20 MHz 2 mi

20 – 225 MHz 5 mi

225 – 400 MHz 10 mi

400 – 900 MHz 20 mi

900 – 2000 MHz 25 mi

2.0 – 8.4 GHz 30 mi

8.4 – 15.0 GHz 20 mi

15.0 – 40.0 GHz 5 mi

> 40.0 GHz 2 mi

Example of Previous Project

Options For Government Spectrum Users

• No Action – Risk possible blockage, disruption of service and cost/time to resolve after the fact

• Wind Power developer to provide details of Wind Power facility to NTIA / IRAC for analysis by interested parties on an ad hoc basis

• Provide Wind Power facility data to NTIA / IRAC as part of a formal, to be defined, coordination process

• Comsearch, or others, to be provided limited access to GMF on an as-needed basis to perform analysis on behalf of operators (results provided to customer and NTIA / IRAC)

• Implement a “blind” automated system fashioned after the 70 - 90 GHz band

• Perform on-site measurements to determine government spectrum usage in the area

• Combinations of above

Next Steps

• NTIA / IRAC discussion and feedback on process for dissemination of Wind Power Developers’ plans

• Identify desired options to address issues and establish framework for analysis and response

• Establish NTIA / IRAC points-of-contact for processing requests

• Establish and implement methodology to provide NTIA / IRAC with Wind Power facility information for analysis and response

Summary

• Wind Power facilities are being developed in increasing numbers to provide an alternative source for power generation

• Wind Power facilities have the potential to disrupt near-by telecommunications networks due to their large geographical and individual turbine height footprints

• Wind Power developers are aware of the potential issues and desire to implement a process to facilitate coordination with all telecommunication operators

Solutions exist for all telecommunication users (commercial and government) by taking pro-active

steps in the planning of the Wind Energy facility