Wind power cuts costs
Detroit Free Press
April 13, 2008
www.freep.com
By James Dulley
Dear Jim: I am tired of my high electric bills and consuming so much fossil fuel (coal, gas and oil). I like the idea of using a small windmill to produce my own electricity. What are the options for a house? -- Paul M.
Dear Paul: There are many options for using wind power to generate your own electricity. The first step is to contact your local weather service to check on the average wind speed in your area. Various wind turbine sizes and designs begin producing electricity at different minimum wind speeds.
Knowing the average and wind speed ranges, you can estimate how much electricity a given system will produce. Keep in mind, wind speeds on a specific lot can vary significantly from regional averages depending on its topography. Consider renting a wind-speed meter for an extended test period.
Other than the fossil fuels used for the initial production of the wind turbine equipment, its delivery to and erection at your home, it is a completely clean, green source of electricity. Since the wind currents across the Earth are created by the sun's uneven heating, wind energy is an indirect form of solar energy.
The best wind-turbine option depends upon your specific energy needs. Ones as small as 400-watt output can provide supplemental electricity for a specific appliance or application. Large ones, by residential standards, produce 10 kilowatts, enough for an entire house.
To give you an idea of size, a 400-watt wind turbine uses about a 4-foot-diameter rotor. A 900-watt turbine uses a 7-foot turbine. A 10,000-watt turbine uses a 23-foot turbine and is mounted on a tower often more than 100 feet tall. Before buying any wind turbine system, check your local building codes for the maximum allowable tower height.
When installing a small wind turbine, less than one kilowatt, an off-grid design is best. This means its output wiring is not connected to the grid from the utility company. It is often used to charge batteries for energy storage. An inverter converts the stored electricity to alternating 120-volt current to power an electric appliance.
For a somewhat larger wind turbine (up to two kilowatts) which you plan to use to power your entire house, it should be set up as a grid-tie system. When your house requires more electricity than the wind turbine produces, your house draws electricity from the utility company. The Windstream, by Southwest Windpower, has the grid-tie control built into the wind turbine.
If the wind turbine produces more electricity than you use, it may run your electric meter backwards (net-metering) and feed the power back to the utility company. Check with your utility company to see if they offer net-metering. Also your utility company or state may offer a credit for installing a wind-turbine system.
The following companies offer residential windmills: Abundant Renewable Energy, 503-538-8298, www.abundantre.com; Bergey Windpower, 405-364-4212, www.bergey.com; Southwest Windpower, 928-779-9463, www.windenergy.com; Solar Wind Works, 877-682-4503, www.solarwindworks.com, and Wind Turbine Industries, 952-447-6064, www.windturbine.net. |
