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8/12/2019 Gaia WindNREL TestingResults

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Small Wind Turbine Testing Results from theNational Renewable Energy Lab

Amy Bowen, Arlinda Huskey, Hal Link, Karin Sinclair, Trudy Forsyth, David JagerNational Renewable Energy Laboratory

Jeroen van Dam, Joe SmithWindward EngineeringAbstractIn 2008, the US. Departrnent of Energys (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) begantesting small wind turbines (SWTs) through the independent testing project. Using competitivesolicitation, four SWTs were seleeted for testing at the National Wind Teehnology Center (NWTC).NRELs NWTC is aecredited by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) toconduct power performance, power quality, noise. safety and function, and duration tests to InternationalElectrotechnical Commission (WC) standards. Results of the tests conducted on each of the SWTs will bepubiicly available an d likely will be used by the Small Wind Certification Council (SWCC) to certi~SWTs. The results also could be used by states to decide which turbines are eligible for state incentives.Reducing barriers for SWls to enter the market will provide consumers Ina range ofsectorsincludingresidential, ranchers/farmers, business, an d community applieations (e.g., schools, tribes, municipalutilities, rum electric cooperatives)the opportunity to invest in indigenous energy, and to contribute tothe shift towards energy independence. The paper reports results oftesting to date, and puts the testresults in perspective for the average consumer. Other topics addressed inelude a deseription of DOEssecond solicitation for independent testing, and a discussion of the DOEs support for developingadditional testing centers to conduct preliminary screening of SWTs to identi& those turbines that are notready for the commercial market.IntroductionThe independent testing project wa s established at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to helpreduce the barriers of wind energy expansion. Among these barriers is a lack of independent testingresults for small turbines. Independent testing resuits will provide turbine manufacturers with a portion ofthe requirements for turbine certification. Certified turbines will give consumers confidence in smallturbine technology and will separate reliable turbines from those that do not perform as advertised.Th e turbines selected in the first round of the independent testing projeet were the Mariah PowerWindspire, the Gaia-Wind II kW. the Abundant Renewable Energy ARE 442, and the Entegrity EW5O.Figure shows the seleeted turbines installed at the NWTC. Power performance, duration, noise, an dsafety and function tests are performed on ali turbines. Power quality testing is performed only on threephase turbines, s the IEC Standard 61400-21 only applies to turbines with a three-phase grid connection.Th e available preliminary results of those tests to da te a re presented below a nd a re subjeet to change.

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Turbines SelectedThe Mariah Power Windspire was installed on May 5,2008. It is a 120 VAC single-phase, gridconnected, permanent-magnet generator wind turbine rated at I kW. The Windspire is a vertical-axisGiromill turbine mounted on a monopole tower, and has a rotor height of 6.1 mand a rotor area of 1.2 mby 6.1 m. Testing on the Windspire was terminated on January 14 , 2009 after repeated turbine problems.Partial power performance and sal ty and Cunction test data was collected on the Windspire.The Gaia-Wind II kW turbine was installed on May 13, 2008. It is a downwind, two-bladed, horizontalaxis turbine. Its three-phase l-kW induction generator delivers 480 VAC to the grid. The Gaia-WindII kW has a 133 m2 swept area and is mounted on an l8.2-m monopole tower. At the time of this writingdata collection for duration, satbty and ~unction, and power performance testing was complete and powerquality and acoustic noise testing were in progress.The Abundant Renewable Energy ARIE 442 was installed on June II 2008. It is a horizontal-axis, threebladed turbine with a swept area of4l m2 . It operates upwind from the prevail ing wind direction and usesa furling mechanism for power control. The ARE 442 is mounted on a 30.5-m lattice tower. The turbine isa single-phase, grid-connected, permanent-magnet machine that is rated at 10 kW at 240 VAC At thetime of this writing, data collection for power performance testing was complete and duration, safety andfunction, and acoustic noise testing were in progress.The Entegrity EW5O was instal led on March 3,2009. The Entegritys three-phase induction generatorproduces 50 kW at 480 VAC. Its rotor-swept area is 176.7 m2 and it operates downwind. It is ahorizontal-axis machine mounted on a 30.5-m monopole tower. At the time ofthis writing, data collectionhad begun for power performance. acoustic noise, safety and function, and duration testing of theEntegrity.

