Backyard Wind Turbines
GreenStrides.com (Blog)
December 4, 2008
www.greenstrides.com
By Joyce Benson
The government wants you to generate clean, green power! This past October, a 30% federal tax credit (not to exceed $4,000) was signed into law that makes the cost of installing a small wind system more affordable for owners of homes, businesses and farms. Many U.S. states have rebate or tax credit programs in place to encourage small wind (and other renewable energy) applications. You can reduce your carbon footprint by generating your own power with the following backyard wind turbines. These are not only really cool, but quiet and relatively affordable, as well.
The 1.2 killowatt Windspire (pictured above), by Nevada-based Mariah Power, can provide 25-30% of a home’s electricity needs and costs around $5,000 before the tax credit. The 30 ft high and 2 ft wide wind turbine is bird- and bat-friendly. It requires an average wind speed of 12 mph and may be suitable for some locations with an average wind speed of only 10 mph. It’s featured in Popular Science’s December issue as a winner of its “Best of What’s New ‘08″ Green Tech category. A 3 kW system, which will be 2 feet wider in diameter, is in the works and is expected to provide 100% of an average home’s electricity.
The 1kW ECO1200, by Canadian company Windterra Systems, is another vertical axis wind turbine, but this one is roof-mounted and suitable for both rural and urban locations. This system is roughly 8′x8′ and weighs 400 lbs. With an average wind speed of 14 mph, the annual production of the ECO1200 is 2400 kW, and with an average wind speed of 16 MPH the annual production is 3150 kW. The average household uses about 10,000 kw per year. The cost runs between $8,900-10,200.
Helix Wind currently offers two turbines that qualify for the investment tax credit. They produce power in wind speeds of 8-35 mph and are safe for birds and bats. The Helix S322, suitable for residential applications, is a 2.5kW unit that stands 10 feet tall (including the mounting pole) and is 4 feet in diameter. The Helix S594 is a 5kW rated unit, twice as tall as the S322, and is suitable for residential and commercial purposes. Helix Wind has a good explanation of the new tax credit here. Cost of these systems is $3,000-5,000 per kilowatt for a grid-connected installation.
The Energy Ball by Dutch company Home Energy offers two models: the V100 (43” in diameter, 0.5 kW capacity) is around $3690; and the V200 (78” in diameter, 2.5 kW capacity) is around $6900, not including mounting materials. The V200 can supplement up to 50% of an average household’s electricity needs.
If the ocean’s your backyard, then the $600-$700 Air Breeze by Arizona-based Southwest Windpower may be perfect, although I’m not sure how safe it is for birds. Ideal for off-grid land locations and even 20-45’ sailboats, this small wind turbine needs an average wind speed of only 12mph. The rotor diameter is 46″ and weighs only 13 pounds. An average wind speed of 12mph is needed to generate power.
Michigan’s Cascade Engineering recently announced its offering of its 1.5 kW Swift Rooftop Wind Energy System for residential and commercial applications. This system, suitable for both urban and suburban locations, will generate about 20% of an average home’s electricity needs and runs about $10,000-$12,000.
Visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) for both state and federal tax incentives and the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) for more information on wind power.
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