Small Wind Set To Explode?

Small wind is poised to get a significant boost from President Barack Obama and his $787 billion economic stimulus package. Obama and others have been advocating that the energy crisis and economic crisis may have a common solution: start utilizing alternative energy sources with made in the USA technologies.

Included in the package is a 30 percent investment tax credit for consumers who purchase small wind turbines to power their homes and/or small businesses. This will encourage increased investment in the small wind technologies which are almost exclusively manufacturered in the US.

An atricle in CNN recently cited industry experts who are extremely optimistic about these latest developments.

From the article:

Even amid a recession, this tax credit "is going to blow the top off the market," said Ron Stimmel, a "small-wind" advocate with the American Wind Energy Association.

The association predicts the federal subsidy could help the small-turbine market grow by 40 to 50 percent annually, a boost that would parallel the growth of the U.S. solar photovoltaic industry after a similar 2005 initiative.

Background

Small wind is defined as any turbine that generates 100 kWh of electricity or less. The amount of electricity is generally tied to the wind speed and the size of the the turbine blades. An example in the article from CNN stated that a 10 kW turbine in a location with decent wind speeds could supply enough electricity to power an average American home.

Just to give a rough idea of the costs involved, a 10 kW turbine is currently available on Amazon.com for $23,902.00. There would be additional costs to get this up and running if you require the assistance of a professional installer, but let's assume you're going to install it yourself. The total savings would be $7,170.60 which is a subtantial improvement over the $4000 cap that was in place before the tax credit was expanded.

Key Points

• 30% tax credit on all small wind turbines (less than 100 kW)
• credit now applies to installed cost rather than purchase cost as it was defined before
• $2,400 cap per turbine has been removed
• $4,000 total cap has also been removed
• States have also implemented rebates for small wind systems which can be used in addition to the Federal credit.

Resources

SkyStream has a useful FAQ and great overall resources on their site if you need more information: http://www.windenergy.com/news/news_tax_2-09.html.

Here's the link to the full article from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/09/small.wind.turbines/.

Interested in residential wind power? Considered building your own turbine?
You can get started with today with Power4Home.

Residential Wind Power Starting To Take Off

It appears the residential wind power market is heating up. An article posted to the Wind Power Handbook site yesterday titled Red Hot Wind called the market "tiny but red-hot". It also provided some other interesting tidbits.

Wind power advocate Trudy Forsyth is quoted in the article, noting that 26 of the 50 states have incentives or subsidies for home wind and the industry is thriving even though it doesn't have the federal support provided to home solar and big wind. The article cites zoning issues as the biggest reason why we still don't see many residential wind turbines and gives some good advice on how this hurdle can be overcome.

From the article:

If a small wind project is what you are after, you need to rally support early from your friends, neighbors, and local stakeholders. Make sure you do your homework. Understand your zoning laws and get legal help early. Do all you can to engage your utility company in a net metering relationship (make sure that net metering is an option before you even start !). And check out the newest in residential turbine designs.

Wind Power Handbook

The Wind Power Handbook site looks like a great resource for wind advocates who have the daunting task of trying to get community acceptance for large scale wind projects or even for their own home wind turbine.

From the Wind Power Handbook site About page:

This website, and the Wind Project Community Organizing handbook, workshops and consulting services are skill builders for influencing others. The step-by-step approach guides you to develop critical skills in interpersonal communication that will show you how to become more successful in your advocacy activities.

Interested in residential wind power? Considered building your own turbine?
You can get started with today with Power4Home.

How To Get Started With Residential Wind Power

I recently came across a pretty good article on http://www.riverwired.com/blog/residential-wind-power explaining some of the benefits of residential wind power and some steps to getting started.

From the article:

"... wind power will save you money—as much as 50-90 percent on your electric bill! Although wind turbines can cost from $6,000- $22,000, it’s an investment that usually pays for itself in around six to fifteen years. Once the cost of the turbine has been recouped, it's not uncommon to see electric bills of $8- $15 dollars for up to nine months of the year! In addition, wind power is good for the environment—it produces zero pollution, and every kilowatt hour that is powered by wind will offset pollution that would have been generated by your utility company."

The information may not be 100% accurate, but it's a good starting point none the less. There are definitely turbines cheaper than $6,000.00, but they may not be as cost effective as the more expensive ones. The most popular turbine, the Skystream 3.7 Residential Wind Turbine, is in the $12,000.00-$15,000.00 range once installation costs are factored in. Rebates and incentives reduce the purchase price significantly in some areas.

Interested in residential wind power? Considered building your own turbine?
You can get started with today with Power4Home.

Wind Power (Residential) Update

A recent edition of the NY Times provides an update on wind power (residential). The article outlines the progress being made and the contributing factors. One key reason being cited is that the newer turbines can connect directly into the power grid. This eliminates the need for batteries as a backup power source, since homes can take power from the grid when wind speeds drop below optimal levels.

From the article:

"Back in the early days, off-grid electrical generation was pursued mostly by hippies and rednecks, usually in isolated, rural areas," said Joe Schwartz, editor of Home Power magazine. "Now, it’s a lot more mainstream."

"The big shift happened in the last three years," Mr. Schwartz said, because of technology that makes it possible to feed electricity back to the grid, the commercial power system fed by large utilities. "These new systems use the utility for back up power, removing the need for big, expensive battery backup systems."

Wind power in residential settings is definitely becoming more mainstream and exposure from large media outlets like the New York Times is sure to help the cause.

Interested in residential wind power? Considered building your own turbine?
You can get started with today with Power4Home.