Figure 1. From lef t to right the Windspire the Gaia-Wind 11 kW, the ARE 442, the EW5O2


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Duration TestingThe duration test is condueted according to section 9.4 of the IEC Standard 61400-2: Design Requirements for Small Wind Turbines. Duration testing provides information about the turbines structuralintegrity, quality ofenvironmental protection, an d dynamic behavior. The test requires a minimum of6 months of operation, 2,500 hours of power production in winds of any velocity, 250 hours of powerproduction in winds of 1.2 and greater, an d 25 hours of power production in wind of 1.8 an dgreater. Section 6.2 of IEC Standard 61400-2 deflnes Vove, which depends on the small wind turbine classas identified by the manufacturer and based on the wind speeds in which the turbine was designed tooperate. The turbine must not experience any major failures during the test period and must achieve anoperational time fraction of 90 or greater. The operational time fraction is defined by the following.

tT INFUTt0 x100Ti l~ Where TT is the total test time. is the time atiributed to turbine faults an d manufacturer-mandatedinspeetions and maintenance. i is the time during which the turbine status is unknown due to lost data ordata-acquisition failure an d maintenance. and I: is the time that is excluded from analysis due to gridfaults an d laboratory-mandated inspections or stops.Part of the reliable-operation requirernent for the duration test includes no significant wear, corrosion, ordamage to turbine components. lhe structural integrity and material degradation are investigated throughinspections of the turbine before, during, and after the testing period. Blades, welds, and other turbinecomponents were visually inspected and photographed before the test and any apparent abnormalitiesdocumented. After the required test data is collected, the turbine is lowered an d disassembled forinspection ofall individual components. Routine inspections of both the ARE 442 an d the Gaia-WindII kW before and during the tests have not revealed any abnormalities. Post-test inspections for the GaiaWind II kW or the ARE 442 have not occurred.Duration testing on the Windspire wa s terminated on October 14, 2008. The turbine had experiencedrepeated problems which resulted in a low operational time fraction. These problems inciuded repeatedloose nuts at the base of the turbine. a broken washer at the base of the turbine, broken welds at the top ofthe turbine, airfoil displacement iii the struts, and an inverter failure.

Table 1. Preliminary Duration Resuits for the Gala-Wind 11 kWHours of Power Prociuction Above: Max GusL TI ~ 15 II Data T~ T~ TE TN 0

Month 0 mis 9 m/ s 13.5 mis (mis) mis ) Points (h aurs) (h ou rs) (hou rs) (hour5) )Overall 2704.9 710.6 215.0 41.9 19.0 255 7094 172.5 152.0 624.6 90.8Jun 2008 238.2 36.2 3.8 28.6 18.5 5 518 11.3 7.8 3.3 99.3Jul 256.0 8.5 0.3 23.9 0 744 78.2 2.2 38.8 94.1Aug 115.8 4.5 0.0 19.2 0 744 6.3 20.0 323.0 55.0Sep 120.5 11.7 1.8 22.4 0 720 36.2 30.3 174.7 73.3Oct 236.0 45.0 12.2 32.8 17.3 10 744 0.7 1.3 0.0 100.0Nov 348.0 98.7 22.5 37.0 20.9 40 720 22.1 0.0 0.0 100.0De c 339.7 160.5 54.8 41.4 17.4 68 744 7.9 27.2 32.8 95.4Jan 2009 385.0 155.5 56.0 38.8 19.9 76 744 4.9 32.0 36.5 94.8Feb 333,2 107.3 36.8 41.9 20.0 23 672 3.2 27.0 0.0 100.0Mar 332.5 82.7 26.8 36.7 18.0 33 744 1.7 4.2 15.5 97.9


