AM and FM Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report Posey Solar Prepared on Behalf of Posey Solar LLC March 15, 2021 Posey Solar LLC Solar Power GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report Posey Solar Table of Contents 1. Introduction - 1 - 2. Summary of Results - 1 - 3. Impact Assessment - 5 - 4. Recommendations - 6 - 5. Contact - 6 - Comsearch Proprietary - 0 - March 15, 2021 Posey Solar LLC Solar Power GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report Posey Solar 1. Introduction Posey Solar LLC is proposing to construct and place in utility service the Posey Solar Project, an electric generation facility located in Posey County, Indiana. The facility will generate electricity using silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules fixed to single axis solar trackers. It will have an installed capacity of up to 300 MW ac (380 MW dc). Comsearch analyzed AM and FM radio broadcast stations whose service could potentially be affected by the Posey Solar Project. 2. Summary of Results AM Radio Analysis Comsearch found fifteen database records1 for AM stations within approximately 30 kilometers of the project area (AOI) for the solar farm, as shown in Table 1 and Figure 1. The closest station to the AOI is WSWI, licensed in Evansville, Indiana, and located 6.37 km to the east of the AOI. Transmit Frequency Operation Latitude Longitude Distance to ID Call Sign Status2 ERP3 (kHz) Time (NAD 83) (NAD 83) AOI (km) (kW) 1 WSWI LIC 820 0.25 Daytime 37.964764 -87.668352 6.37 2 WRCY LIC 1590 0.5 Daytime 37.934211 -87.928361 9.92 3 WRCY LIC 1590 0.035 Nighttime 37.934211 -87.928361 9.92 4 WEOA LIC 1400 1.0 Daytime 37.938098 -87.527791 17.14 5 WEOA LIC 1400 1.0 Nighttime 37.938098 -87.527791 17.14 6 WBGW LIC 1330 5.0 Daytime 38.052543 -87.595296 17.80 7 WBGW LIC 1330 1.0 Nighttime 38.052543 -87.595296 17.80 8 WSON LIC 860 0.5 Daytime 37.853098 -87.536678 17.91 9 WSON LIC 860 0.5 Nighttime 37.853098 -87.536678 17.91 10 WGBF LIC 1280 5.0 Daytime 37.995876 -87.476679 22.95 11 WGBF LIC 1280 1.0 Nighttime 37.995876 -87.476679 22.95 12 WGAB LIC 1180 0.67 Daytime 37.954488 -87.418621 26.88 13 WGAB LIC 1180 0.001 Nighttime 37.954488 -87.418621 26.88 14 WUCO LIC 1550 0.145 Daytime 37.667822 -87.929470 29.39 15 WUCO LIC 1550 0.006 Nighttime 37.667822 -87.929470 29.39 Table 1: AM Radio Stations within 30 Kilometers of Solar Farm 1 Comsearch makes no warranty as to the accuracy of the data included in this report beyond the date of the report. The data presented in this report is derived from the AM/FM station’s FCC license and governed by Comsearch’s data license notification and agreement located at http://www.comsearch.com/files/data_license.pdf. 2 LIC = Licensed and operational station; APP = Application for construction permit; CP=Construction permit granted; CP MOD = Modification of construction permit. 3 ERP = Transmit Effective Radiated Power. Comsearch Proprietary - 1 - March 15, 2021 Posey Solar LLC Solar Power GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report Posey Solar Figure 1: AM Radio Stations within 30 Kilometers of Solar Farm Comsearch Proprietary - 2 - March 15, 2021 Posey Solar LLC Solar Power GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report Posey Solar FM Radio Analysis Comsearch determined that there were thirty-two database records for FM stations within 30 kilometers of the solar farm, as listed in Table 2. Twenty-eight of these stations are currently licensed and operating, three of which are low power stations, three are auxiliary (backup) stations and eleven are translator stations that broadcast with limited range. The closest stations to the project, WSDM and WYFX, are licensed out of Wadesville and Mount Vernon, Indiana respectively. They are located 9.76 km to the west of the project AOI. Transmit Frequency Latitude Longitude Distance to ID Call Sign Status4 Service5 ERP6 (MHz) (NAD 83) (NAD 83) AOI (km) (kW) 1 WSDM LIC FM 90.1 37.934222 -87.926417 9.76 2 WYFX LIC FM 106.7 3.0 37.934194 -87.926417 9.76 3 W239CI LIC FX 95.7 0.25 37.988278 -87.597333 12.99 4 WIKY-FM LIC FM 104.1 39.0 37.989194 -87.596667 13.10 5 WABX LIC FM 107.5 2.0 37.989194 -87.596667 13.10 6 W253BF LIC FX 98.5 0.12 37.988667 -87.594750 13.21 7 WJWA LIC FM 91.5 0.5 37.888111 -87.543611 16.08 8 W220DV LIC FX 91.9 0.25 