Appendix A:

Wind Energy
Sector Snapshot
Notes

This document is an abridged version of the “Wind Energy Sector Overview” prepared
by the CANMET Energy Technology Centre (now CanmetENERGY) in August, 2008.1

This document is not intended to provide specific advice and should not be relied on
as such. No action or decisions should be taken without independent research and
professional advice. NRCan does not represent or warrant the accurateness, timeliness
or completeness of the information contained in this document. NRCan is not liable
whatsoever for any loss or damage caused by or resulting from any inaccuracies, errors
or omissions in this document. This document does not necessarily reflect the views of
NRCan or constitute an endorsement of any commercial product or person.

2 Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2.0 Wind Energy Industry Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2.1 The Global Wind Energy Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2 The Canadian Wind Energy Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.3 Provincial Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

3.0 Canada’s Wind Energy Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

3.1 Opportunities Resulting From Wind Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.1.1 Strategic Advantages to Canada from Sustained Wind Energy
Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.1.2 Strategic Advantages to Canada from Sustained Wind Energy
Industrial Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.1.3 Benefits to Rural Communities from Wind Energy Development . . . . . . 17
3.2 Canadian Wind Industry Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.3 Human Resources for Wind Energy in Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.4 Canadian Capabilities and Strengths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.4.1 Manufacturing, Deployment & Operation Expertise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.4.2 Codes, Standards, and Best Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.4.3 Science and Technology Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.4.4 Federal Government Science and Technology Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

List of Tables
Table 1: Turbine Supply Market Share, 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

List of Figures
Figure 1: Projected Wind Generation as % of Electricity Consumption (approximate) . . 6
Figure 2: Top 10 New Installed Wind Capacity Worldwide (2008) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Figure 3: Top 10 Total Installed Wind Capacity Worldwide (2008) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Figure 4: Cumulative Installed Wind Capacity in Canada by Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Figure 5: Provincial Wind Power Prices, 2003-2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Figure 6: Wind Energy in Canada, showing wind resource, current projects,
and areas within 25 km of existing high voltage transmission lines . . . . . . . . 14
Figure 7: Project Impacts of 20% wind in the USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot 3

1.0 Introduction

Wind energy represents a substantial opportunity for Canada to meet electricity needs
and generate significant economic gains in an environmentally sustainable manner.
In order to enable Canada to achieve its full potential in this area, the Government of
Canada has provided support for an industry-led effort to create a technology roadmap
for wind energy.

The objective of the Wind Technology Roadmap (WindTRM) is for technology developers,
adopters, and users, to identify wind energy innovation priorities. Ultimately the objective
is to identify key investments and actions so as to increase Canadian innovation and
social and economic outcomes.

The WindTRM will identify the key technologies that the wind energy industry needs
to succeed in the future and document the steps required to develop and implement
these technologies.

This appendix, the Wind Energy Sector Snapshot, is intended to provide an analysis
of the global and Canadian wind energy sector today. The purpose of this analysis
is to provide the WindTRM reader with contextual information to better understand
the opportunities and challenges associated with implementing the WindTRM
recommendations.

4 Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot

2.0 Wind Energy Industry Overview

The wind energy sector has been rapidly growing worldwide over the last decade,
emerging as a commercial source of renewable energy. According to the Global Wind
Energy Council, wind energy capacity increased from 7,600 MW in 1997 to 120,798 MW
in 2008.2 This translates into roughly 29% annual growth per year.

Wind energy deployment in Canada is a part of that success story, with a 46% increase in
capacity per year over the last five years, and a current installed capacity of 2,854 MW –
enough to power over 860,000 homes.3 However, wind in Canada is still only at the
margin of what it could be: we are just beginning to tap into Canada’s wind resource
potential; and, we have seen limited domestic manufacturing and technology development
to date. This section provides key data on the global and Canadian wind energy markets.

2.1 The Global Wind Energy Market

Wind energy has become a multi-billion dollar global industry, and is continuing to
experience rapid growth. The Global Wind Energy Council has predicted that the global
wind market will grow to reach 332 GW of total installed capacity by 2013, representing
an addition of 181 GW in 5 years (120% growth. This would result in wind energy
accounting for around 3% of global electricity production (up from just over 1% in 2007).

The Global Wind Energy Council also provides these predictions for the major regional
markets in the period between 2009 and 2013:

• “Asia is expected to be the fastest growing region in the world as of this year.
The annual market is expected to triple in the next five years, reaching 25.5 GW
by 2013, up from 8.6 GW. This will take the cumulative wind capacity up to
117.4 GW by 2013, almost on a par with Europe by that time.”

• “PR China has been doubling its installed capacity every year for the past four
years, and is set to continue the rapid upscaling of its wind capacity to become the
world’s largest annual market. Annual additions are expected to reach more than
20 GW in China by 2020. This development is underpinned by a very aggressive
government policy supporting the diversification of the electricity supply, supporting
the growth of the domestic industry, and making significant investments in the
transmission needed to get the electricity to market.”

• “Europe will continue to have the largest installed capacity up to 2013. It is

expected that by 2013, the total capacity in Europe will stand at 118 GW, 52 GW
more than at the end of 2008. By 2013, the annual market will reach 12.5 GW. At
the end of the period under consideration, large scale offshore developments will
start to have an impact on growth rates in Europe, and this will lend new momentum
to developments in the following years.”

Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot 5

 • “In North America, wind energy development will see a small drop in 2009,
especially in the US, as a result of tightening project finance. It will recover quickly
to its 2008 size on the basis of the package of measures just agreed by the US
Congress, and the prospect of national emissions reduction legislation. By 2013, the
annual market in North America will have grown to 15 GW, up from 8.9 GW in 2008.
This means that a total of 55 GW of wind power capacity will be added in the US
and Canada over the next five years..” 4 The US Production Tax Credit (PTC) has
been renewed with in-service dates for wind extended to 3 years. The program has
also expanded to include more renewable energy sources.5

Figure 1 provides an estimate of wind energy as a percentage of electricity demand in

countries around the world.

Denmark

Spain

Portugal

Ireland

Germany

Greece

Netherlands

India

Austria

UK

Italy

U.S.

France

Australia

Sweden

Brazil
2007
Turkey

Canada 2008

China
2009
Japan

TOTAL

0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% 20% 22%

Projected Wind Generation as % of Electricity Consumption

Figure 1: Projected Wind Generation as % of Electricity Consumption (approximate)6

6 Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot

The following key statistics give a sense of the size and scope of the current global wind
energy market:

• Over 90 countries now have wind generating capacity7, indicating the breadth of the
global adoption of this renewable energy technology.

• Over 27,000 MW of new capacity was installed in 2008, representing a 36% growth
rate in the annual market8. Worldwide investment in wind during this period was
about € 36.5 billion.9 Figure 2 provides details on new installed capacity in 2008 and
Figure 3: Top 10 Total Installed Wind Capacity Worldwide (2008) provides details on
worldwide total installed capacity.

• Wind power could supply 16.5% of world electricity by 2020, according to a

moderate projection by the Global Wind Energy Council, which represents
560,000 MW of installed capacity and more than $1 trillion US in investment.
This would also represent a savings of 825 million tonnes of CO2.10

• Denmark reached a world record of 20% penetration of wind energy in its national
electricity supply in 2007.11

• Globally, 350,000 to 400,000 people are employed in the wind energy sector, which
includes manufacturing, development, installation, operations, and maintenance.12

Country MW %
Rest of the World
USA 8,358 30.9
Canada China 6,300 23.3
USA
Portugal
India 1,800 6.7
UK Germany 1,665 6.2
France Spain 1,609 5.9
Italy 1,010 3.7
Italy
France 950 3.5
UK 836 3.1
Spain
Portugal 712 2.6
Canada 526 1.9
Germany Total of 23,766 87.8
China
Top 10
India Rest of 3,285 12.2
World
Total 27,051 100.0

Figure 2: Top 10 New Installed Wind Capacity Worldwide (2008)13

Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot 7

 Country MW %
Rest of the World
USA USA 25,170 20.8

Portugal Germany 23,903 19.8

Denmark Spain 16,754 13.9

UK China 12,210 10.1

India 9,645 8.0
France
Italy 3,736 3.1
Italy
France 3,404 2.8
UK 3,241 2.7
India Germany Denmark 3,180 2.6
Portugal 2,862 2.4
Total of 104,104 86.2
Top 10
China
Rest of 16,693 13.8
Spain World
Total 120,798 100.0

Figure 3: Top 10 Total Installed Wind Capacity Worldwide (2008)14

• The top ten wind turbine manufacturers had 94% of the market share in 2008, and
come from 6 countries: Denmark, Spain, the United States of America, Germany,
India and China.15 Details of turbine manufacture market share are provided in
Table 1.

Accumulated Supplied Share Accumulated Share

MW 2007 MW 2008 2008 % MW 2008 accumulated %
Vestas 29,508 5,581 19.8% 35,089 28.7%
GE Wind 12,979 5,239 18.6% 18,218 14.9%
Gamesa 13,306 3,373 12.0% 16,679 13.7%
Enercon 13,770 2,806 10.0% 16,577 13.6%
Suzlon 4,724 2,526 9.0% 7,250 5.9%
Siemens 7,002 1,947 6.9% 8,949 7.3%
Sinovel 746 1,403 5.0% 2,148 1.8%
Acciona 1,647 1,290 4.6% 2,961 2.4%
Goldwind 1,457 1,132 4.0% 2,589 2.1%
Nordex 3,886 1,075 3.8% 4,960 4.1%
Others 11,269 4,955 17.6% 16,225 13.3%
Total 100,317 31,326 111% 131,644 108%

Table 1: Turbine Supply Market Share, 200816

8 Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot

2.2 The Canadian Wind Energy Market
Canada currently ranks as the world’s 10th largest nation in terms of new installed wind
energy capacity and is nearing the 3 GW mark with 2,854 MW total installed capacity as
of September 2009. Canada’s wind energy market experienced its second best year ever
in terms of capacity growth in 2008 with a total of 500 MW of new wind energy capacity
installed; increasing Canada’s total by 34% compared to 2006. Figure 3 shows the rapid
growth of the Canadian wind market. Canada’s current wind energy installed capacity
is enough to meet the needs of 860,000 homes making up about 1% of Canada’s total
electricity demand.17

2,500
2,369

2,000
1,770
Installed Capacity (MW)

1,500 1,460

1,000

684

500 444
322
198 236
137

0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Year

Figure 4: Cumulative Installed Wind Capacity in Canada by Year18

Canada-wide incentives for wind energy growth include the very successful federal
ecoEnergy program that provides a power production incentive of 1¢ /kWh, as well as
federal tax incentives. As of May 2009, Canada had 5,700 MW of wind energy projects
either under signed contracts or under construction19, most of which are planned to be
installed by 2011. In 2009, installations are expected to exceed 600 MW – Canada’s
second best year ever.20

Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot 9

If all of Canada’s provincial governments and/or utilities meet their stated targets for wind
and/or renewable energy development, it is anticipated that Canada will have a minimum
of 12,000 MW of installed wind energy capacity by 2015.21 12,000 MW of installed wind
energy capacity would produce around 31,200 GWh, enough to meet about 5% of total
Canadian electricity demand in 2016.

Based on Natural Resources Canada’s Energy Outlook between 2005 and 2016,
the expected additional 29,000 GWh would constitute 39% of the increase in annual
electricity demand. The Emerging Energy Research predicts that Canada’s installed wind
power capacity will grow nearly tenfold to 14,100 MW by 201522, even higher than the
current provincial targets.

In terms of previous projections, a Navigant Consulting Study in 2007 identified that

wind markets in 2007 were roughly 50-75% larger than they had anticipated in a 2003
version of their renewable energy multi-client study.23 In addition, the Global Wind
Energy Council’s most aggressive development scenario in 2005 underestimated the
actual growth that did occur in 2006 and 2007. The wind energy sector has consistently
outperformed the expectations of analysts and governments.

2.3 Provincial Markets

The provinces have accelerated the growth of Canada’s wind power sector through
a range of approaches including mandated Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) in
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Feed-in-Tariffs (FITs) in Ontario and British Columbia
(planned), and procurement of large blocks of wind power through Requests For
Proposals (RFPs) in virtually all the provinces. Key drivers for provincial governments to
encourage wind power development include rising energy demand and pricing volatility,
energy export opportunities, reducing national emissions, industrial development and
rural economic development.

Canada’s provinces and territories have distinct local markets based on their different
approaches to electricity generation, transmission and distribution of wind energy. All
provinces and territories have wind resource potential to develop, and all have or plan to
have wind in their energy mix.

Provinces have integrated federal incentives into their initiatives in different ways, with
some retaining a portion of the incentive, and others allowing developers to retain the
full amount. Figure 5 shows the cumulative impact of the federal incentive and provincial
initiatives on the price of wind power in some selected provinces.