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Table I shows the preliminary duration resuits for the Gaia-Wind II kW. The turbine accumulated2,704.9 hours oftotal run time with an operational time fraction of 90.8 .The low operational time fraction lbr August and September of 2008 was c au sed by the failure of twocontaetors in the controller. lnvestigations suggest that the 2-pin fiat connectors used to wire thecontactors were poorly connected when installed at Gaia-Winds electrical supplier. Additionally, theGaia-Wind II kW turbine controller originally was designed for a 50-Hz grid, an d it is possible that thecontactors that originally were installed in the controller were underrated for the 60-Hz grid at theNWTC. It now is standard for ali contactors in the controller to be installed with tube connectors for amore secure connection, and ali turbine controllers on a 60-Hz grid are installed with the higher-ratedcontactors. Since the repiacement of the contactor and pin connectors, the turbine has run with a highoperational time fraction.The majority of the other time elassified as TN during the test is attributed to braking-time faults, vibrationerrors, and maintenance. The braking-time faults occurred when the turbine took longer to brake thandesigned; this usually occurred during high winds. Fhe vibration errors are expected to have occurredfrom birds nesting the nacelle. With guidance from Gaia-Wind, NREL installed a screen over the openingin the nacelle to prevent birds from entering. Since the installation of the screen, the turbine has runwithout vibration errors.Table 2 shows the preliminary duration resuits to date for the ARE 442. The ARE 442 has accumulated2,888.8 hours of total run time with an operational time fraction of 91.3 .The low operational time fraetion that occurred in November 2008 was c au sed by failure of the turbinesinsulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGII1s) during a simulated grid fault for safety and function testing.The majority of the remaining time elassified as N during the test is attributed to the over-temperaturean d overvoltage faults that the turbine experienecs in high winds. The diversion loads for the turbine werelocated inside the data shed and did not dissipate heat properly, resulting in temperature faults at highpower production. The diversion Ioads were moved outside of the data shed in February 2009. Since then,the over-temperature faults have been eliminated, however the turbine now is experiencing overvoltagefaults.

Table 2. Preliminary Duration Resuits for the ARE 442Hours of Power P ro du cti on A bo ve : M ax Gust TI @ 15 II Data T T~ T~ T, 0

Month 0 mis 10.2 m/s 15.3 m/s (mis) mis ) Points (hours) (hows) ( ho ur s) (h ou rs ) )Overall 2888.8 520.7 153.0 42.9 18.9 311 5576 102.5 212.0 541.9 91.3Jul 2008 296.0 7.5 0.0 27.8 15.8 3 744 12.5 152.2 0 .0 1 00.0Aug 286.8 9.5 0.0 26.5 16.9 1 744 30.5 4.0 0.0 100.0Sep 217.5 8.8 0,7 23.2 13.8 8 720 49.2 5.3 0.3 100.0Oct 280.5 35.7 6.7 34.0, 16.9 13 744 0.8 5.0 9.1 98.8Nov 156.0 8.2 0.0 34.3~ 19.5 44 720 -0.2 0.3 279.4 61.2Dec 379.2 131.8 41.8 42.9~ 18.2 72 744 1.2 10.2 120.4 83.6Jan 2009 466.5 146.3 44.3 42.9~ 20.0 93 744 0.7 1.8 76.8 89.6Feb 389.3 104.5 46.3 19.7 33 672 4.0 31.7 36.7 94.2Mar 417.0 68.3 13.2 34.9 18.4 44 744 3.8 1.5 19.1 97.4

Turbulence intensity (TI) is the ratio oCthe wind-speed standard deviation to the average wind speed.Turbulence intensity is computed for each lO-minute data set an d averaged to produce the monthly values


