Wind Turbine Developments for the Individual Homeowner
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 08.19.06
If you have been looking for a good, concise education on wind turbines for everyman, you should check out the August 15 edition of the Wall Street Journal. In an article titled "A Novel Way to Reduce Home Energy Bills: Smaller, Quieter Wind Turbines Reduce Reliance on Power Grid, But Cost and Aesthetics Are Issues", Sara Schaeffer Munoz covers the territory. Reporting that the American Wind Energy Association estimates sales of "small wind*" devices are up 62% since 2004 (in the USA) in the wake of increasing subsidies from State and local levels, the article also mentions some of the obstacles awaiting the eager harvester of the wind. Most usefully, the article points out several leaders in the market, covering the price/performance range.
First the obstacles: Most wind power systems are subject to permitting. In addition to the simple bureaucracy, objections from neighbors can be triggered by aesthetics, property value concerns, fear of toppling towers and the bird kill eco-myth, delaying installation plans for months.
Some of the turbines manufacturers mentioned by WSJ you have seen here first. For the economy budget, the Skystream 3.7 features improved performance in light winds and can provide 1.8 kw for a starting price of $8500, installed. TH has mention the 1 kW Bergey a couple of times, but WSJ features the Bergey BWC Excel 10kW system, $45,000 to $60,000 installed, but capable of supporting an efficient household and using airfoil technology which is effective in winds as low as 9 mph. At the top end of the range, also providing 10 kW nameplate generating capacity is the ARE442 from Abundant Renewable Energy, costing up to $80,000 installed. For more links and leads, and a pic of a roof-top turbine that's just plain cool, check out the TH piece Wind Turbines on the Edge.
The bottom line: if you have at least half an acre of land, wind speeds of at least 10 mph and an electric bill of at least $60/month, you might be a candidate for your own wind power installation. If you live in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio or Wisconsin, your payback time will have the advantage of a nice subsidy (up to 50%) off of your investment.
*"Small wind": the market for turbines rated at under 100kW, although the vast majority of home systems are under 10 kW.
Via Wall Street Journal (by subscription or per article fee)
Picture via ::Skystream
Does anyone have a link to the article?
An interesting development. I'll have to keep an eye on it.
Matt
eclectic itchings
I found a link via Google
The WSJ Article
I was very reasured by your post suggesting that wind power is not responsible for excessive bird deaths. But one of the main points is that larger turbines kill fewer birds. If many people installed these small turbines, might that increase the mortality rates?
Wind turbines do not kill birds. My 1 kW Bergey XL which is 15 meters up in the air can reach extremely fast blade rotation speeds, and I happen to live in a mountain-valley area where this tends to occur a lot. I have never had any bird crash into my turbine - not even close. My turbine is located toward the front of my house where I can see it from the living room, dining room, and kitchen. I watch my wind generator spinning often (a form of relaxation) and I have never observed anything that would lead me in the slightest to think ANY bird could EVER be harmed by it. Based on my personal observations and the knowledge I have of wind generators, I am utterly bewildered that any bird would have an accident with a turbine. I would suspect that any bird colliding into a wind generator would need to have some kind of physical or mental problem.
Man, I was so disappointed when I evaluated my frequently windy urban site a few years ago and realized that "small wind" just wasn't going to work for me. I was so enchanted with the idea of that sleek modern propeller spinning out the watts - the nastier the weather, the better.
But I would have needed a big big tower given all the trees around me. Too much engineering... it was going to take forever to pay itself back. I ended up just purchasing "green power" from the local power company. It took 10 minutes. Maybe it costs me $10 more per month. I'd recommend it.
But back to the strange complex everybody has about wind power killing birds. Is there some expectation that wind power is supposed to be perfect? That alternative energy sources are supposed to have no effect at all? Please, let's acknowledge that anything you build out there is going to have SOME effect on its surroundings and the local species, human or otherwise. Then we can talk intelligently about how big those effects are, and which direction we'd really like to take things. "This alternative isn't perfect! Let's stick with the same lame stuff we've got!" should be an attitude reserved for the recording industry. :)
Glass windows kill immeasurably more birds than wind turbines every year, but no one makes a fuss about that.
Until people start campaigning against glass windows they should keep quite about wind turbines.
I live in a four story, 18 unit co-op in Brooklyn and I have been researching getting wind and solar energy for the building. We live on the top floor and the other top floor owners are interested in proceeding with getting some type of alternative energy going on our roof.
From what I have found, in an urban area like New York, where wind comes from many directions, typical propeller turbines are not that efficient. Vertical turbines are better suited to these environments. There hasn't been as much coverage of vertical turbines, but they fit the bill.
I have just been collecting information, but it seems that a majority of the vertical turbine tech is coming from Europe. Aerotecture International is based in the US, but isn't up to mass production yet. Can Treehugger (or anyone else that might see this) do a piece on vertical turbines in urban environments?
Brooklynite: check out the Turby at http://www.beyondtomorrow.com.au/stories/ep19/turby.html. It was designed for urban areas.
I also live in Brooklyn, but on the 9th floor of a 16 story tower. I have a north-facing balcony that gets some serious wind that I was hoping I could make use of. I don't have any vertical space, though. Any recommendations?