10 Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot

 12 11.5
RFP average bid price W PPI/ecoRP
11.0 10.5
10 9.75 9.73 10.5
9.64
8.97 8.95
8.75
8.64 8.7 8.04 8.75 8.73
8
7.97 7.75
7.54
cents/kWh

0
2003 ON 2004 ON 2005 QC 2006 NS 2006 PEI 2006 BC 2006 ON 2008 BC 2008 QC
RFP I RFP II RFP I RPS RPS RFP SOP SOP RFP II

Figure 5: Provincial Wind Power Prices, 2003-200824

A brief overview of the status of each provincial market is provided below:

• Newfoundland and Labrador has targeted 80 MW of wind energy on the island

of Newfoundland. To date, 54 MW has been built.25 Newfoundland is also exploring
wind development potential in Labrador.

• Prince Edward Island is a world leader in terms of wind penetration. The province
has 151 MW of wind and a peak load of 200 MW. The province anticipates reaching
500 MW total capacity by 2013. The excess energy would be available to off-island
markets.26 When asking for bids, PEI’s power authority received about 1,500 MW
worth of responses.27

PEI is interconnected with New Brunswick via two 138 kV submarine transmission
cables with a combined total capacity of 200 MW. PEI has been considering
doubling the current capacity of its interconnection with a new transmission cable
from the Island to New Brunswick. These interconnections enable PEI to export
wind power in times of high wind and low demand, and import power in times of low
wind and high demand.

Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot 11

 • Nova Scotia has a Renewable Energy Standard (RES) that requires that 5% of
the total Nova Scotia electricity requirement be supplied by new renewable energy
sources by 2010, rising to 10% by 2013. In addition, by 2015, 25 per cent of Nova
Scotia’s electricity will be supplied by renewable energy.28 The province has 59 MW
of wind production capacity and plans to add another 230 MW within the next
5 years. When asking for bids, they received 2,000 MW worth of interest.29

• New Brunswick Power announced power purchase agreements with a total

capacity of 213 MW. The province has a wind energy target of 400 MW by 2010.30
When asking for bids for 300 MW of wind, NB Power received 25 proposals totaling
1,400 MW.

• Quebec has held two calls for wind power, one for 1000 MW in 2003 and a second
call for 2000 MW in spring 200531. 15 bids for a total of 2,004 MW were accepted
in the 2nd RFP that would come on stream from 2011 to 2015.32 This will result in
roughly 4,000 MW by 2016. In May 2009, Quebec also held a Call for Tenders for
two 250 MW wind projects involving municipalities and first nations.33 There are
currently 532 MW of installed wind capacity in Quebec.34

• Ontario has 1,161 MW of wind energy currently installed. The Ontario Power
Authority calls for 4600 MW of wind energy by 2020 in its proposed integrated
power system plan (IPSP)35. Ontario’s Standard Offer Program, which offers
$0.11/kWh to wind energy projects of less than 10 MW has resulted in
approximately 758 MW contracted to date. Following extensive collaboration
with industry, Ontario passed the Green Energy Act in September 2009 which
includes support mechanisms for renewable energy projects through streamlining
the approval process and a feed-in tariff system to guarantee prices, as well as
providing opportunities for First Nations to own and operate renewable energy
projects.36

• Manitoba has 104 MW of installed wind energy capacity and is targeting 1,000 MW
by 2017. The province is currently negotiating to sign a 300 MW power purchase
agreement (PPA).37

• Saskatchewan has 171 MW of installed wind energy capacity, and a target to reach
300 MW by 2011.

• Alberta has 524 MW of wind power capacity, and was the first jurisdiction to
reach 500 MW in Canada. The province has no official target, but is designing
transmission upgrades to connect 3,000 MW in Southern Alberta. There are
over 11,000 MW of wind project proposals that are seeking to connect to the
transmission system.38 Demand for wind power depends on its short and long-term
cost-competitiveness, including the provincial retail “green power” market, the most
vigorous in Canada.

12 Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot

 • British Columbia has 100 MW of wind under construction as of July 2009, and
contracts awarded for a further 200 MW. The province is also expected to announce
the results of a renewable energy Request for Proposals in 2010. However, the
province is expected to announce the results of a renewable energy Request for
Proposals in 200939, and is proceeding on developing a Feed-in-Tariff program.

• Canada’s three territories have a challenging climate for many electricity generation
technologies, including wind, which must deal with a significantly colder climate
than turbines are normally designed for. Populations are also smaller, with a large
number of remote communities. Therefore, wind energy development in the north is
expected to proceed more slowly, and focus on smaller developments using smaller
turbines. The status of wind energy development in the territories is as follows:

- The Yukon has 0.810 MW installed wind capacity to date. This capacity consists
of a Bonus 150 kW on Haeckel Hill, which continues to work well in the northern
climate 13 years after its original installation; and a 660 kW Vestas, installed on
Haeckel Hill in 2000.

- North West Territories does not currently have any installed wind energy
capacity. However, the territory has identified the goal of having one wind energy
installation by 2009 in their energy planning.

- Nunavut does not currently have significant installed wind energy capacity,
although, the territory does have experience with wind energy through a number
of small wind projects that have been developed in the past. These include three
80 kW Lagerwey LW18/80 turbines that were put in service in 1994 to 1997, and
one Atlantic Orient AOC15/50 66 kW that was put in service in 2000.40

• Canada has no offshore wind energy capacity but several projects are in
development including in the Great Lakes and off the coast of B.C.41

The global wind energy market is expected to continue its rapid growth for some time
to come. As one of the top 10 countries in new installed wind capacity with significant
resource potential, Canada is making solid progress even though each province is
taking a slightly different approach to development. There are however, a number of
opportunities to maximize the benefits of wind power in Canada. These opportunities are
discussed in Section 3.0 – Canada’s Wind Energy Opportunities and Capacity.

Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot 13

3.0 Canada’s Wind Energy Opportunities

With Canada’s long coastlines, vast landmass, high latitude, and abundant storage
capabilities through hydroelectric generation, there are plenty of sites that provide ideal
conditions for wind power generation. The most ideal wind profiles are found off the west
coast, in the Prairies (ranch land in Alberta and grain-producing areas of Saskatchewan),
in the Great Lakes region, along the coastal areas of Northern Ontario, along the coast
of the Gaspé area and in the Atlantic provinces.42 Canada’s Atlantic Provinces have
exceptional wind power potential; wind resources on Canada’s east coast far exceed its
electricity load.43

A recent partnership between the Canadian Wind Energy Association, the Royal
Canadian Geographical Society and Canadian Geographic Enterprises, with support from
Natural Resources Canada, created an educational map on wind energy in Canada. The
map, shown as Figure 6 below, shows the wind resource across Canada as obtained
from Environment Canada’s Wind Energy Atlas of Canada ([Link]), along with
current wind projects and Canada’s major electricity transmission corridors.

DATA NOT AVAILABLE

DONNÉES NON DISPONIBLES

Wind energy
in Canada
YU
L’énergie éolienne
KO
N
au Canada

Scale/Échelle

0 100 200 300 400 500 km

Lambert Conformal Conic Projection; standard parallels 49°N and 77°N

Projection conique conforme de Lambert; parallèles d’échelle conservée à 49°N et 77°N

NE
WF
O
TER UND
R E -N L A
EU ND A
VE
-E T N D
-LA LA
B BR BRA
CO RIT AD D
LU ISH OR OR
MB
IA

C
BR OLO
IT
AN MBI
NI E-
QU S A S KA
E TC HE W
AN E C
E B
U
Q

.I.
P.E .-É
Î.-P
NEW ICK
SW -
UN AU
BR
UVE ICK
NO NSW
U
BR

2
Wind speeds
Vitesses des vents
3
Lowest Capacity of operating wind farms:
Highest
La plus faible Capacité des parcs éoliens en service :
La plus élevée
3
Less than 10 megawatts
COL
B R ITO MBI

AL

4 Moins de 10 mégawatts  
I S H E-B R
BE
RT
C O ITA

Electrical transmission corridors (generalized) 10 to 100 megawatts

A
L U NN
M I

2
Q A Areas with good wind resources are suitable for large-scale wind energy projects only if they are relatively close to the 10 à 100 mégawatts
BI

UE
electrical grid. Shown here are areas within 25 kilometres of a high-voltage transmission line (100 kilovolts or greater). More than 100 megawatts
Corridors de lignes électriques (généralisation) Plus de 100 mégawatts
Les zones qui bénéficient de riches gisements éoliens conviennent au déploiement de grands projets d’énergie éolienne, Wind farms contracted or under construction (as of January 2009)
pour autant qu’un réseau électrique y soit relativement accessible. Sont illustrés ici les espaces se trouvant dans un rayon Parcs éoliens projetés ou en chantier (en date de janvier 2009)
[Link]/wind de 25 kilomètres d’un câble à haute tension (100 kilovolts ou plus).
Manufacturer of wind farm components
Natural Resources Ressources naturelles Fabricant de composants de parc éolien
Canada Canada
Trans-Canada Highway
©2009 Canadian Geographic Enterprises; [Link]. Printed on acid-free, elemental chlorine-free paper containing 10 percent recycled post-consumer waste. No part of this map may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any Route Transcanadienne
form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For an Access Copyright licence, visit [Link] or call 1-800-893-5777. This map uses official
geographic names as determined by the Geographic Names Board of Canada: [Link]
Publisher/Éditeur: André Préfontaine; Editor/Rédacteur en chef: Eric Harris; Creative director/Directrice de la création: Suzanne Morin; Project editor/Responsable du projet:
©2009 Canadian Geographic Enterprises; www. [Link]. Ce document a été imprimé sur un papier sans chlore élémentaire et sans acide, composé à 10 % de déchets recyclés après consommation. Il est interdit de reproduire, de sauvegarder dans un système de Monique Roy-Sole; Cartographers/Cartographes: Steven Fick, Sam Herold. Base map: Geomatics Canada, Natural Resources Canada; Sources: Canadian Wind Energy Atlas,
consultation ou encore de transmettre cette carte, dans sa totalité ou en partie, sous quelque forme et par quelque moyen que ce soit, sans obtenir au préalable l’autorisation écrite de l’éditeur ou une licence de la Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). Pour vous Environment Canada (wind energy data); Ventyx Velocity Suite (electrical grid data ©2009) / Carte de base : Géomatique Canada, Ressources naturelles Canada; Sources :
procurer une telle licence, veuillez consulter le site [Link] ou composer le 1 800 893-5777. Les toponymes utilisés sur cette carte sont conformes aux recommandations officielles de la Commission de toponymie du Canada : [Link] Atlas de l’énergie éolienne du Canada, Environnement Canada (données sur l’énergie éolienne); Ventyx Velocity Suite (données sur les lignes de transport d’électricité ©2009)

Figure 6: Wind Energy in Canada, showing wind resource, current projects, and
Canada’s major electricity transmission corridors

This section will look at opportunities created by the combination of this vast wind energy
resource with current Canadian industry composition and capacity.

14 Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot

3.1 Opportunities Resulting From Wind Energy
With an enormous wind energy potential to develop, Canada could produce a significant
portion of its electricity from wind power in the future. This creates an opportunity for
Canada to realize economic, environmental and energy benefits from wind power.

The Wind Technology Roadmap proposes the fllowing vision statement:

By 2025, Canada has become a world leading supplier of key wind energy
technologies and policy solutions. More than 20% of its electricity needs are met by
wind in 2025 and sustained annual growth creates additional wealth through export.

A strategic approach is required to ensure benefits from wind energy are maximized. In
addition, Canadian initiatives must recognize the significant growth in the global market,
which presents both challenges and opportunities.

A recent American initiative, 20% Wind Energy by 2030, examined the impacts of
significant growth of wind energy in the United States. The results of their analysis are
presented in Figure 7.44

In Canada, there are a number of strategic advantages identified that would result from
sustained wind deployment and industry development. The advantages to Canada
will depend on whether domestic manufacturing and technology development are
established, therefore advantages to wind deployment and industry development are
considered separately.

20% US Wind Scenario: Projected Impacts

• Environment: Avoids air pollution, reduces GHG emissions, and reduces water use in
electricity generation. Reduces electric sector CO2 emissions by 825 million metric tons.

• U.S. energy security: Diversifies our electricity portfolio and represents an indigenous energy
source with stable prices not subject to fuel volatility.

• Energy consumers: Potentially reduces demand for fossil fuels, in turn reducing fuel prices
and stabilizing electricity rates.

• Local economics: Creates new income source for rural landowners and tax revenues for
local communities in wind development areas.

• American workers: Generates well paying jobs in sectors that support wind development,
such as manufacturing, engineering, construction, transportation, and financial services.
The new manufacturing will cause significant growth in wind industry supply chain. Over
500,000 total jobs would be supported by the wind industry by 2030.

• Water savings: Reduces cumulative water use in the electric sector by 8% (4 trillion gallons)

Figure 7: Project Impacts of 20% wind in the USA

Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot 15

3.1.1 Strategic Advantages to Canada from Sustained Wind Energy Deployment

Deployment of wind energy provides benefits to all Canadians. The following are key
benefits that have been identified:

• Avoiding volatile fuel costs provides price stability that comes from investing
in wind;45

• Investing in wind power hedges against future greenhouse gas emission regulations
that would make traditional fossil generation more expensive46; and will significantly
contribute to reduced air emissions as recognized by the award of offset credits to
wind energy under Canada’s Offset System;47

• Canada’s wealth of hydro power reservoirs allows a lot of flexibility to add large
amounts of wind and smooth out the variation in its output;48

• Continued wind development provides a strong base for industrial development

and innovation.