37.888111 -87.543611 16.08 9 W243CU LIC FX 96.5 0.25 37.888111 -87.543611 16.08 10 W261CW LIC FX 100.1 0.043 37.888111 -87.543611 16.08 11 WKDQ LIC FM 99.5 100.0 37.882556 -87.541111 16.44 12 WKDQ LIC FS 99.5 13.0 37.882556 -87.541111 16.44 13 WDKS LIC FM 106.1 6.0 37.882556 -87.541111 16.44 14 WPSR LIC FM 90.7 14.0 38.028944 -87.579750 16.90 15 W264DM CP FX 100.7 0.25 37.938083 -87.527778 17.14 16 W264DM CP FX 100.7 0.25 37.938083 -87.527778 17.14 17 WGBF-FM LIC FM 103.1 3.2 37.781722 -87.623694 17.23 18 WGBF-FM LIC FS 103.1 3.5 37.781722 -87.623333 17.25 19 WJWA CP FM 91.5 6.1 37.971556 -87.531694 17.51 20 WKVN LIC FM 95.3 25.0 37.777278 -87.623917 17.61 21 WIAH-LP LIC FL 103.5 0.095 38.036694 -87.574167 17.83 22 W300ED CP FX 107.9 0.25 37.853111 -87.536667 17.91 23 WJLT LIC FM 105.3 50.0 38.079222 -87.610028 18.74 24 WCFY-LP LIC FL 99.1 0.1 38.050806 -87.499278 24.00 25 WEUC LIC FM 88.7 37.735861 -87.995861 26.35 26 W211BJ LIC FX 90.1 0.038 38.167806 -88.029472 26.70 4 LIC = Licensed and operational station; APP = Application for construction permit; CP=Construction permit granted; CP MOD = Modification of construction permit. 5 FM = FM broadcast station; FX = FM translator station; FL = Low-power FM station; FS = FM auxiliary (backup) station; FB = FM booster station. 6 ERP = Transmit Effective Radiated Power. Comsearch Proprietary - 3 - March 15, 2021 Posey Solar LLC Solar Power GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report Posey Solar Transmit Frequency Latitude Longitude Distance to ID Call Sign Status4 Service5 ERP6 (MHz) (NAD 83) (NAD 83) AOI (km) (kW) 27 W226CB LIC FX 93.1 0.25 37.954500 -87.418611 26.88 28 WBFW LIC FM 94.5 5.4 37.737333 -88.016472 27.40 29 WYIR-LP LIC FL 96.9 0.058 38.055306 -87.441667 28.54 30 WREF LIC FM 97.7 11.5 37.711444 -87.528611 28.57 31 WMSK-FM LIC FM 101.3 5.4 37.667833 -87.929472 29.39 32 W299CH LIC FX 107.7 0.25 37.667833 -87.929472 29.39 Table 2: FM Radio Stations within 30 Kilometers of Solar Farm Figure 2: FM Radio Stations within 30 Kilometers of Solar Farm Comsearch Proprietary - 4 - March 15, 2021 Posey Solar LLC Solar Power GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report Posey Solar 3. Impact Assessment The exclusion distance for AM broadcast stations varies as a function of the antenna type and broadcast frequency. For directional antennas, the exclusion distance is calculated by taking the lesser of 10 wavelengths or 3 kilometers. For non-directional antennas, the exclusion distance is simply equal to 1 wavelength. Potential problems with AM broadcast coverage are only anticipated when AM broadcast stations are located within their respective exclusion distance limit from the solar farm. The closest AM station to the project area is WSWI which is located at a separation distance of approximately 6.37 kilometers. Since there were no stations found within 3 kilometers of the project, which is the maximum possible exclusion distance based on a directional AM antenna broadcasting at 1000 KHz or less, the project should not impact the coverage of local AM stations. The coverage of FM stations is generally not susceptible to interference caused by large objects, such as solar farms, especially when they are sited in the far-field region of the radiating FM antenna. However, at distances less than 1.5 km, distorting the antenna’s radiation pattern could become a risk factor due to structures being placed in the proximity of the antenna (near-field). The nearest operational FM stations to the Posey Solar Project, WSDM and WYFX, are located 9.76 km from the AOI and as such, should not be subject to interference. The remaining FM stations identified in Table 2 would all be greater than 12.99 km away from the solar farm and therefore outside the range of potential impact, as shown in Figure 2. Unlike AM and FM stations which transmit signals and thus require an exclusion distance in order to avoid distorting the radiation pattern of their broadcast antenna, radio units receive the signals and thus are susceptible to potential reception issues due to electromagnetic interference (EMI). Electromagnetic interference from a solar farm is caused by an induction field, which is created by the AC electrical power and harmonics at the inverter of the Power Conversion Stations (PCS) located throughout the facility.