Case Study
ALBA Farms Wind Energy Feasibility Analysis
About ALBA
The Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) provides training and resources to the migrant and farm worker communities in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties. ALBA’s mission is “to advance economic viability, social equity and ecological land management among limited-resource and aspiring farmers.” This mission is pursued through training and demonstration programs, marketing assistance under ALBA’s certified organic label, and by providing access to land for organic farming. With over 20 years of experience, ALBA has helped over 400 families establish a family farm.
Renewable Energy at ALBA
As part of its core mission, ALBA is committed to the ecological management of agricultural resources. In particular, consideration is being given to the development and installation of solar and wind energy systems, as well as biofuels. With expected increases in their farms’ energy consumption in the coming years, ALBA’s focus is on implementing renewable sources of energy as a means to offset energy use.
Summary of the Report
As a preliminary study, this feasibility analysis focused on the potential for wind resources found at ALBA’s site to be used for electricity generation. Michael Zeller, now of Ecometrics, analyzed recorded wind speeds spanning a five-year period, down to the hourly level, to establish trends in the wind resources. Using the collected data, energy modeling calculated offsets against the baseline energy usage. Financial modeleling then determined the impact to ALBA's bottom-line over the wind turbine's 20-year life. The final analysis identified the optimum turbine for use at the project site, the forecasted energy savings and payback period for the investment, and proposed a clear project plan to implement the project. With the positive results of the study, ALBA has been able to proactively move forward with planning the installation and use the report as supporting material to seek grant funding.