Clearly, the electricity supply mix in each province will influence the impact of these
benefits. However, there are clear benefits for both hydro power and thermal power
based provinces.

3.1.2 Strategic Advantages to Canada from Sustained Wind Energy

Industrial Development

Sustained development of the wind energy industry, including manufacturing and

innovation, provides important benefits in addition to those of wind deployment, including:

• Improved economic benefits to Canada with a larger proportion of capital

investment from wind energy deployment remaining in Canada, which would
provide a significant increase in domestic job creation;

• Increased opportunities to ensure that Canadian needs are met by manufacturers

in the supply of wind turbines through earlier and stronger partnering in the
innovation cycle;

• Increased international competitiveness for Canada, including the potential for

Canadians to market their expertise internationally.

16 Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot

3.1.3 Benefits to Rural Communities from Wind Energy Development

Wind energy development can help to diversify the local and regional economies of rural
and remote communities through:

• Job creation for construction of wind sites and long-term employment for the
operation and maintenance of wind farms;

• Additional tax revenue for local governments, through property taxes;

• Income for landowners from annual land lease payments;

• Reduction in reliance on costly and polluting diesel fuel for electricity production
in remote communities49.

3.2 Canadian Wind Industry Composition

The Canadian wind energy industry is rapidly growing with the increase in wind energy
development. The Canadian Wind Energy Association has 425 members involved in
project development, operation and ownership, as well as manufacturing, engineering,
construction, maintenance, and non-construction services.

The Canadian Wind Energy Association’s member directory, [Link]

about/membersdirectory_e.php, provides a detailed listing of the Canadian wind
industry’s main stakeholders.

Most of CanWEA’s growth in new membership stems from companies in the supply
chain or seeking to join the supply chain. Traditionally, CanWEA’s membership was
composed mainly of developers and service providers50. There has been limited technology
development and manufacturing of large wind turbines, however, Canada does have a
number of small wind turbine manufacturers, manufacturing turbines of less than 100 kW.

3.3 Human Resources for Wind Energy in Canada

The potential exists for large employment opportunities in Canada in the research,
planning, manufacture, installation and maintenance of wind power facilities. While
there is some existing human capacity, Canada lacks a large, well-trained workforce
in this sector. Since Canada currently imports almost all of its large-scale turbines and
components, many of the employment benefits from Canada’s wind growth are accruing
to foreign countries. Given the recent slowdown in Canada’s automotive sector, there is
clearly an untapped human resource potential in Canada to meet the growing needs of
the wind energy industry.

Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot 17

Labour demand in the wind power sector is expected to grow rapidly as installed capacity
in Canada increases. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated in 2004 that there
are 4.8 jobs created for every MW of installed wind capacity.51 One study conducted by
the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) found that the wind industry has created
33 jobs every day in Europe over the last 5 years.52 In another study, it was determined
that for every MW of large-scale wind energy capacity installed:

• 10 job/years in manufacturing activities are created or preserved;

• 2 job/years are created in planning, installation and construction activities;

• 2 permanent jobs in service and maintenance are created.53

It should be noted that these job creation estimates include the full manufacture of wind
turbines. Outside of Quebec, Canada does not currently have any manufacturing of
large-scale wind turbines or components, except for wind turbine tower manufacturing
in Ontario and Saskatchewan. As such, these estimates would overshoot the actual
employment benefits that would accrue to Canadians. Recognizing this, one key to
maximizing the economic benefits of wind energy deployment to Canadians would be
to increase domestic manufacturing of components. To address this, Ontario’s new
Green Energy Act has plans to increase local content requirements for renewable energy
projects in Ontario.54

Previous analysis has been done in regards to human resources within the wind
energy sector specific to Canada, which takes into account the likely Canadian share of
employment related to Canadian wind energy development. The research done by Delphi
for CanWEA makes a conservative estimate for the present and future Canadian share
in the major activity areas. The results of their analysis suggested that a total installed
capacity of 10,000 MW by 2015 would result in 10,600 person years of work.55 The
report, CanWEA – Detailed Labour Forecast – 2015, provides information on the human
resource requirements by category of employment and required training.

In large, networked wind farms (>30 MW), wind turbines represent up to 70% of the total
capital investment, making them the most important cost element for the wind energy
developers. The remaining 30 percent is dedicated mainly to construction, balance of
plant and also includes project preparation and wind farm operations.56

Supervision and management of a wind farm can be performed remotely, and a mobile
crew of two people can attend to about 20 to 30 turbines. A wind turbine requires about
40 hours of maintenance per year.57

Given the growth profile of wind energy in Canada, and the related human resource
requirements, enhanced training programs to develop the required skill sets in Canada
will be a critical component for success.

18 Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot

3.4 Canadian Capabilities and Strengths
While Canada is not a global leader in the design or manufacture of wind turbines,
there are areas in which Canadian firms currently excel. Canada boasts some of the
lowest business costs in the industrialized world, which acts as a clear incentive for
founding or expanding wind power facilities in Canada.58 Canada’s close proximity to the
United States, one of the largest global wind markets, makes Canada an ideal place for
locating manufacturing facilities, particularly because of the challenges associated with
transporting very large pieces of equipment. The following sections detail areas of current
Canadian capability.

3.4.1 Manufacturing, Deployment & Operation Expertise

Early wind energy developments in Canada were sourced almost entirely from international
suppliers with little or no domestic manufacturing. As the pace of development in Canada
has increased, domestic manufacturing capability has increased. Currently Canada has
only one large turbine manufacturer, AAER, who is positioning itself to take advantage of
the growing market. Canada has capacities in other areas also. Specifically, Canadian
firms offer59:

• Expertise in large-scale wind turbine tower, base frame and rotor blade
manufacturing;

• Nacelle assembly expertise;

• Leading edge technology in electric inverter, power conditioning equipment and

large-scale battery storage;

• Expertise in cold and harsh climate wind turbine research and applications;

• Wind resource assessment and mapping expertise;

• Wind farm planning, financing and development expertise;

• Utility-scale wind farm operation and management expertise;

• Small (10-60 kW range) wind turbine manufacturing;

• Design, installation and integration of wind generation systems for isolated and
off-grid hybrid system applications.

Two new manufacturers, RePower and Enercon, have announced plans for
manufacturing components and assembly in Canada over the next few years.60
A third, Multibrid, is considering manufacturing in Ontario.61

Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot 19

3.4.2 Codes, Standards, and Best Practices

Codes, standards, frameworks and best practices are important industry tools to build
expertise, reduce risks, minimize obstacles to trade and establish consistent, safe and
sustainable practices.

CanWEA helps develop frameworks and best practices, including:62

• a model Canadian grid code that established best practices for interconnecting
wind turbines to utility grids across Canada (2006);

• best practices on sound, outlining acceptable thresholds for sound and how to
assess sound, and best practice guidelines for assessing potential interference
with radio, radar and seismo-acoustic installations, and Ontario guidelines involving
safety with respect to icing and blade failure (2007).

The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is the standards development organization

responsible for developing Canadian wind energy standards. With the financial support of
Natural Resources Canada, the CSA has published five new Canadian standards, as well
as the CSA Guide to Canadian wind turbine codes and standards. Current work through
CSA includes:

• updates to the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) Part I – Section 64 – “Renewable

Energy Systems”;

• updates of existing standards to improve references and adopt improvements

based on International Electrotechnical Standards;

• preliminary examination of the international draft offshore wind standard for

adoption in Canada.

3.4.3 Science and Technology Capacity

Canada has a wide range of industry, academic, non-profit and governmental

organizations that provide science and technology expertise to the wind energy industry.

Some key organizations are:

• The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) is a non-profit trade association

that promotes the appropriate development and application of all aspects of wind
energy in Canada, including the creation of a suitable policy environment. CanWEA
has worked with a variety of experts to support research on impacts related to wind
energy deployment including noise, wildlife impacts, and public acceptance issues.
CanWEA also collaborated with the Alberta Electricity System Operator to analyze
the effectiveness of various wind forecasting models in Alberta.

20 Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot

 • The Wind Energy Institute of Canada (WEICan) is a not-for-profit experimental
facility for the Canadian wind industry. The facility supports the development of wind
power generation and wind energy-related products and services for Canadian and
international markets. WEICan is equipped with laboratories and workshop areas
and is designed to meet the needs of both large and small-scale projects. Work at
the institute focuses on testing and certification, research and innovation, and public
education.63

• The recently established Wind Energy Strategic Network (WESNet) brings

together wind energy researchers at 16 Canadian universities, federal (including
Natural Resources Canada and Environment Canada) and provincial (including
Hydro-Québec and Manitoba Hydro) agencies, institutional partners of the wind
sector (including CanWEA and the CORUS Centre). Through the National Science
and Engineering Research Council’s Strategic Network program, WESNet will
enable Canada’s academic researchers to develop integrated projects to address
Canadian wind energy needs. The Network will help train 153 students and ensure
the transfer of know-how and technological advances to the wind industry.64 With
financing of $5M over 5 years, the research network’s objectives are to:

- Develop innovative solutions to key technical issues facing the wind industry,
particularly cold climate issues;

- Empower the Canadian wind manufacturing sector to become an international

player;

- Address the growing needs for highly qualified personnel in the wind energy
sector;

- Promote wind energy as an economically competitive and environmentally

beneficial supplement to energy portfolios.65

• The CORUS Centre was set up by the Wind Energy TechnoCentre as part of
a collaborative effort involving several Québec universities closely connected
to the wind energy industry. Located in Murdochville, on the Gaspé Peninsula,
the CORUS Centre is dedicated to research, development and the transfer of
technology. Two wind farms with a total capacity of 108 MW surround it. This
location makes the research centre a unique natural laboratory in which to study
the impact of the cold environment on the extraction of wind energy.66

A number of Canadian private sector firms are involved in research and development
projects from developing new power converters and generators, to novel tower and blade
concepts. Financial resources for science and technology (S&T) activities are extremely
limited in Canada, which limits the amount of S&T activity that can be performed.

Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot 21

3.4.4 Federal Government Science and Technology Capacity

Canadian federal government researchers perform research and development work in

support of the Canadian wind energy industry. These groups include:

• CanmetENERGY, Natural Resources Canada performs research and development

on wind energy technologies, electricity storage technologies and grid integration;

• Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada performs important research

related to the environmental impacts of wind turbines on birds, strengthening the
guidance on siting of wind turbines;

• Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada, performs research and

develops tools to enable wind energy resource assessment and wind energy
forecasting, including the Wind Energy Atlas of Canada ([Link]) and
the Anemoscope software;

• Meteorological Service Canada, Environment Canada, provides operational

weather forecasting services, including for wind atmospheric icing; and manages
and analyses the national climatological archive, which is used for wind energy
prospecting and for the development of design wind pressure loadings, atmospheric
icing, and lightning climatology to enable wind energy developers to follow the
Canadian Standards Association’s standards for wind turbines;

• The National Research Council’s Canadian Hydraulic Centre is involved in

research, development and tank testing of foundations for offshore wind turbines,
and has been sought out for their expertise in the development of Denmark’s
Nysted Offshore Wind Farm.

The following programs provide the main federal investments in Energy Research
and Development:

Federal Science and Technology Funding:

• The Program for Energy Research and Development provides approximately

$500 thousand/year for wind energy research and development including work on
codes and standards, offshore wind, wind in the North, and small wind turbines;

• The ecoEnergy Technology Initiative provides $1 million/year for wind energy

research and development including support for Canada’s participation in
the International Energy Agency, and Environment Canada’s work on wind
forecasting tools.

22 Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot

Federal Funding for Academic Research and Development:

• The National Science and Engineering Research Council program provides funding
for university research in wind energy, including most notably the Wind Energy
Strategic Network (WESNet) for which it provided $5 million over 5 years. A number
of academic Chairs have been established, including the Canada Research Chair in
the Aerodynamics of Wind Turbines in Nordic Environment at Université du Québec,
École de technologie supérieure.

Federal Funding for Industrial Research and Development:

• The National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program provides

technical and business oriented advisory services and financial support to small
to medium enterprises to perform industrial research, including support for wind
energy research and development;

• Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) is a not-for-profit foundation

that provides funding for sustainable technology development and demonstration,
including support for wind energy technologies, with the aim of “de-risking” these
projects. SDTC has approved roughly $20 million for various wind technology
projects since its inception. A listing of projects to date is available at: [Link];

• Most recently, a new federal program, the Clean Energy Fund, was launched. The
$1 billion Clean Energy Fund supports the Government’s commitment to make
greater use of technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy
production. The program includes $150 million over five years for research, and
$850 million over five years for the development and demonstration of promising
technologies. The Renewable Energy and Clean Energy Systems Demonstration
Projects component of the Fund received 178 proposals by the closing deadline
of September 14, 2009, with a total request for $1.7 billion of CEF funding. The
component has an allocation of $191.4 million. The proposals are currently being
reviewed, a process that should be completed by late 2009. Projects can include
innovative wind energy technologies that address Canadian challenges, including
but not limited to cold climates, remote communities, offshore applications and grid
integration. Innovative and efficient storage systems for variable renewable power
and heat are also included in the program scope. More information on the Clean
Energy Fund is available at: [Link].

Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot 23

References

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2
Global Wind 2008 Report – Second Edition, Global Wind Energy Council, May 2009
3
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2009 from [Link]

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CanWEA website, Projects contracted or under construction. Retrieved June 2009 from
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Communication with Robert Hornung, President, Canadian Wind Energy Association,
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May 25, 2009

Communication with Robert Hornung, President, Canadian Wind Energy Association,
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May 25, 2009

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March 2007.
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Final Report prepared by Navigant Consulting for CEA Technologies, June 22, 2007.
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Edward Island.

24 Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot

25
CanWEA website, Canada’s Current Installed Capacity. Retrieved June 2009 from
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Lieutenant-Governor of Prince Edward Island, April 5, 2008, Speech from the Throne,
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Magazine, Spring, 2008, pp.34-36.

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Brunswick, February 6, 2008. Retrieved August 2008 from [Link]

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Magazine, Spring, 2008, pp. 47-48.

32
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Reuters, May 5, 2008. Retrieved August 2008 from: [Link]
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Retrieved on June 11, 2009. [Link]
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CanWEA website, Map of Canadian Installations. Retrieved June 2009 from
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No Author. (2008). We can’t achieve our goals without wind. WindSight Magazine,
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Spring, 2008, pp.11-13.

Ontario Ministry of Energy and Infrastucture website. Ontario’s Green Energy Act.
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Retreived June 2009. [Link]

Communication with Robert Hornung, President, Canadian Wind Energy Association,
37

May 25, 2009

38
Overview of critical transmission infrastructure projects in Alberta, Governmnet
of Alberta website, June 1, 2009. Retrieved on June 11, 2009. [Link]
home/[Link]?ReleaseID=/acn/200906/261149D4CF393-F6A4-BFBD-
[Link]
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BC Hydro website, Clean Power Call. Retrieved June 2009. [Link]
planning_regulatory/acquiring_power/clean_power_call.html
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No Author. (2002). Wind Power Generation, Nunavut Power.
41
CanmetENERGY website. Wind Energy/Off-shore Wind. Retrieved June 2009. http://
[Link]/eng/renewables/wind_energy/
off_shore.html
42
Pinno, K. & Mutysheva, D. (2006). Current status of wind power in Canada and other
selected countries: The economics of significant wind power development in Canada.
Volume 1. Canadian Energy Research Institute. Study No. 116.

Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot 25

 Whittaker, Sean., VP Policy of CanWEA. (2008). Unified Maritimes market to build wind
43

energy supply. WindSight Magazine, Spring, 2008, pp.34-36.

44
No author. May 2008. 20% Wind by 2030 – Increasing Wind Energy’s Contribution to
the U.S. Electricity Supply. United States Department of Energy.
No Author. (2008). Unified Maritimes market to build wind energy supply. WindSight
45

Magazine, Spring, 2008, pp.34-36.

No Author. (2008). Unified Maritimes market to build wind energy supply. WindSight
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Magazine, Spring, 2008, pp.34-36.

June 10, 2009 announcement by the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of the
47

Environment, on the rules and requirements to generate offset credits ([Link]

[Link]/[Link]?lang=En&n=6F2DE1CA-1&news=B06CF8C3-A168-46FC-B456-
7496E8E42A6E). Retrieved October 22, 2009.
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48

Spring, 2008, pp. 15-20.

Canadian Wind Energy Association. Wind vision 2025 – Powering Canada’s Future.
49

Retrieved June 2009 from: [Link]

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May 25, 2009

Goldemburg, J. (2004). The case for renewable energies. International Conference for
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Renewable Energies, Bonn. Retrieved on June 17, 2008 from [Link]/

pdf/tbp/[Link].
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February 2009. Retreived June 2009 from: [Link]

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Resource Issues, The Delphi Group (January 2007)

54
Clean energy: FIT to be tried, Canadian Business Magazine, June 16, 2009. Retrieved
June 2009. [Link]
tent=20090616_10004_10004
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The Delphi Group, CanWEA – Detailed Labour Forecast – 2015, July 2007.
Canada. (2006) Renewable Energy: Wind Power. Industry Canada. Retrieved on June
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16, 2008 from [Link]

57
Pinno, K. & Mutysheva, D. (2006). Levelized unit electricity cost of wind compared with
alternate technologies: The economics of significant wind power development in Canada.
Volume 2. Canadian Energy Research Institute. Study No. 116.
58
Canada. (2008). Renewable energy: Wind power capitalize on opportunities in a
growing Canadian industry. Industry Canada. Retrieved on June 16, 2008 from
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Canada.(2008). Opportunities for Canadian stakeholders in the North American large
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wind turbine supply chain: About the Canadian wind energy industry. Industry Canada.
Retrieved on June 16, 2008 from [Link]
windenergyenergieeolienne_eng.pdf/$FILE/windenergy-energieeolienne_eng.pdf.
Hydro-Quebec to Purchase 2000 MW of New Wind Power, Green Energy News,
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com/nwslnks/clips508/[Link]

26 Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot

61
Hamilton, Tyler (June 19, 2008), Ontario eyed for wind turbine factory, The Toronto
Star, [Link], Business, Retrieved on July 25, 2008 from [Link]
Business/article/445983
62
Whittaker, Sean, VP Policy of CanWEA. (2008). Best-practice guidelines critical to
industry expansion. WindSight Magazine, Spring, 2008, pp. 42-43.
63
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64
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65
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66
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[Link]

Appendix A: Wind Energy Sector Snapshot 27

Appendix B:
The Process for
Identifying Gaps
and Action Items
Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

2.0 Creating the Vision. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

2.1 Identifying Opportunities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.2 Articulating a Vision to Guide the Wind Energy Technology Roadmap . . . . . . 38

3.0 Identifying specific barriers and action items to address the vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3.1 Strengthen the Policy Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
3.2 Inform and Engage Canadians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
3.3 Expand the Role of Canadian Industry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3.4 Create Centres of Excellence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
3.5 Accelerate Development of Small Wind Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
3.6 Fund Innovative Demonstration Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Annex A: List of Attendees

for WindTRM Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 31

1.0 Introduction

Wind energy represents a substantial opportunity for Canada to meet electricity needs
and generate significant economic gains in an environmentally sustainable manner.
In order to enable Canada to achieve its full potential in this area, the Government of
Canada has provided support for an industry-led effort to create a technology roadmap
for wind energy.

The objective of the creation of the Wind Technology Roadmap (WindTRM) was for
technology developers, adopters, and users, to identify wind energy innovation priorities.
The WindTRM identified the key technology and policy needs of the wind energy industry
to succeed in the future and documented the actions required. Ultimately, the objective is
to identify key investments and actions so as to increase Canadian innovation and social
and economic outcomes.

This WindTRM process was led by a team of industry leaders who form the Industry
Steering Committee (ISC). In recognition of the diverse challenges and needs for the
wind energy industry, the ISC determined that four working groups (two of which were
further divided into two subgroups each) should be created. The structure of the working
groups is summarized as follows:

• Working Group 1 (WG1): Market and Economics: Focus on market, economic

and human resources concerns for wind developers in Canada as well as issues
faced by Canadian wind energy companies in the global market context.

• Working Group 2 (WG2): Wind Energy Resource: Focus on where Canadian

technologies, expertise and market leadership can be developed in the area of wind
resource assessment and wind engineering for both onshore and offshore projects.

• Working Group 3 (WG3a and WG3b): Wind Energy Systems: Focus on where
opportunities can be found or created with respect to Canadian technologies,
expertise and market leadership in the area of wind turbine manufacturing,
procurement, installation, and use. This working group will have a large wind sub-
group (3a) and a small wind sub-group (3b).

• Working Group 4 (WG4a and WG4b): Wind Energy Integration: Focus on the
regional challenges in integrating wind energy into the Canadian energy supply as
well as some possible technical solutions to them. This working group will have a
planning sub-group (4a) and an operations sub-group (4b).

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 33

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) was engaged to:

• Administer the WindTRM process. This involved working with Industry Canada (IC),
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and the ISC to develop the format and agenda
of ISC meetings, workshops and working group breakout meetings;

• Facilitate the ISC meetings and workshops;

• Synthesize information and feedback after each phase and develop, draft, and
write the WindTRM Report, and deliver a PowerPoint presentation to federal
representatives and the ISC.

PwC’s role was limited to facilitating the process: all content, including barriers,
recommendations, cost estimates and other information was based on input from
participants throughout the process.

The following chart illustrates the phases and timeline for the development of the
WindTRM.

The WindTRM Time Frame

10/08 11/08 12/08 01/09 02/09 03/09 09/09
Project
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4
Planning
WS#1: WS#2: WS#3: ISC Special ISC review
November 27, 2008 January 15, 2009 February 12, 2009 Working Session: of draft report:
March, 2009 September, 2009

Interim Interim Interim Draft Final

Report Report 2 Report 3 Report Report

Developing the Vision and

Appreciating Barriers and Opportunities

Challenges and Next Steps

Technology Roadmap Effort

34 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

2.0 Creating the Vision

The first workshop was attended by over 100 representatives from industry, government
and academia (see Annex 1 for a listing of all attendees). The objective of this workshop
was to bring together interested stakeholders to identify key opportunities and develop a
vision for the WindTRM.

To set the context for the WindTRM vision discussion, representatives from the Canadian
Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) and Toronto Hydro presented a summary of the
current status of the wind energy industry in Canada and worldwide.

2.1 Identifying Opportunities

The development of the vision was guided by an initial discussion on opportunities.
A number of key opportunities and considerations were identified by the workshop
participants that served as the basis for the discussion of the vision. The opportunities
were grouped into five major themes: Taking Advantage of Canada’s Wind Resource,
Exploiting Wind’s Economic Opportunities, Developing Innovative Technology, Creating
Employment, and Connecting with Complementary Initiatives. Specific opportunities are
listed below.

1. Taking Advantage of Canada’s Excellent Wind Resource

• Each of the regions in Canada has excellent wind energy resources.

• Increasing electricity from wind enables a reduction in the carbon footprint of the
energy sector.

• Wind is scalable, less expensive and better understood than other low emission
energy sources.

2. Exploiting Wind’s Economic Opportunities

• Canada’s substantial wind resource and North America’s interconnected electricity

grid provide the basis for strong export potential to the US by many regions across
the country.

• The credit crisis (being experienced at the time of the first workshop in November
2008) creates opportunities for further consolidation and optimization of the wind
energy industry. Given that Canada may be in a stronger economic position than
most other industrialized countries, this is the time to ensure that restructuring in
Canada leads to strength on a comparative basis globally.

• Canada’s cold climate and remote communities create opportunities for municipalities
to develop micro grids and for Canada to develop global niche market solutions for
rural and remote communities.

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 35

 • An appropriate mix of energy source options needs to be developed taking into
account capital and operating costs, pricing considerations and the need for a
stable and secure energy supply.

• Many industries with complementary assets (e.g. agriculture, transportation

equipment manufacturing) are currently experiencing a downturn and seeking
opportunities to have their assets (land, skilled resources, technology,
manufacturing machinery and equipment) devoted to a more productive use.

• Efficiencies are possible through a variety of means, for example, developing an

integrated approach to site assessment, streamlining approval and permitting
processes, and taking advantage of offshore opportunities.

• Government can leverage its role as power purchaser to increase the strength of
Canadian industry; for example, the Quebec government requires a proportion of
each project’s equipment be manufactured in the province, and Ontario’s Green
Energy Act proposes local content requirements.

• Public investments in wind may help address the economic crisis through both the
creation of employment as well as the stimulation of additional spending.

3. Developing Innovative Technology

• Invest in improving R&D and all aspects of delivery (e.g. manufacturing, generation,
transmission, etc.) along the whole value chain.

• Make better use of existing technologies and R&D in Canada and around the world.

• Collaborate in R&D to bring a variety of actors together possessing different assets

such as modeling expertise, engineering expertise, data analysis expertise, etc.

• Leverage strengths and skilled resources in Canadian R&D to access

world-leading R&D.

• Identify distinct opportunities for three systems such as is done in Denmark and
Germany: large wind, community-based wind, and small wind.

• Development is required in a host of areas, notably:

- Develop and implement better solutions for increasing the penetration of wind
into the electricity grid.

- Develop targeted energy solutions such as wind-diesel in the Canadian North and
in developing countries, and hydro based systems for storage of wind energy.

36 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

 - Develop technologies in key parts of the system such as components, storage,
and transmission infrastructure.

- Develop and harmonize codes and standards for grid interconnection.

- Design equipment with transportation/logistics in mind (e.g. near shore

and onshore).

• Support leading technology we currently have, specifically for small wind turbine
manufacturing.

• Bring Canadian expertise in engineering consulting to the global market:

- In micro-scale modeling that can be coupled with meso-scale modeling.