Video on Skystream 3.7 Residential Wind Turbine

Here's an instructional video I found on YouTube that explains how the Skystream 3.7 Residential Wind Turbine works. I believe Skystream 3.7 is the most popular of the small wind turbines available in the United States and the cost is in the $12,000-$15,000 USD range once installation is factored in. Rebates and incentives reduce the purchase price significantly in some areas.

Interested in residential wind power? Considered building your own turbine?
You can get started with today with Power4Home.

Hawaii Startup Maui Energy Acquired

An alternative energy startup in Hawaii that specializes in residential wind energy has been purchased. Here's the story from the Honolulu Star Bulletin.

Maui Energy announced recently that it has agreed to be acquired by Colorado based Vista International Inc. Vista, which specializes in converting waste to energy, sees Maui Energy as a way to gain traction in the local renewable energy market. Maui Energy Company is the authorized Southwest Wind Power Distributor in Hawaii and seems to be positioned well in a state where residential wind energy has huge potential.

There are 3 reasons why residential wind should work in Hawaii: the cost of energy is high, the wind speeds are high and the local government is very supportive of green initiatives. Hawaii offers an income tax credit allowing individuals and corporations a credit of 20 percent of the cost of equipment and assembly of a residential or non-residential wind energy system to be applied in the year the system was purchased and placed in operation. Southwest claims that it's Skystream 3.7 residential wind turbine can pay for itself in less that 4 years in this environment.

The only stumbling block for small wind in Hawaii may be in the permits required, but this is something that Caires has been working on. He expects that the permits will go through and the installations of the residential wind turbines will begin on Maui sometime in the next few months. Expansion to neighbor islands will follow.

"The small-scale wind turbine systems going to accelerate in the market here in Hawaii," he said. "The market has not been penetrated."

Related links:
Hawaii Wind Maps
Small Wind in Hawaii

Interested in residential wind power? Considered building your own turbine?
You can get started with today with Power4Home.

Residential Wind Power Getting Some Positive Buzz

It seems residential wind power is finally getting some positive buzz after receiving mostly negative press in recent months. This week, both The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal have published articles casting small wind in a very positive light.

In the article: Homespun Electricity, From the Wind, published yesterday (December 13, 2007) in The New York Times, writer Kristina Shevory profiles a number of success stories. One explains how Rena Wilson Jones and her husband took advantage of the high winds blowing through their property near Urbana, Illinois by erecting a 56-foot wind turbine.

It was spinning by early September, and their electricity bills dropped sharply, from $90 to $10 for November, one of the windier months.

The article also goes into some detail about the growth of the industry in recent years and the reasons for it before touching on some of the hurdles that have yet to be overcome.

In The Wall Street Journal, a day earlier (December 12, 2007)), there was a front page story titled A Young Tinkerer Builds a Windmill, Electrifying a Nation.

This is the story of William Kamkwamba and it is truly inspirational. William is becoming a bit of an international celebrity for the ingenuity and determination he has shown while building three windmills to generate electricity for his home and village in Malawi. To see the impact wind power can and is having in some poorer parts of the world, check out William's blog and his interview that started his rise from obscurity. This is an amazing young man.

UPDATE: On April 15, 2008, another Wind Power (Residential) Update appeared in The New York Times.

Interested in residential wind power? Considered building your own turbine?
You can get started with today with Power4Home.

Residential Wind Turbines Not Ready Claims Another Industry Expert

Residential wind turbines seem to be getting a lot of negative press lately. Last week, wind industry expert Paul Gipe was quoted as saying that "small wind doesn't make economic sense" and this week another industry expert is expressing similar reservations.

As reported by the Alternative Energy Retailer Online:

The small wind industry received a cold slap in the face from the Minneapolis Star Tribune's home improvement Fixit column, which discouraged homeowners from installing turbines.

The question posed to the Fixit column was: Does it make sense to add a wind turbine to my home? The author, Karen Youso, contacted state energy specialist Phil Smith for his expert opinion. I wouldn't call it "a cold slap in the face", but Smith got his point across that some problems have to be overcome before residential wind turbines will be worth "the trouble and expense". His advice is to do all you can to reduce your energy consumption before considering any alternative energy source.

Here's a link to the original column: http://www.startribune.com/397/story/1500798.html.

Interested in residential wind power? Considered building your own turbine?
You can get started with today with Power4Home.

Industry Expert Says Residential Wind Power "Doesn't Make Economic Sense"

Paul Gipe has written make books on the subject of wind power and his expert opinion is that "small wind doesn't make economic sense" for residential use. Home wind power is largely limited to homes in remote areas that cannot connect to the power grid and he thinks thats the way it should be. Gipe feels that a community approach to wind power is the answer. In the case of wind turbines, he feels that bigger is better as larger wind turbines are more efficient and can pay for themselves in a much shorter time. It's hard to argue with his credentials, but I'll choose to be an optimist on this one. Residential wind power is not a practical option for most consumers at this point, but new innovations are happening every day.

Read the full article at LiveScience.com.

Interested in residential wind power? Considered building your own turbine?
You can get started with today with Power4Home.

Urban Wind Turbine San Francisco

As reported in Earth2Tech, there has been a rare sighting of what has been labelled an urban wind turbine in San Francisco, California and the sighting has been captured on film. Check out this YouTube video of a Skystream 3.7 in action.



Update: 2008-06-11

Today, I came across a much better video of this amazing home with the home's owner, Robin Wilson, providing a tour to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and CNET News.com's Kara Tsuboi. The clip says that the home gets 40 percent of its power from the wind, the other 60 percent from other renewable energy sources and was named one of the 12 greenest houses in the world by the Discovery Channel.

Interested in residential wind power? Considered building your own turbine?
You can get started with today with Power4Home.