Southwest Windpower - Renewable Energy Made Simple

Answer blowing in wind for Gulf Shores restaurant

Pensacola News Journal (AL)
October 4, 2008
www.pnj.com
By Wendy Campbell

LuLu's at Homeport Marina in Gulf Shores, Ala., is known for great food, fun and drinks — served with a waterfront view.

Now it's serving up a little "green" on the side.

The restaurant is the new home to a 45-foot wind turbine to power its outdoor bar and kitchen, the Bama Breeze. It's expected the turbine will shave 25 percent to 40 percent off annual energy costs.

"It's really cool when you think about it," said Johnny Fisher, general manager. "Now, the Bama Breeze will be powered by a Bama breeze. It's all in the wind."

It is believed that Lulu's is the first restaurant in the area to take advantage of wind turbine energy.

It's just one of several steps Lulu's has taken recently to become more environmentally friendly.

"The first thing we did was we started to serve all natural grain-fed beef," Fisher said. "All of the cows are raised in Alabama. This way, the beef doesn't have to go very far before it comes to us. This helps to conserve gasoline or oil in transportation. And, since the cattle are all fed from natural grains, it makes for better hamburgers. This is important to us since we serve on average around 100,000 cheeseburgers a year."

The popular eatery also switched from traditional plastic cups to cups made from corn, and it recycles its cardboard. Fisher said the restaurant has been working for several months to reduce its oil dependency.

"If we all do our part to recycle and choose better ways to preserve our environment, we will all see the benefits," Fisher said. "By recycling and conserving our energy, we can help keep the Alabama Gulf Coast one of the most beautiful places to live."

The wind turbine operates 24 hours a day by generating power whenever winds reach 8 mph or greater.

"If the wind isn't blowing at all, energy will be pulled from the traditional utility source," Fisher said. "But, what's great is when the wind is high and consumption is low, the meter will spin backwards and that power will be recorded as a credit to us on our (power) bill."

The wind turbine was relatively easy to install, according to Robert Harris, representative and manager of Skystream, the turbine manufacturer.

"It may look complicated when all of the pieces are laid out on the ground, but actually it's fairly simple to install. Basically, it's like plugging in an appliance. First, you bolt the blades in place and then a crane is used to lift the tower into place. Then, after everything is secure, you flip a switch."

Fisher said the idea of getting a wind turbine for LuLu's came from a trip to a ski resort in the mountains of upstate New York.

"The entire mountain area was powered by a wind mill. It was unbelievable. I thought, wouldn't it be great if we could power LuLu's with a wind device, such as a wind mill or wind turbine."

Another benefit: The wind turbine serves as a landmark while making a statement.

"We want everyone to know that even fun is a sustainable resource," he said.