- For remote/cold climate knowledge and experience.

- By providing research opportunities for academia.

- Through transfer knowledge of aerodynamics between wind and other industries.

• Use wind integration as an opportunity to update high voltage transmission systems.

4. Creating Employment

• Leverage the fact that Canada has excellent wind resources, a highly trained
workforce, and competitive labour rates.

• Take advantage of labour opportunities, specifically: the automotive industry

downturn (being experienced at the time of the first workshop in November 2008),
the opportunity to capitalize on youth interest in renewable energy, immigration, and
the aging workforce/turnover opportunities.

• Develop programs to retrain and transfer expertise from other sectors and create
sustainable jobs in all regions.

• Forge partnerships between industry and colleges, universities and academia to

better target knowledge development and skills development

5. Connecting with Complementary Initiatives

• Harmonize CanWEA vision with economic and technical barriers.

• Feed into NRCan’s Policy Framework discussion that is currently underway.

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 37

2.2 Articulating a Vision to Guide the Wind Energy
Technology Roadmap
Following the identification of opportunities as described above, participants suggested
and discussed key vision statements. A fundamental starting point was that there was
broad support for CanWEA’s vision of having wind satisfy 20 percent of Canada’s
electricity demand by 2025. A review of the vision statements illustrated that there
were multiple themes agreed upon by the participants. In order to assess the strategic
importance of each of the themes, a survey was sent to all participants, asking them
to rate the importance of each theme. The ISC met to review the report from the first
workshop, along with the survey findings, and collaborated and agreed on a consolidated
vision that incorporated the key themes. The themes and the vision are included in the
following chart.

Guiding Principles
Leveraging and Investing Developing a Pan-Canadian
in Human Resources, Policy Framework
Skills and Domestic and Well-Functioning
Employment Institutions
THE VISION
“By 2025, Canada has become Developing
Exporting a world leading supplier of key wind a Holistic and
Technology, energy technologies and policy solutions. Sustainable
Expertise More than 20% of its electricity needs are Approach to
and Energy met by wind and sustainable annual Energy and
the Environment
growth creates additional wealth
through export.”

Becoming a
Diversifying the Domestic Global Leader in
Manufacturing Value Chain Small Wind Systems for
for Turbines and Components Rural and Remote Communities

38 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

3.0 Identifying specific barriers and
action items to address the vision

The second workshop involved identifying the barriers to achieving the vision. The
schedule for the day involved the following:

• The workshop opened with a plenary session wherein the work on the vision
leading up to the second workshop was discussed.

• There were two presentations during plenary sessions on issues that affect the
North American Wind Industry. Mark Lauby from the North American Electric
Reliability Corporation first spoke on the key challenges and opportunities of
planning and integration for the new wind projects. Steve Lindenburg from the
United States Department of Energy then spoke on a recent initiative undertaken
by the Department looking at overcoming obstacles to meeting 20% of the United
States’ electricity demand with wind energy by 2030. Copies of both speakers’
presentations are available on the WindTRM forum.

• The bulk of the day was devoted to break-out group discussions on barriers and
action items.

• The groups reconvened in a plenary session at the end of the day, wherein the chair
persons from each of the working groups reported back on the key barriers and
action items for next steps.

The third workshop consisted of a series of plenary and break-out group sessions.

• The workshop opened with presentations from Geoff Nimmo of Industry Canada, on
“Implementing Wind Technology Roadmap Priorities” and from Liuchen Chang of
the University of New Brunswick on the “NSERC Wind Energy Strategic Network”.

• The participants provided recommendations on priority action items in the morning

and afternoon breakout sessions.

• ISC chairs reported back to the group following the afternoon breakout session.

The report from the Third WindTRM workshop represented the culmination of several
rounds of input from industry practitioners, government experts and academic specialists
from both the third workshop and follow-up conference calls after the third workshop. The
report presented 76 recommendations provided by stakeholders and synthesized shared
messages across the broader wind energy community. These have been broken down
into issue categories in the following chart.

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 39

 Recommendations by Issue Category

30

26
25

20
Recommendations

17

15

11
10
8
6
5
5
3

0
1– 2– 3– 4– 5– 6– 7–
Procurement Articulating Data for Modelling Supply Ancillary Small
and the Value of R&D, Chain Services Wind
Permitting Environmental Testing,
Externalities Validation
and
Planning

Theme

The ISC met to prioritize the recommendations and agreed on six top action items. The
body of the report was drafted with the collective input of the ISC and support by PwC.
While the body of the document presents the priorities and action items at a high level,
the following text presents a more fulsome discussion of the barriers that the priorities
sought to address, and the specific action items.

It is important to note that these action areas overlap in many cases. For example,
much of the emphasis in many actions areas will be focused on large wind. However,
small wind represents both an important opportunity and a need for Canada. Hence, the
issues pertaining to small wind have been discussed in one action area focused on small
wind, but steps specific to small wind will need to be addressed in other action areas.
Consequently, the “Small Wind” section demonstrates the need to inform Canadians
about the small wind opportunities and benefits, but specific steps in this regard should
be undertaken under the action area to “Inform and Engage Canadians”.

40 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

3.1 Strengthen the Policy Framework

What is Required

The need for a strong policy framework to support the continuing growth of wind energy
in Canada has never been more important. Without comprehensive, consistent nation-
wide policies regarding wind energy, and renewable energy more generally, wind energy
will not achieve its full potential in Canada.

Why Action is Needed

Currently in Canada, and indeed around the world, the true value of non-emitting energy
sources has not been fully taken into account. The lack of a national carbon tax, cap and
trade system or alternative mechanism for the valuation of environmental impacts, forces
wind energy to compete on an “uneven playing field” with other traditional energy sources
that create more negative environmental impacts.

Canada has the opportunity to establish a framework and send a clear message to
power purchasers and manufacturers that wind energy is a truly economical and
environmentally-sound choice for power generation. In addition, with the recent push
towards renewing transmission grid infrastructure across North America, there is an
opportunity for provinces and territories to adopt and establish a long-term planning
strategy for transmission corridors that could better facilitate the integration of wind
energy into the current power mix.

Current Challenges and Barriers

Challenges associated with the current policy framework were noted in several of the
working groups.

WG4a noted a host of barriers associated with the existing policy framework.

• A key barrier, also noted by numerous groups, was the fact that substantial new
transmission investment will be required to incorporate any significant amount
of wind energy. However, it takes much longer to develop new transmission
capacity than it takes to develop a new wind farm. The long permitting process
for transmission development aggravates this problem. It was also noted that
sequential “bit-by-bit” treatment of additional generation capacity is a problem for
bulk system planning.

• They noted that there was a lack of clarity on how wind fits in with other renewable
energy sources.

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 41

WG1 reported that Canada lacked:

• A long-term view and provisions to ensure wind capacity objectives are met with
respect to current procurement processes;

• East-west and north-south transmission connectivity;

• National and regional cooperation and planning;

• Incentive mechanisms to enable wind to meet its long-term potential and be

competitive with traditional energy sources; and

• Certainty around permitting and approval processes for new wind projects.

Other challenges were highlighted by WG3a and WG3b, including:

• Lack of sustained demand for wind power technologies and new wind farm projects;

• Lack of incentives to support production of small wind turbine systems for

demonstration and deployment into-grid connected and remote community markets;
and

• Lack of evolution in regulatory and utility frameworks to accommodate small wind.

Key Action Items

Overall, the wind energy policy framework in Canada is still in its developmental stage.
In order to ensure that wind energy can continue to advance and provide economic
growth and ecological benefits, there must be a strong policy framework established. This
requires attention in a host of areas to ensure the procurement process meets Canada’s
long-term wind energy goals. There must be regional cooperation in the planning of wind
energy installations, in addition to certainty about the permitting and approval process
for developers. There is also a need to properly value environmental externalities to
demonstrate the true environmental costs of energy. In order to maintain stable demand
for wind energy in the near- to medium-term there must be adequate mechanisms put in
place to ensure that wind energy is recognized and valued appropriately for its positive
attributes. These points are outlined in the table below.

42 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

Action item When Who

Put in place temporary incentive mechanisms

a) Put in place renewable energy incentive mechanisms. 6 Months- Government

Long-term

b) Establish a broad coalition of stakeholders seeking to 1 year Government,

ensure that wind energy is able to obtain value for its industry and
environmental attributes within the context of leveling NGOs
the playing field (e.g., municipalities, environmental
groups, health organizations, aboriginal communities
etc.).

Create effective procurement practices

c) A study should be prepared and distributed to all 6 months Government

provincial governments, crown utilities and procurement and Industry
authorities, that would review different procurement
methods for wind energy that have been utilized around
the world for wind energy and assess them against the
following criteria:
1. Ability to create a transparent long-term (10+ years),
steady and stable procurement plan for wind energy;
2. Ability to reflect and adapt to changing economic
circumstances within the wind energy industry;
3. Ability to generate investment in local content
(e.g., manufacturing supply chain);
4. Ability to align with long-term local planning/
transmission/demand issues;
5. Ability to allow wind energy projects to obtain and
retain value for their environmental attributes;
6. Ability to produce cost-effective electricity production;
7. Ability to accommodate a broad range of potential wind
energy project developers; and
8. Ability to consider elements of “project quality” other
than price.

d) Seek to establish simplified permitting and approval 1 Year Government,

processes for wind energy in all regions in Canada utilities
(e.g. a one-window approach would likely be optimal for
developers).

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 43

Action item When Who

Promote long-term planning of transmission corridors

e) Provide clear information (transparency) on available Initial Utilities

transmission capacity today, and modest near term identification
upgrades which would inform developers and wider – 1 year
marketplace. From a transmission provider’s perspective, and ongoing
identify the best place for developers to build. thereafter

f) Address long transmission permitting cycles by allowing Varies by Utilities

advance permitting for a transmission line that could/ jurisdiction
would be constructed in the future, and by establishing
transmission right of ways and corridors. This
recommendation addresses both land use as well as
current regulatory hurdles which requires “proof of need”.
This would involve the following steps:
• Utilities need to establish what they might need to
provide for future generation capacity for wind;
• Utilities communicate with regulators and discuss a list of
options for long-term planning. Potentially allow monies
to be spent on developing transmission plans; and
• Utilities communicate with governments (all levels) about
land use planning to set aside right of ways with various
levels of certainty. With a large amount of crown owned
land, the government can set aside broad corridors
which can be set aside/reserved for future use.

Produce regulatory roadmaps

g) Every jurisdiction should prepare a wind energy regulatory 1 year Government

roadmap that clearly identifies all permits and approvals
required for a wind energy project and the timelines
associated with these permitting and approval processes.

h) Development of a Class Environmental Assessment for 1-2 years Government

wind energy and improve harmonization and/or delegation and NGOs
of Federal and/or provincial environmental requirements
as practical.

The cost for incentives is estimated to be between two and three billion dollars over
a 15 year period. Other actions, such as the establishment of a regulatory roadmap,
streamlined permitting process or a class environmental assessment, are expected to
have no incremental, or a modest, cost.

How These Actions Will Contribute to Achieving the Vision

Commitment of public funding and improvements in approval processes and long-term

planning will create a competitive environment for wind in Canada that will attract global
investments, generating environmental and economic benefits for all Canadians.

44 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

3.2 Inform and Engage Canadians

What is Required

The wind energy industry has the opportunity to leverage broad public support within
Canada to facilitate integration of wind energy into Canada’s electricity supply. The key
to cementing public support lies in its ability to provide credible and empirically-supported
data to dispel misperceptions regarding wind energy and installations.

Why Action is Needed

More fulsome information on the real costs and benefits associated with wind energy, as
well as better information on Canada’s competitive strengths, is necessary to encourage
the investment of time, money and effort of government, industry, academia, investors
and workers into wind energy. For example, with a significant proportion of small wind
manufacturers being based in Canada, it is important to inform Canadians that in some
respects Canada is already at the forefront of wind energy technology, but that greater
support is needed, in particular from municipalities where by-laws and regulations can
often impede greater penetration of wind energy. Equally important is the need to provide
the correct signals to the current generation of students, namely that the wind energy
industry is supported in Canada and that pursuit of wind energy-related education is a
prudent choice. This will further the goal of developing a strong and highly-trained human
capital base to serve wind energy operation, wind firming, manufacturing and other
ancillary services required by the industry.

Current Challenges and Barriers

Key challenges in securing broad action-oriented public support for wind energy were
noted across most of the working groups.

