People are hungry for wind technology
The Ottawa Citizen
May 10, 2008
www.canada.com
By Patrick Langston
There haven't been any jokes about windy Jim Ireton, but someone's bound to make one soon. Mr. Ireton is the chatty general manager and co-owner of Rideau Home Hardware Building Centre in Smiths Falls, where a new Skystream 3.7 windmill is shunting electricity to the store faster than you can say kilowatts.
The tri-blade unit kicked into operation on Earth Day, April 22. Mounted on a single pole buried in a block of concrete, it stretches a modest 33 feet into the air and turns automatically to catch the wind. "It's a great revolving billboard," laughs Mr. Ireton. You'll soon be able to monitor its performance on the store's website (www.rideaulumber.com).
The windmill begins producing power when the wind hits 8 miles an hour. At 20 m.p.h., it generates 1.8 kW, while peak production is 2.4 kW. Homeowners in a good wind area can shave 25 to 30 per cent off their electricity bill with a similar windmill, he estimates.
This is one smart piece of machinery. When the wind hits 35 m.p.h., the machine's on-board computer slams on the brakes so the blades don't exceed their safe turning speed. The windmill then tests the situation by restarting automatically and stopping again if it's still too blustery. Eventually, it shuts down entirely, awaiting a manual flip of the switch to restart.
The Skystream 3.7 costs about $15,000 installed (the store will arrange the installation). That's a chunk of change, but "we're saying for now that it has a payback period of 12 to 15 years," says Mr. Ireton. And that's at today's unrealistically low electricity rates. The Ontario government, ever-proactive on the green front, rebates the provincial sales tax on your windmill. Not to be outdone, the federal government offers nothing.
Mr. Ireton has signed on to a grid-tied net metering arrangement with Hydro One. That means that if his windmill generates more power than the store is using, the excess is fed into the grid and Hydro gives him a credit. When the store needs more power than the unit is generating, it draws on the grid. Mr. Ireton will have a clearer idea of how the give-and-take is working after a year.
Battery systems are also available to store excess energy. They'll power an average house for a couple of days and cost about $10,000.
Folks are already asking about Mr. Ireton's new toy. "People are hungry for the technology, even if they're not ready to spend on it yet." He's also had a few people lean on the store counter to say, "Hey, the windmill's not turning." "No," he's replied, "the wind's not blowing.' "
You won't see these windmills marching across suburbia. Suited to rural subdivisions and country properties, they are recommended for lots of at least half-an-acre with no tall structures nearby. The towers range up to 110 feet. He had no problem getting a municipal permit, and one of his neighbours even told him she thought it was a good idea.
If you are considering a windmill, but are uncertain about the reliability of the breezes where you live, then he will install a wind monitoring system for a year. It costs $1,000, with a $500 rebate if you purchase a windmill.
He sells other energy efficiency products including EnerWorks solar hot water systems. With their fast payback and relatively low cost, he says solar hot water systems should be your first line of defence against soaring energy prices and greenhouse gas emissions.
The systems run about $6,000, but a blend of federal and provincial rebates shrinks that to $5,000. You'll need to have an easily arranged energy audit to qualify for the rebate.
Like the windmills, you'll find specifics on the system at the store's website. Mr. Ireton has also posted his own experience with the EnerWorks system on the site. He installed one two years ago in his home and is now saving $57 a month in energy costs. Payback for the average household is about seven years.
Mr. Ireton sold a dozen of the systems last year. "People are asking, 'What can we do to reduce our costs?' There's a real interest in preserving the environment." |