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provided in Table I an d Table 2. Che average turbulence intensity at 15 mis for the entire test period was19.0 for the Gaia-Wind II kW a nd 1 8.9 for the ARE 442.Another factor of reliable operation is that the turhine should experience no significant powerdegradation. Each month the average power is plotted for each wind-speed bin an d analyzed for an yobvious trends in power production. Examination of power degradation plots indicated no apparent powerdegradation for the Oaia-Wind II kW or the ARE 442.The dynamic behavior of the turbine is assessed by observing the turbine ina range ofoperatingconditions. The turbine is observed at wind-speed intervals from cut-in wind speed to 20 m s for at leastone hour in total. Tower vibrations, noise, yaw behavior, and tail movement al) are documented in thelogbook and included in the duration-test report. For the ARE 442 the following dynamic observationswere made. During high winds, the rotor operates at yaw errors of between approximately 30 degrees and60 degrees an d the furi movements excite the tower slightly. Overall, it appears that no excessivevibrations are occurring. In winds of between 8 m sand 12 mis the turbine tracks the wind well. For theGaia-Wind II kW, the following dynamic behavior observations were made. The turbine tracks windswell in ali observed wind speeds. No excessive vibration wa s observed. There is a slight audiblethumping noise as blades pass behind the tower.Power Performance TestingPower performance testing is conducted per lEG standard 61400-12-I, Power Performance MeasurementsofElectricity Producing Wind Turbines, referencing Annex H for small wind turbines when appropriate.Products of the test include a measured power curve, a power coefficient (Cv) curve, and an estimation ofannual energy production (AEP).For small turbines, statistical data is collected in -minute sets an d sorted into 0.5-m s-wide wind speedbins. Data collection is complete when the wind speed bins between mis an d 14 m s contain 10 minutesof data each, an d the total database consists of at east 60 relevant hours. Wind speed bins are plottedagainst the corresponding bin power to produce a power curve. Power curves are normalized to sea-levelair density; the site-specific air density at the NW1C is relatively low, 1.0 kglm3. The power coefficient isthe ratio of power generated by the turbine to the power available in the wind.Preliminary power and C~ curves for the Gaia-Wind II kW are displayed in Figure 2. The power curvefor the Gaia-Wind 11 kW shows power measurements that are greater than rated power. Preliminarypower an d Cp curves for the ARI3 442 are displayed in Figure 3; this turbine performed as expected.The original inverter on the Windspire wa s optimized for power performance and failed atter severalmonths of operation. Atter the failure, a production model inverter wa s installed and operated until testingon the Windspire was suspended. l he required arnount of data wa s not collected on either inverter du e tofailures, however the incomplete preliminary power an d C~ curves for both configurations are shown inFigure 4.


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Preliminary Sea-Level Air Density Normalized Power CurveGaia-Wind 11kw16 0.314 Power12 i 0.2510 0.2

0. I6 0.15d

i4 01z 2 0.050-2 00 5 10 15 20

Wind Speed, misFigure 2. Preliminary power and Cp curves for the Gaia-Wind 11 kW

Preliminary Sea Level Air Density Normalized Power CurveARE 442

12 04Power 0.35

10 ThiCp Ii ; .15ii 0.1i2 005

: 00 5 10 15 20

Normalized Wind Speed, misFigure 3. Preliminary power and Cp curves for the AR E 442


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Figure 4. Mariah Power Windspire prel iminary power an d C p curves for the power optimized inverter(Inverter 1) and the prociuction inverter (Inverter 2)Annual energy producilon is estirnated by applying the power curve generated from power performancetesting to a Rayleigh distribution. The AEP is g iven for annual average wind speeds at hub height for4 mis to II mis. The measurements reported below assume no energy production beyond the highestfilled bin in the power performance test. Table 3 shows the preliminary AEP as measured based on powerperformance data for the Gaia-Wind II kW and AR E 442. The AEP is not reported for the Windspirebecause the required amount of data was not collected.

Table 3. Preliminary Measured AEP for the Gaia-Wind ti kW and the ARE 442Hub Height Annual Gaia-Wind 11kw ARE 442

Average Wind Speed(Rayleigh) mis

45678910

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AEP-Measured Standard Uncertainty AEP M ea sured Standard Ijncertainty17,716 1,692 9:6 7,884 1,717 21.832,122 2,093 6.5 15,327 1,948 12.746,292 2,284 4.9 23,516 2,144 9.158,690 2,327 4.0 30,967 2,271 7.368,525 2,285 3.3 36,718 2,325 6.375,474 2,197 2.9 40,459 2,314 5.779,617 2,087 2.6 42,350 2,254 5.381,326 1,966~ 2.4 42,770 2,160 5.1