• It is believed that the general public lacks a full understanding of the costs of
traditional energy technologies and sources. By understanding the complete
lifecycle and environmental costs of energy sources and their potential negative
impacts, Canadians would be able to make more informed decisions on their choice
of energy (WG1);

• While there is public support at a national level for wind energy, social acceptance
of wind projects at the local level remains a concern; some Canadians want wind
power, but “Not in my backyard” (the NIMBY phenomena) (WG3a);

• Relatively recent developments in wind energy have highlighted the current lack
of skilled personnel in commissioning, operations and maintenance services,
contracting, and engineering for wind energy projects (WG3a);

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 45

 • Developers and manufacturers have difficulty raising debt and/or equity due to the
lack of broad acceptance and understanding of costs and benefits of wind energy
(WG3a);

• There is a lack of public awareness of the potential of small wind installations

(WG3b); and

• Education programs provided by university programs in engineering and other

related areas do not adequately address the needs of the wind industry. (WG4a)

Key Action Items

In order to promote wind energy as both an ecologically and economically beneficial

industry in Canada, the public must be engaged by credible representatives of
government, NGOs and industry that can provide the facts on wind energy. From a public
and municipal government standpoint, resistance to wind energy must be countered
with empirical evidence to build greater support for wind installations. The cost to initially
provide documents to support the aforementioned goals, per target group, would likely
be modest; however, longer term maintenance and expansion of such documentation
could cost from one to five million dollars per target group. From an economic standpoint,
universities and other educational institutions must partner with industry to develop
programs that will provide students with the skill sets necessary to meet the needs of
the wind industry in Canada. The following table lists some of the action items needed to
meet these goals.

Action item When Who

Create a centralized repository of peer reviewed studies

a) Develop and maintain an authoritative set of government 6 months Government,

documents, based on global literature reviews that and industry, NGOs
address key concerns raised about wind energy projects continuing and academia
(e.g., noise, infrasound, ice throw, structural failure, to the
effects on wildlife). Long-term

Provide analysis to decision makers of costs and benefits of wind in electricity systems

b) Provide decision-makers with information on the 1 year Government,

environmental impacts of electricity production and the industry, NGOs
costs associated with such impacts to support arguments and academia
for valuation of wind energy’s environmental attributes.
A first step in this process would be to produce a solid
communications / outreach document based on a
literature review of work done on the environmental
impacts of electricity production and their costs – this
should primarily draw on work from North America and
Europe.

46 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

Action item When Who

c) Complete analysis to develop a national perspective 9 Months NGOs,

(e.g. adaptation of US DOE 20% Integration Study). Government,
Academia
and/or Industry

Share evidence-based information with decision-makers, media, opinion leaders and the
general public

d) Address public acceptance issues by developing public Immediate Industry, NGOs

relations and communications material through industry and ongoing and Utilities
associations and government programs (eg. campaigns
against littering or smoking), with increased emphasis on
jobs and economic benefit.

e) Establish a broad coalition of stakeholders seeking to 1 year NGOs

ensure that wind energy is able to obtain value for its
environmental attributes within the context of leveling the
playing field (e.g., municipalities, environmental groups,
health organizations, aboriginal communities etc.).

Improve and update education and training to build a sustainable and skilled workforce.
This recommendation has two major target groups – appropriately educating new
graduates coming out of university, as well as retraining the current workforce and
providing continuing education resources to both groups.

a) Make promotional materials available to public schools to Ongoing Industry, NGOs,

promote wind as a career option. academia and
government

b) Define what basic skills utilities need/want students to 1 year Utilities

have.

c) Create, promote and support educational opportunities 2 years To be determined

for target audiences to provide training in the appropriate
areas (e.g.: probabilistic planning tools). For example,
this could involve: a conference/training workshop for
continuing education (focusing on technical and practical
skills), a series of lectures by experts, and/or recorded
lectures by experts at utilities for use by professors in their
lectures/courses. As some of the target group would be
students, funding and/or sponsorships would be needed.

d) Rebuild educational programs to refocus engineering Several Academia

curriculums with a view to the future (where industry is years
going) rather than where the industry was.

e) Continuing education could be taken over by the center 2-5 years To be determined
of excellence, or this could become a profit center for a
university institution with expertise in power systems.

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 47

How These Actions Will Contribute to Achieving the Vision

Improved communication to the public, the workforce, financiers and government officials
of the real benefits and opportunities for wind energy will create an environment wherein
the broader population in Canada will commit funds, time and energy to the advancement
of the wind energy industry.

3.3 Expand the Role of Canadian Industry

What is Required

The success of wind energy in Canada ultimately rests on the shoulders of Canadian
industry. As such, it is critical to conduct research and map all the potential roles and
areas of competitive advantage for Canadian industry, so as to encourage investment in
the areas where Canada can be most successful. It is important to note that this mapping
should consider all inputs, including services, technologies, materials, infrastructure, and
so forth, in the wind energy industry.

Why Action is Needed

The mapping of the full life-cycle value chain of the wind energy industry will enable
identification of key strengths and opportunities for improvement and illustrate where
there is room for Canada to grow and become a competitor in the world market. It can
also help to highlight bottlenecks and cost pressures that currently limit development of
wind energy in Canada. This mapping is necessary to identify what should be imported,
what areas Canada should focus on for development within its borders, and what areas
Canada can serve as a competitive global leader. The mapping can also identify critical
areas for future research and development efforts and enable Canada to be at the
technological leading edge.

Current Challenges and Barriers

Some of the main challenges currently facing Canadian industry in its efforts to establish
a strong domestic wind energy manufacturing and services base were highlighted by
WG2:

• Insufficient knowledge of supply chain opportunities in Canadian industry;

• Limited number of manufacturers for key components; and

• Lack of R&D collaboration between industry and academia.

48 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

Other challenges were also highlighted by WG3a included:

• Import and export duties across Canada/US border create higher costs; and

• Lack of clarity of investment opportunities and associated returns creates difficulty

in raising debt and/or equity for developers and manufacturers.

Key Action Items

In order to fully realize the economic benefits of the wind energy industry, the entire value
chain must be mapped out. This mapping will then enable identification of viable supply
chain opportunities and potential areas for competitive advantage. It is also necessary
to identify key partners and collaborators and leverage existing infrastructure that could
be repurposed for the wind industry so that the whole supply chain in Canada can be
as efficient as possible. Some of these initiatives, such as mapping the value chain
and facilitating partnerships, are expected to cost in the range of a quarter of a million
dollars each. Other activities, such as identifying opportunities for Canadian industry, are
anticipated to require larger investments (in the order of approximately one million dollars
each). An understanding of requisite investment levels for creating an attractive climate
for investment in wind energy overall will require continued analysis and consideration as
the market matures.

Action item When Who

Map the value chain

Map out full life-cycle supply chain for onshore and 6 months NGOs, Government
offshore projects, building on existing work. This and Industry
includes estimating value and volume of the Canadian
large wind industry and potential export opportunities.

Identify opportunities for Canadian industry

Identify supply chain opportunities based on the NGOs, Government

results of value chain mapping. 1 Year and Industry

Assess current Canadian context and identify 9 Months NGOs, Government

opportunities based on the mapping activity. This could and Industry
include an adaptation or similar work to recent wind
turbine supply studies done in the US.

Facilitate partnerships and encourage Canadian sourcing of materials, components

and services

Identify Canadian capability for innovation and export 1 Year NGOs, Academia
and scale of potential export market and how to build
on the opportunities.

Create an attractive climate for investment in wind energy

See other action areas (e.g. Strengthen the Policy

Framework, Inform and engage Canadians, etc.)

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 49

How These Actions Will Contribute to Achieving the Vision

Identification of key areas of need and opportunity for Canada, through mapping of the
value chain, will create the information necessary to spur investment by industry and
educational institutions in developing infrastructure, operations and skill sets to support
the advancement of the wind energy industry in Canada.

3.4 Create Centres of Excellence

What is Required

To efficiently implement higher levels of wind penetration in the Canadian electric energy
supply mix, better data, technologies, systems, services and tools are required. Centres
of excellence have been used widely throughout Canada to foster this type of extensive
industrial development in a variety of sectors. These typically function as hubs of
innovation where researchers, practitioners and policy makers can collaborate on a wide
variety of issues. Cross-fertilization in thinking may be further enhanced by direct support
for specific initiatives, such as a small wind research program or a shared repository of
peer reviewed research on the impacts of wind development.

Why Action is Needed

The achievement of the WindTRM vision requires improved modeling and wind
integration technologies and tools which reduce uncertainty when designing and planning
the system. This will in turn reduce development and integration costs while diminishing
financial risk. The currently available technology is based on data and models which
were not specifically developed for wind energy and therefore lack the necessary
relevance. Wind flow models lack the required level of precision and accuracy for large
wind penetration levels. Current transmission planning models and operation room tools
are not well suited to the stochastic and variable nature of the wind energy. Wind firming
technologies have not been sufficiently developed to ensure adequate behavior of the
overall electrical system. Lack of action will exacerbate the shortcomings of the current
tools and paradigms. This will inevitably lead to higher cost, reduced efficiency and more
risk. On the other hand, concerted action by relevant stakeholders will not only allow
higher levels of wind penetration into the system but also will it contribute to a modern
and more reliable electricity system.

50 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

Current Challenges and Barriers

A lack of advanced and reliable tools to facilitate large wind farm development,
transmission planning and short-term forecasting (real-time and day-ahead modeling)
was cited as a key barrier to the advancement of wind energy by most participants
throughout the process.

• WG2 indicated that there was a significant lack of accurate and robust modeling
technologies for: micro-scale models, meso-scale models, array loss models,
technical loss models, climate change models and short-term forecasting models.

• WG4a similarly concluded that a lack of validated planning models, updated

planning material and methods of determining the reliability of wind plants was
substantially limiting the progress of the industry.

• WG4b also reported that a lack of precise and reliable short-term forecasting
modeling tools was severely hindering the advancement of the industry. Specifically,
they noted challenges in regards to inadequacy or lack of forecasting tools
and technologies for: providing reliability assessments of the system, providing
probability predictors for generator dispatch, predicting the behaviour of wind
turbines, monitoring embedded generation, providing information on wind specific
alarm events and guidance on how to react to them, and in general understanding
and quantifying risks. They also noted the difficulty in finding personnel to carry out
short-term forecasting, which usually requires the ongoing monitoring of relevant
meteorological stations.

Challenges in improving current models and tools are due in part to the barriers related
to accessing sufficient and adequate data for validation purposes. In particular, WG2
identified the following factors as high priority barriers which need to be addressed in
order to enable the emergence of next generation simulation and resource assessment
tools to achieve the WindTRM vision:

• Lack of standards for collecting data. This includes a lack of a standard for wind
resource assessment, operational reporting and a lack of instrument certification.
Moreover, the Canadian cold climate needs to be specifically addressed to reduce
uncertainty.

• Lack of validation data. This includes a lack of high-quality and long-term data
on wind, a lack of detailed data for operational wind power plants, (which is not
accessible because it is privately owned) and a lack of high-resolution topographic
and land use data (which is critical for improved precision).

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 51

Similarly, WG4b identified challenges with accuracy, metrics and standards as high
priority barriers. More specifically, they highlighted problems due to a lack of data and
information exchange:

• between system operators;

• between system operators and utilities;

• between system operators and owner/operators;

• between developers/owner/operators;

• between Environment Canada and system operators; and

• between manufacturers and system operators regarding turbine behaviour.

Lack of training for system operators and skilled operating room personnel was also
noted as a key barrier to growth for WG4a and WG4b.

The gap in wind integration and energy storage solutions was repeatedly identified as a
high-priority barrier to achieving the vision by many of the working groups

• WG1 emphasized the limitations due to the lack of cost effective energy storage
technologies and/or balancing systems given the variability of wind power

• WG4a noted a number of integration challenges mostly related to a lack of

understanding in various areas, such as: the level of reinforcement required to
integrate wind, the amount of wind energy that can be integrated into each specific
Canadian region (flexibility/stiffness of the grid), the generation interconnection
process and the queue system. It is also not clear how the grid can be optimized
so as to maximize the integration of renewables. Given that capacity factors drive
the demand for ancillary services it is also difficult to fully understand the ancillary
services that will be available in 2025 and how best to use them.

• WG4b identified similar challenges, including understanding how generation

responds to load when there is a significant amount of wind supply on the system
as well as the long-term operational impacts of wind with respect to the overall
penetration and the concomitant requirements on ancillary services and associated
costs.

Key Action Items

In summary, high-quality field and laboratory data, long-term reference data for wind
and detailed data from operational wind power plants are necessary for the initialization,
testing and validation of various engineering models. Access to such data will enable
the validation and implementation of more advanced and more precise planning and
operational models and tools. Both wind farm developers and utilities will benefit from

52 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

such improvements as more precision and less uncertainty will translate into less risk
and therefore less cost. Developers will have a better access to capital and utilities will
be able to integrate more wind energy with confidence without requiring unnecessary and
costly reserves.

Furthermore, in order to improve system operation while meeting reliability requirements,

new technologies and operating requirements will need to be developed so as to reach
20% of Canada’s electricity demand. The “optimal” technology will depend on the
regional characteristics and energy mix. It is likely that wind energy can be integrated at
very little cost in some parts of the North American system (although these areas have
yet to be fully identified).

