Economic and Environmental Benefits of Using a Wind Turbine to Power a Groundwater Remediation System

An investigation regarding the feasibility of using a wind turbine to power a groundwater circulation well (GCW) at the former Nebraska Ordnance Plant Superfund site focused on the economic and environmental benefits associated with the renewable energy application. The first phase of the project consisted on the installation of a grid inter-tie wind turbine, and the second phase involved the conversion of the system to off-grid operation. An analysis was performed to characterize the likelihood that the wind turbine systems reduced the quantity of electricity purchased from the utility company. The environmental benefits of the wind turbine/GCW system include the removal of contaminant mass without loss of groundwater to the aquifer and the potential reduction in carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere. The wind turbine manufacturer's performance prediction model was evaluated for reliability given the investigation results.