Safety and Function TestingSafety and function testing is conducted per WC Standard 6 1400-2, section 9.6, and seeks to test theessential functions of the turbine system. However. NREL does not limit testing to the scope of thestandard; other features that are not required by the standard also are inspeeted and tested. For eachturbine, NREL collects data to characterize the turbines power control, rotor-speed control, behaviorupon loss of bad normal start-tip. normal shutdown, and emergency shutdown. Additionally NREL

Preliminary Sea-Level Air Density Normalized Power CurveMariah Power WindspireInverter i PowerInverter 2 PowerInvorter I CpInverter 2 Cp

1.61.41.2

1~0.8

0.20

0.25

0.20

0.15

0.10

0.05

0.00

2

0 2 4 6 8 10 12Wind Speed, mis14 16

7


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performs turbine specific tests to verify the turbine controllers function and predicted behavior. Althoughsafety and fbnction testing examines the essential functions of the turbine, ii does not certit5 whether aturbine is safe to operate. Table 4 shows the preliminary safety and funetion data summary for the GalaWind II k W. The turbine perlbrmed as designed with one exception. When the turbine was siwi downmanually using the disconnect switch and then was restarted, an over-speed error was present on thecontroller. The error had to be reset before the turbine could be started again.

Table 4. Preliminary Safety and Funct ion Test Summary for the Gaia-Wind 11 kWTest Method Comment Complieswith DesignPower control Turbine controis power output per design YesRotor speed control Turbine controls r pr n t o 6 1, per design YesNormal start-up Turbine starts after several motor pulses in design wind speed and above, Partiallyand below cut-out; over-speed error on start-up after manual shutdownNormal shutdown Turbine shuts down normally in winds Iess than cut-in and greater than Vescut-outEmergency stop Turbine stops within 2 to seconds of pressing emergency stop button YesLoss ofgrid Turbine brakes immediately and stops within 2 to 3 seconds of bad loss YesUndervoltage / ln an overvoltage simulation the turbine brakes immediately YesovervoitageHigh wind speed Turbine stops in winds greater than 25 mis and waits for start-up per Vesshutdown the designRotor overspeed Turbine brakes immediately in simulated 10 overspeed and deploys tip Yesbrakes at 15 simubated overspeedGenerator overcharge Turbine brakes immediate ly in simulated generator overcharge YesExcessive vibration Vibration error registers on turbine controller after activating vibration YessensorCable twist Cable-iwist error registers on turbine controller after lifting cable-twist arm Yes

Table 5 shows the preliminary safety and function resuits for the AR E 442. The turbines two diversionIoads originally were installed inside of the data shed per the manufacturers design. They later weremoved to an enciosure outside otthe data shed, arter it was determined that their placement was causingrepeated over-temperature faults. When the diversion Ioads were installed in th e data shed, the overtemperature faults would occur iii high-wind conditions as heat built up inside the data shed.Temperatures measured near the turbines sensors indicated that the turbine shut down near or below itsset point.

Table 5. Prelin~inary Safety and Function Test Summary for the ARE 442Test Method CommentPower control Power is limited by the capacity of the inverters, these max out at Ves12kW; after that, power is diverted to the diversion boadsRotor speed control Test pendingYaw control The turbine tracks the wind under ali conditions; due to the furi Yesmechanism, the rotor almost always has a yaw errorNormal s tart-up Turbine starts in any winds ranging from cut-in to 25 mis VesEmergency stop Turbine stops when stop button is pushed on the voltage damp, this Yes

has been tested tora wide range of wind speeds8


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Loss ofgrid Disconnecting the grid causes an immediate shutdown; in two events Partiallywhere a grid outage occurred in high-wind conditions, the IGBTs in thevoltage damp failed, although the turbine still shut downOvervoltage fault In high winds the turbine currently experiences the overvoltage fault, Yes

demonstrating that this feature worksOver-temperature fault Temperatures measured near the turbines sensors indicate that the Yesturbine shuts down near or below its set points

Table 6 shows the partial prelirninary safety and function test summary for the Windspire. Completesafety and function t es t data was not col lected for the Windspire before testing was terminated due toturbine problems.