Clearly, there is much work to be done to advance the development of the wind energy
industry in Canada and optimize the use of wind in Canada. The involvement of a wide
range of players from academia, industry and government will be required. In order to
prioritize efforts, and facilitate development in multiple areas, it has been recommended
that three separate, but interrelated Centres of Excellence be formed.

i. Wind Resource and Energy Yield Assessment. This Centre of Excellence would
focus on developing databases and associated data standards, as well as a wide
range of modeling tools. The work would largely be performed by data analysis and
modeling experts, with utility companies and developers providing input on critical
needs.

ii. Advanced Operation and Transmission Planning Methodologies. This Centre

of Excellence would focus on further developing new probabilistic transmission
planning tools and improving operating room tools to integrate short-term wind
forecasting, using the data and tools developed in the Wind Resource and Energy
Yield Assessment Centre of Excellence. In this Centre of Excellence, utility
companies and developers would be the drivers, while data experts and modelers
would play a supporting role.

iii. Ancillary Services: Wind Integration and Wind Firming Technologies. This Centre of
Excellence would focus on developing the ancillary services that would be required
to fully optimize the use of wind energy.

It is believed that investments of $15 to $25 million, over a period of a few years’ time
(see tables below), is required for each Centre of Excellence to facilitate the advances
that are necessary to move the industry forward towards achieving the vision. The
following chart presents the key action items and timing for each Centre of Excellence.

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 53

Centre of Excellence I: Wind Resource and Energy Yield Assessment

Theme 1: Wind Resource Modeling Technology

A) Improve Quality of Experimental Data

Lack of validation data is a major barrier for improving and validating models. The required data
includes: high-quality field and laboratory data, long-term reference data for wind and detailed
data for operational wind power plants. It is imperative that data be available and accessible
at the appropriate comprehensiveness, region and level of detail. It is important to note that
a lack of high-resolution topographic and land use data also increases simulation errors and
uncertainties. However, no specific actions were recommended to address this issue.

Action item When Who

a) Establish a committee to develop better standards 2-5 years Government, NGOs,

and procedures for data collection, resource industry
assessment, planning and operational reporting.

b) Establish a federal authority to create and maintain 1-2 years to Government, Industry
a public database for wind energy-related data set up, then
(long-term reference, wind & operational data). continuous

c) Develop public domain test sites and test facilities 1-10 years Government, Academia,
with high-quality instruments for validating flow Industry
models.

d) Develop measurement technologies specific to 1-5 years Industry, NGOs,

Canadian conditions. Academia

e) Develop a publicly accessible R&D wind farm. 1-2 years Government, NGOs,
Academia, Industry

B) Enhance model accuracy, precision and robustness

Lack of accurate and robust modeling technologies is a major barrier to increasing reliability in
simulations and hence reducing cost. Model improvement needs comprise a range of scales and
purposes including micro-scale models; meso-scale models; array loss models; technical loss
models (aerodynamic and unavailability); and climate change models.

Action item When Who

a) Strengthen international collaboration and Ongoing Government, NGOs,

contribute with models addressing Canadian Industry, Academia
specificities.

b) Plan a follow-up for the NSERC Wind Energy 5 years Government , NGOs,
Strategic Network (WESNET), as funding will end Academia, Industry
in 2013.

c) Enhance and promote Canadian technology. 1-2 years Government, Academia,

Industry

d) Establish benchmarks for model validation. 1 year to Government, NGOs,

set up, then Industry
continuous

54 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

Theme 2: Short-Term Forecasting Technologies

Improved short-term forecasting is a necessary condition to achieve high levels of wind

penetration in the Canadian energy mix. The current forecasting technologies are based on
various deterministic, statistical and stochastic approaches which lack the required degree
of precision and reliability. Therefore a significant R&D effort in developing and validating the
models is required. It is important to note that many of action items from Theme 1 equally apply
to forecasting.

Action item When Who

a) Develop and test higher resolution (time and space) 2-5 yrs Government,
Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) tools using local and Academia,
regional data sets. Research new methodologies such as Industry
ensemble average NWPs. Develop methodologies including
operational data from existing wind farms to improve
performance.

b) Develop and validate high-level tools for wind farm and grid 1-2 yrs Utilities,
operators. Utilities and developers will need to define their Operators,
needs early in the process. Industry

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 55

Centre of Excellence II:
Advanced Operation and Transmission Planning Methodologies

Develop modeling methodologies and analytic tools that will account for both generation
and transmission probabilistically. Stability and reliability are fundamental cornerstones of a
well-functioning electricity grid. As the energy regime evolves to include new forms of electricity
and demand-side management initiatives, system planners will require more advanced tools to
predict power generation and balance transmission loads. Currently, uncertainties in production
capacities lead to overbuilding in generation, transmission and distribution to meet a predicted
level of demand. Even marginal levels of wind integration complicate system planning as supply
characteristics are difficult to accurately predict with deterministic models. New models that apply
probabilistic estimation processes to regional wind characteristics are required to reduce the
uncertainties in forecasts. This action involves numerous steps outlined as follows:

Action item When Who

a) Utilities first define the needs 18 months Utilities

b) Vendors to produce customized tools 2 years Industry, Academia,

Utilities

c) Develop standards concerning probabilistic 2-4 years Industry, Academia,

planning models. Utilities, Goverrnment

d) Change planning standards 10 years Utilities

Improve operating room tools to integrate 2-4 years Industry, Academia,

short-term wind forecasting. The real time Utilities
operations of a regional electricity grid involve
matching supply with varying demand within
the confines of a strict regulatory framework.
Thus, the more uncertainty in the system,
the harder it is to meet stability requirements.
Traditional energy sources have historically
been the “lever” through which operators
balance demand loads. The variable nature of
wind power production complicates the task of
providing system reliability. As Canada moves
towards a 20% penetration level of wind power,
control room operators will need advanced
real time and day-ahead tools to meet ramping
and load balancing requirements. Research
on the analyses and forecasting models that
Environment Canada maintains for each of
the regions will also be required. Utilities and
vendors will need to work together to integrate
short-term wind forecasting tools into the
operating room.

56 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

Centre of Excellence III:
Ancillary Services: Wind Integration and Wind Firming Technology

There is a need for improved ancillary services to help balance supply and demand with
large amounts of wind penetration. Potential solutions include: enhancements of energy
storage devices; the development of interregional wind systems to take advantage of the
diversity of wind production in different geographic areas; and the creation of solutions
to meet generation increase/decrease requirements including demand management and
more flexible energy interchanges between regions.

Action item When Who

a) Develop a consistent methodology to 12-18 months to Utilities, NGOs, Industry

determine requirements for ancillary scope out research
services. For example: what factors/inputs
must be considered to produce consistent
assessments across the country?

b) Assess the extent to which demand loads 12-18 months to Government, Utilities,
can be met by using wind from one area to write whitepaper on NGOs, Industry
offset variances in wind from another area methodology
(i.e. wind firming wind) instead of relying on
ancillary services.

c) Quantify the amount and type of ancillary A few years

service required in a balancing area as wind to quantify
penetration increases. geographical
diversity benefits

d) Identify storage technology options that can 1 year

optimize wind energy on the grid and identify
benefits, co-benefits and cost of various
storage technologies.

e) Explore options (conventional and non 3+ years to quantify

conventional), for providing these ancillary ancillary services
services and conduct a cost-benefit analysis (AS) requirements
of each. Non conventional options include as wind penetration
demand-side management (DSM), smart increases
grids, pumped storage and other storage
systems. There is a need to:
• Inventory what kind of work is already
ongoing in other jurisdictions; and
• Assess what is appropriate for Canada.

f) Explore options for designing and constructing 1-3 years for

Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) university research
to address the future need. on AC options, 3-5
yrs to run a pilot
project

g) Develop educational program(s) on the Ongoing NGOs, Academia

interpretation of various forecasts in the
context of system operation.

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 57

How These Actions Will Contribute to Achieving the Vision

The Creation of Centres of Excellence will enable the necessary developments in

tools, systems, technologies and services, so as to develop competitive niche areas for
Canadian industry and drive down the cost of, and therefore increase the incentive to
invest in, wind energy in Canada.

3.5 Accelerate Development of Small Wind Technology

What is Required

With almost one seventh of all small wind manufacturers operating in Canada there are
numerous opportunities to advance small scale wind technology. In order to facilitate the
success of this developing industry there needs to be increased support in Canada –
publically, financially and technically.

Why Action is Needed

While small wind is perceived as having a relatively small market, there actually may be
greater potential than that for large wind in terms of applications for remote and off-grid
communities. Within the Canadian context, there remains strong potential for integrating
systems with diesel generators to provide reliable co-generation for remote and northern
communities. If provided with sufficient financial incentives to reduce GHG emissions in
the North (or other incentive mechanisms), wind-diesel may experience an exponential
increase in interest. In addition to direct financial incentives, small wind could realize
benefits from its potential to generate carbon offsets; however the emission reduction
potential would likely need to be aggregated across a community to qualify under
currently proposed cap and trade schemes.

Current Challenges and Barriers

There are numerous difficulties facing the small wind industry, both within and outside of
Canada. Key technical barriers faced by small wind were highlighted by WG3b:

• Low investment levels in the small wind sector have left unresolved deficiencies in
many aspects of small wind technology;

• Small wind developers need access to wind tunnel testing, in addition to better
promotion of such facilities in Canada; and

• The installed cost for small wind projects is still too high and reliability is too low.

58 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

There were also broader policy and regulatory difficulties identified by WG3b:

• Regulatory and utility frameworks have not yet evolved to accommodate small wind;

• Certifications, codes and standards have to be developed for small wind;

• Interconnection codes and standards discourage small wind usage;

• There is a lack of policies and incentives to support production of small wind

systems for demonstration or deployment into grid-connected and remote
community markets; and

• Permits, by-laws and ordinances currently discourage the technology.

Key Action Items

One of Canada’s key wind energy strengths is the strong presence of domestic small
wind manufacturers. However, these manufacturers need assistance on a number
of different fronts, starting with policy support for the technology in communities,
particularly where wind-diesel co-generation is possible. There is also a need for
streamlined interconnection standards that are consistent and transparent to promote
more small wind adoption. The cost for this is estimated to be less than one million
dollars. Additionally, there is a significant need for funding to promote technological
enhancements that will enhance the efficiency, durability, reliability and cost-effectiveness
of small wind turbines. In aggregate, these actions are anticipated to cost on the order
of five to ten million dollars within the next decade. Some of key action items to achieve
these goals are listed below:

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 59

Specific Key Action Items of Small Wind in Need of Technical Remediation and Innovation

Action item When Who

Research technology enhancement opportunities

a) Develop and test advanced blade design; different rotor 1-3 years Government,
size options for modest wind and high wind regimes; Industry and
and tall towers for modest wind regime. NGOs

b) Adopt synthetic lubricants; and gearbox insulation 1-3 years Government,

and heating. Industry and
NGOs

c) Adopt and develop passive blade de-icing technologies 1-3 years Government,
(special coating). Industry and
NGOs

d) Develop and deploy universal inverters for three-phase and 1-3 years Government,
single-phase applications, and for standalone systems. Industry and
NGOs

e) Improve manufacturing technologies for turbine 1-3 years Government,

components (including blade process technologies such Industry and
as vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM)). NGOs

f) Develop and improve self-erecting technology such as 1-3 years Government,

tilt-up towers; towers for various ground conditions ranging Industry and
from rock to sand to permafrost and foundations that NGOs
can avoid importations of cement and expensive drilling
equipment.

Improve system performance and reliability

g) Develop remote monitoring, diagnosis and firmware/ 1-3 years Government,

software upgrade as well as short-term and fast acting Industry and
energy storage. NGOs

h) Develop a coordinated program to support small wind 1-3 years Government,

testing and certification. Industry and
NGOs

i) Examine alternatives for increased reliability. 1-3 years Government,

Industry and
NGOs

j) Develop improved siting tools for small systems (wind 1-3 years Government,
resource estimation, noise estimation, etc.). Industry and
NGOs

k) Develop templates for wind turbine documentation 1-3 years Government,

(installation, interconnection, commission, operation and Industry and
maintenance and troubleshooting). NGOs

60 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

Specific Key Action Items of Small Wind in Need of Technical Remediation and Innovation

Action item When Who

l) Improve turbine output power quality (power factor, 1-3 years Government,
harmonics, flicker etc.). to initiate; Industry, Utilities
and NGOs
1-3 years
to engage
utilities and
resolve
issues

m) Develop cost effective, integrated and certified protection 1-3 years Government,
and interconnection equipment and solutions. to initiate; Industry and
NGOs, Utilities
1-3 years
to engage
utilities and
resolve
issues

n) Develop long-term energy storage and load management 1-3 years Government,
& control technologies. to initiate Industry and
continuing to NGOs
Five to Ten
years

o) Develop advanced drive-trains such as direct-drive 1-3 years Government,

generators for variable speed operation and variable pitch to initiate Industry and
mechanism; advanced power electronics for maximizing continuing NGOs
performance and for integrating storage technologies. to Five to
Ten years

Reduce life cycle energy costs

p) Investigate lower life-cycle cost turbine components. 1-3 years Government,

Industry and
NGOs

q) Advance wind-diesel integration technology. 1-3 years Government,

Industry and
NGOs

r) Develop templates for wind turbine documentation 1-3 years Government,

(installation, interconnection, commission, operation and Industry and
maintenance, troubleshooting). NGOs

There were also a host of action items that, while championed under “other” action areas,
highlight needs specific for small wind advancement.

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 61

Other Key Action Items Pertaining to Small Wind

Action item When Who

Adopt streamlined and consistent interconnection standards

a) Acknowledge the benefits that small wind Urgently needed, Government

can bring to Canadians (including a market in Short-term
study of international small wind potential and
potential benefits to Canada)

b) Establish policy support for wind-diesel Commence in Government

systems in remote communities Short-term, Continue
for Medium Term

c) Establish policy support for grid-connected Commence in Government

systems Short-term, Continue
for Medium Term

d) Public outreach for ensuring that Small Wind 1-3 years Small wind
Certification Corporation (SWCC) guidelines advocate groups
are understood and applied

e) Develop cost effective, integrated and 1-3 years to initiate; Government,

certified protection and interconnection Industry, Utilities
equipment and solutions 1-3 years to engage and NGOs
utilities and resolve
issues

f) Increase the engagement of utilities across 1-3 years to initiate; Government,

Canada to better understand and document Industry, Utilities
technical concerns and collectively find 1-3 years to engage and NGOs
solutions utilities and resolve
issues

g) Engage utilities to streamline the process 1-3 years to initiate; Government,

for connecting small wind. Industry and NGOs,
1-3 years to engage Utilities
utilities and resolve
issues

h) Adopt uniform standards in Canada for 1-3 years to initiate; Government,

utility-interconnection Industry and NGOs
1-3 years to engage
utilities and resolve
issues

i) Engage municipalities to ensure SWCC 1-3 years Small wind

certifications are reflected in zoning advocate groups
regulations and Government

62 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

How These Actions Will Contribute to Achieving the Vision

Collaboration, funding and support for advancements in small wind systems will both
allow Canada’s individuals, small businesses and communities to have stable, secure,
economical, wealth generating energy solutions, and provide leading-edge solutions for
rural and remote communities around the world.

3.6 Fund Innovative Demonstration Projects

What is Required

In order to gain broader acceptance of wind energy and to enable further implementation
it will be important to demonstrate several of the technologies identified in the WindTRM.
This could entail research and development in wind firming technologies such as: battery,
capacitor, compressed air, and pumped hydro storage technologies, as well operational
approaches such as hybrid operation (e.g. wind-hydro or wind-diesel combinations),
smart grids and grid operation techniques that are demand-response driven and that shift
energy sourcing depending on wind power availability. Collaboration with the Centres
of Excellence described in section 3.4 is key to successful innovative demonstration
projects.

Why Action is Needed

Marquee and demonstration projects are critical to reducing uncertainty in wind energy
both from a public and engineering point of view.

Current Challenges and Barriers

The working groups highlighted three broad barriers in this area:

• A lack of easy access to an operating wind farm for R&D experimentation (WG1);

• A lack of demonstration and deployment programs for small wind projects (WG3b);
and

• Other technological barriers (e.g. modeling tools) as discussed throughout this

document.

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 63

Key Action Items

To promote innovation and public and private support for wind energy there is a strong
need for operational testing and demonstration of wind technology. The establishment of
an R&D wind farm would provide a perfect testing ground for technologies that can adapt
to Canadian climate conditions. Such a wind farm could also provide an area where
academia and industry could collaborate on joint R&D ventures. Additionally, innovative
demonstration projects could enable pilot technologies to be exported to other nations
with similar climatic conditions. It is anticipated that a fund in the order of one hundred
million dollars would be required to enable the investments necessary to achieve the
outlined goals.

Action item When Who

Wind ‘firming’ technology demonstration projects

Demonstrate and pilot promising storage technologies 1-3 years Government, NGOs,
Utilities, Industry

Forecasting pilot building on Alberta and Quebec experience

These types of demonstration projects across other 1-3 years Government,

jurisdictions can significantly advance the industry. Industry, NGOs

Community scale wind diesel demonstration project

Public outreach by the deployment of demonstration 1-5 years Government,

projects. Industry and NGOs

Probabilistic modeling pilot

As transmission planning tools are developed there will Ongoing Industry

need to be pilots or demonstrations in order to prove
their acceptability to system planners and operators.

How These Actions Will Contribute to Achieving the Vision

Support for innovative demonstration projects will clearly illustrate the economic and
environmental feasibility of, and returns on investments in, wind energy, thereby enabling
the full realization of benefits from all action areas.

64 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

Annex A: List of Attendees
for WindTRM Workshops

Stakeholder
First Name Last Name Organization
Group

1. Bouaziz Ait-Driss Hélimax Engineering /

Consulting

2. Bill Appleby Environment Canada Federal Gov

3. Eric Barker Industry Canada Federal Gov

4. Cory Basil Skypower Developer

5. Jean- Beland AREVA Canada Inc Manufacturer

Francois

6. Liliana Benitez Natural Resources Canada Federal Gov

7. Serge Besner Environment Canada Federal Gov

8. Sarah Jayne Blair Natural Resources Canada Federal Gov

9. Chris Boivin Sustainable Development Non-Profit

Technology Canada

10. Mario Boucher Hydro Québec Utility

11. Claude Bourget Énergie PGE Inc Manufacturer

12. Mike Bourns TransAlta Wind Developer

13. Jonathan Brady Natural Resources Canada Federal Gov

14. Rob Brandon Natural Resources Canada Federal Gov

15. Bill Breckenridge New Brunswick Department Provincial

of Energy Government

16. Carl Brothers Frontier Power Systems Developer

17. Matthew Bulmer Aerojoule Manufacturer

18. Michael C. Burns Naikun Wind Development Inc Developer

19. Kelly Cantwell Nova Scotia Power Inc. Utility

20. Laura Carlson Lethbridge College Academic

21. Rupp Carriveau University of Windsor Academic

22. Paul Champigny Gamesa Wind Manufacturer

23. Liuchen Chang University of New Brunswick Academic

24. Stephen Cheeseman Chinook Power Corp. Developer

25. Paul Choudhury British Columbia Transmission Corp Utility

26. Jenny Chuang Natural Resources Canada Federal Gov

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 65

 Stakeholder
First Name Last Name Organization
Group

27. Tony Claroni DMI Canada Inc Manufacturer

28. Doug Coleman CN – Marketing – Engineering/

Metals & Minerals Consulting

29. Nancy Cowan FPL Energy Developer

30. Michael Dang Hydro One Networks Inc. Utility

31. Kayla Dawson Finavera Renewables Developer

32. Johan de Leeuw Wind Energy Solutions Canada Manufacturer

33. Paul Dockrill Wind Energy Institute of Canada Test Site

34. Marc Dorion McCarthy Tétrault LLP Finance

35. Will Dubitsky Canada Economic Development Federal Gov

for Quebec Regions

36. Dariush Faghani Hélimax Energie Inc. Engineering/

Consulting

37. Dawn Farrell TransAlta Corporation Industry Chair

38. Stuart Fee Industry Canada Federal Gov

39. Simon Ferguson Garrad Hassan Canada Inc Engineering/

Consulting

40. Laetitia Fiere AAER Manufacturer

41. Suzanne Flannigan Lethbridge College Academic

42. Alain Forcione Hydro-Quebec (IREQ) Utility

43. Yves Gagnon Université de Moncton Academic

44. Tracy Garner Ontario Power Authority Engineering/

Consulting

45. Brett Gellner TransAlta Developer

46. Dan Goldberger Canadian Electricity Association/ Industry

New Paradigm Capital Corp. Association

47. John Gorjup Natural Resources Canada Federal Gov

48. Peter Grover Innergex énergie renouvelable inc. Developer

49. Berk Gursoy Brookfield Power Corporation Developer

50. Kent Gustavson Stantec Engineering/

Consulting

66 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

 Stakeholder
First Name Last Name Organization
Group

51. Cynthia Handler Natural Resources Canada Federal Gov

52. Horia Hangan University of Western Ontario Academic

53. Jana Hanova BC Hydro Utility

54. Scott Harper Wind Energy Institute of Canada Test Site

55. Christopher Holz Campbell Strategies Engineering/

Consulting

56. Robert Hornung Canadian Wind Energy Association Industry

(CanWEA) Association

57. Paul Huebener Macquarie Capital Markets Finance

Canada Ltd

58. Saif Imran Shell Canada Ltd Developer

59. David Jacobson Manitoba Hydro Utility

60. Jeff Jenner Suez Energy North America Developer

61. Paul Jensen DMI Industries, Inc Manufacturer

62. Joanne Johnson PricewaterhouseCoopers Facilitator

63. Heather Johnstone Ministry of Energy, Mines and Provincial Gov

Petroleum Resources

64. Tim Karlsson Industry Canada Federal Gov

65. Robert Kelly Precision Wind Engineering/

Consulting

66. Khaqan Khan Independent Electricity System System Operator

Operator (IESO)

67. Juliane Kniebel-Huebner NaturEner Energy Canada Inc. Developer

68. Anthony Kosteltz Environment Canada Federal

Government

69. John Kourtoff Trillium Power Wind Corporation Developer/

Offshore

70. Pierre Lacombe Genivar Engineering/

Consulting

71. Antoine Lacroix Natural Resources Canada Federal Gov

72. Marc-André Laflamme McCarthy Tétrault LLP Finance

73. Simone Lalande Natural Resources Canada Federal Gov

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 67

 Stakeholder
First Name Last Name Organization
Group

74. Mathieu Landry Université de Moncton Academic

75. Mark Lauby NERC Utility

76. David Lawlor ENMAX Corporation Developer

77. Marc LeBlanc Garrad Hassan Canada Inc Engineering/

Consulting

78. Tanya Leger Natural Resources Canada Federal Gov

79. Robert Leth Precision Wind Engineering/

Consulting

80. Derek Lim Soo General Electric (GE) Canada Manufacturer

81. Steve Lindenberg U.S. Department of Energy Federal Gov

82. Doug Little British Columbia Transmission Corp Utility

83. Malcolm Lodge Entegrity Wind Manufacturer

84. Matthew Lynn Garrad Hassan Canada Inc Engineering/

Consulting

85. Wayne MacQuarrie PEI Energy Corporation Utility

86. John Marrone Natural Resources Canada Federal Gov

87. Christian Martel Aerojoule Manufacturer

88. Christian Masson École de technologie supérieure Academic

89. Margaret McCuaig- Natural Resources Canada Federal Gov

Johnston

90. Pamela McKinnon Nova Scotia Power Inc. Utility

91. Joyce McLean Toronto Hydro Utility

92. Roslyn McMann GE Energy – Power Generation Manufacturer

93. Tom Molinski Manitoba Hydro Utility

94. Wilfried Moll Private Consultant Engineering/

Consulting

95. Geoff Nimmo Industry Canada Federal Gov

96. Alastair Nimmons PricewaterhouseCoopers Facilitator

97. Steve O’Gorman Canadian Hydro Developers Developer

98. Morel Oprisan Natural Resources Canada Federal Gov

68 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items

 Stakeholder
First Name Last Name Organization
Group

99. Chris Padfield Natural Resources Canada Federal Gov

100. Steven Pai British Columbia Transmission System Operator

Corporation

101. Al Paulissen Wenvor Technologies Manufacturer

102. Richard Penny Nova Scotia Department of Energy Provincial

Government

103. Jaime Peralta BC Hydro Utility

104. Roger Peters Canadian Renewable Energy Alliance Non-Profit

105. Greg Peterson Lethbridge College Academic

106. Franco Petrucci Environment Canada Federal Gov

107. Jean-Paul Pinard JP Pinard Consulting Engineering/

Consulting

108. Blaine Poff Manitoba Hydro Utility

109. George Porter NB System Operator System Operator

110. Mark Riley Natural Resources Canada Federal Gov

111. Louis-Omer Rioux Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie Utility

112. Susanne Ritter Canadian German Chamber Manufacturer

of Commerce

113. Pierre Rivard Magenn Power Inc. Manufacturer

114. Marc Rousseau General Electric (GE) Canada Manufacturer

115. Magdalena Rucker BC Hydro Utility

116. Jim Salmon Zephyr North Ltd. Engineering/

Consulting

117. Scott Sasser Precision Wind Engineering/

Consulting

118. Brian Schmeisser Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Federal Gov

119. Randy Seager Wenvor Technologies Manufacturer

120. Bob Singh Hydro One Networks Inc. Utility

121. Bill Sutherland Manulife Financial Corporation Finance

122. Jeff Sward PricewaterhouseCoopers Facilitator

123. Paul Taylor Naikun Wind Development Inc Developer

Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items 69

 Stakeholder
First Name Last Name Organization
Group

124. David Timm AIMPowerGen Developer

125. Jim Titerle McCarthy Tétrault LLP Finance

126. Daniel Van Vliet Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Federal Gov

127. George Vegh McCarthy Tétrault LLP Legal

128. Tony Verrelli Cleanfield Energy Corp. Manufacturer

129. Leslie Welsh Environment Canada Federal Gov

130. Sean Whittaker Canadian Wind Energy Association Industry

(CanWEA) Association

131. Corey Wilson ENMAX Corporation Developer

132. Helge Wittholz SYNOVA Engineering/

Consulting

70 Appendix B: The Process for Identifying Gaps and Action Items