Table 6. Preliminary Safety and Function Tes t Summary for the WindspireT tM Vi d C t Compliess e 0 ommen with DesignPower control Turbine controls power output per design YesRotor speed control Turbine controls rpm per design VesNormal start-up The turbine starts normally; it experiences two resonance modes at Yesapproximately 60 mm and 300 mmNormal shutdown The turbine shuts down normally as winds drop below cut-out, Yeshowever it maintain a low rpm 310) when braked; the turbine wasnot designed to shut down in high windsEmergency stop Turbine stops within 2 to 3 seconds of opening the disconnect YesswitchLoss of gud Turbine stops within 2 to 3 seconds of bad loss YesRotor over speed Data was not collected for this test UnknownOvervoltage/undervoltage Data was not collected for this test Unknown

Power QualityIEC standard 61400-21 for power quality is defined for three-phase turbines and only is required formedium- or high-voltage systems. Power quality testing only will be performed for the Gaia-Wind II kWand the Entegrity EW5O because they both are three-phase systems. Measurements inelude reactivepower, tlicker, voltage fluctuations. and harmonics. At the time of this writing, there was no dataavailable for either turbine.Noise TestingIEC standard 61400-11 does not contain information specific to smal l wind turbines, however, they willbe addressed specifically in the revision. The noise test characterizes emissions from a turbine in terms ofsound power level, one-third octave levels, and tonality. For smal l wind turbines the IEC standard isfollowed with some modifications. Ten-second averages are used instead of 1-minute averages to bettercharacterize the more-dynamic nature of small wind turbines. Also, to determine the sound pressure levelsat the integer wind speeds, binning data is used instead of regression analysis. At the time ofthis writing,there were no results available for noise testing.


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Consumer PerspectiveThe TN value from the duration test gives the consumer an idea of how much downtime to expect from aturbine per year based on maintenance and faults. The operational t ime fraction for the Gaia-Wind II kWwas 90.8 for the entire test period. Based on this number, the typical consumer could expeet the turbineto be available to produce power 90.8c of the time. Although the actual time that the turbine is faultedcan vary, NREL suspeets that ii might be Iess than reported here because the primary contributor todowntimethe failed contaetors appears to have been neutralized.Because the downtime for the ARE occurs mostly in high winds, the operational time fraction ofaparticular turbine depends on the wind-speed distribution. Additionally the furi mechanism couldfunction differently in greater air densities, which also could affeet the operational time fraction.The average annual energy usage per household is approximately 11,000 kWh and the average energyusage per commercial establishment is approximately 77,000 kWh (Energy Information Administration2009). Figure 5 shows the average annual energy used by consumers compared with the AEP estimated atan average hub-height wind speed of 6 mis for the ARE 442 and Gala-Wind II kW.

AEP at 6 mis Average Hub Height80000700006000050000 Avg Commerical40000 Gaia-Wind 11 RWARE44230000 Avg Residential2000010000

0

Figure 5. Average annual energy used by consumers compared with annual energy produetion at ahub-height wind speed of 6 misRegional Tes t CentersIn the fall of 2008, the NWTC held a small wind testing workshop for perspective te st s ite s. B as ed on theresponse generated at the meeting. the NWTC began developing the concept of regional test centers.NREL plans to conduct a competitive solicitation to select test centers that want to develop small turbinetesting capabilities. NREL will partially fund the test centers an d will provide technical support.


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The Future of Independent TestingAt the time ofihis writing, proposals had been received and reviewed for the second solicitation ofindependent testing. It is expected that installation will begin on these turbines during the fall of 2009.Testing on the AR E 442 and the Gaia-Wind II kW is expected to continue through the spring of 2009and possibly beyond. Testing on the Entegrity EW5O is expected to continue through the spring of 2010.ReferencesEnergy Information Administration (January 2009). Table 5. U.S. Average Monthly Bill by Sector,Census Division, and State 2007. Official energy statistics. U.S. Department of Energy,I1ttp;/fw\vw.eia.doezov;cncaielut1ncIi\~csr;wNc l lrnI. Accessed April 9,2009.

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