On micro-wind

On micro-wind

20 Jul 2005

Got questions about the environment? Ask Umbra.

Dear Umbra,

Are there any worthwhile resources or models that would enable me to generate my own electricity in a cost-effective way, using wind power? This is on a one-household basis.

Matt Pines
Toronto, Canada

Ask Umbra continues below

ADVERTISING POLICY

Dearest Matt,

In jargon-land, you are interested in micro-wind. Little did you know!

Because you are a blessed Canadian, you have an excellent resource, the Canadian Wind Energy Association's small-wind calculator. Just enter your postal code and average electric bill to see what a turbine might cost, what your payback time might be, and how glad you are to live in Canada. CWEA can also point you to consultants, providers, and installers. (Oh, OK, U.S. residents can play around too -- with the National Wind Technology Center's Clean Power Estimator.)

He's got wind, but does he know how to use it?

For small-scale wind turbines to be a practical option, you need at least half an acre of land in a wind-rich area. Based on the postal code you sent me, you are not a good wind candidate -- but! -- you can still support wind power. Toronto proper has a WindShare Co-op with turbines in the urban zone. That is cool.

Or maybe you do have some secret plot of land, Matt. In that case, you should be able to figure out fairly quickly whether you have enough space to safely accommodate a turbine. An acre is considered a healthy parcel for a small tower (35 to 85 feet high).

Then you need to determine whether you have the wind resources to produce energy for your household needs -- enough to justify the expense of the turbine. Look here at this wind resource map of Canada and see where your home falls. (U.S. residents can check out the Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the United States and State Wind Resources Maps; other folks, see Wind Atlases of the World.) If you suspect a treasure trove of power awaits, your best bet is to raise a 30-foot or higher monitoring tower, put an anemometer atop it, and actually measure what's blowing through.

Your decision to go with wind shouldn't be affected by whether you are on or off the electric grid, because you may be able to do net metering in the first instance, and wind can be cheaper than bringing the grid to your home in the second instance. Many major cities have renewable-energy advocacy groups; rural areas with any back-to-the-land presence will also have individuals and groups with experience building grid-less power. There are also plenty of folks on this world-wide-web thing who are eager to tell you how to build your own turbine (but you didn't hear it here). Hook up with any of these fans and, at the least, you'll never again want for cocktail-party conversation.

Gustily,
Umbra

Yours is to wonder why, hers is to answer (or try). Please send Umbra any nagging question pertaining to the environment -- but first check out her FAQs!

The claims made in this column may not reflect the views of this magazine. Neither the magazine nor the author guarantees that any advice contained in this column is wise or safe. Please use this column at your own risk.

Umbra Fisk is Grist Research Associate II, Hardcover and Periodicals Unit, floors 2B-4B.

Comments: (9 comments)

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Airx at Crappy Tire

Us lucky Canucks can also grab a coffee at Tim Ho's and head to our local Canadian Tire to pick up a 400W roof mountable home turbine from South West Wind Power:

http://shop.altenergystore.com/go~ic~SOUAIRX-12M~agent~airxentry.htm

http://www.sustainabilityzone.com

by dreadsword at 2:25 PM on 20 Jul 2005

WRONG LINK!

Whoops, here's the Cdn Tire one:
http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortments/product_detail.jsp ...

http://www.sustainabilityzone.com

by dreadsword at 2:32 PM on 20 Jul 2005

Test wind resource with small turbine - not anemom

If you want to know if you have good wind resources get a small turbine, possibly used, and set it up for a year. In addition to providing useful data on available wind in your area the turbine will probably generate some energy that will reduce your energy bill -- and if you find that you don't have good wind resources there's a better market for used wind turbines than there is for used anemometers.
You can have the same impact on global warming without setting up your own wind turbine: check out the U.S. Dept of Energy for some helpful products at
http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/markets/certificates.shtml?page=1

Sustainably,

EnergyOrganic

Humankind's future is determined by today's energy choices.

by EnergyOrganic at 4:11 PM on 20 Jul 2005

Another fine wind article Umbra!!

Check out otherpower.com to build your own.

They have seminars to teach you how. These folks take the practical approach gleaned from actually powering their own homes and businesses off the grid.

And they have discussion forums to ask questions.

My current design features a system that powers a heat pump for home heating and refridgeration directly from the windmill power shaft, as well as an electric generator, water pump, and air compressor. All mounted at the base of the wind tower, rather than way up in the air.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

by amazingdrx at 5:30 AM on 21 Jul 2005

if on-grid, consider a co-op

If you've already got a grid connection, it would be a better use of your money to join a wind energy co-op than buy a small turbine. Generally, you'd reckon on a small turbine costing about 1/3 of the total you'd need to put together a system.

Large turbines are usually placed in better wind regimes than you can manage on your property. Their cost per kWh is much lower than small turbines, too.

But then, I would say that, being a director of WindShare ...

by scruss at 6:43 AM on 23 Jul 2005

Good points scruss.

But look out for a change in micro-wind economics. The simpler is better design philosophy may yield some breakthroughs, like heat pumps (for heating and cooling)run directly off the wind mill power shaft.

It's kind of a throwback to how wind power started, as a means for running big grinding wheels to grind grain. The power came into the base of the installation as mechanical power, rather than being converted to electricity way up in the air.

I like the coop idea a lot, also would like to see a renewable energy cooperative lease electric cars to it's members and have biofuel from the waste stream projects that use wind and solar for the energy to process the waste.

Maybe even trade the fertilizer byproduct to farmer/gardener coop members in return for waste input to the system.

Efforts like this are under way already in a progressive city a few hours south of here, based on the housing, food, and farm coops.

Now to revive the old utility coop legal structures!

One possible antidote to the provision in the new energy bill that lets corporate crooking like that planned at the secret white house energy meetings around the time of the California energy crisis, (created by market manipulators from Enron shutting down power plants to steal "grandma's pension"), take over local utilities en masse.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

by amazingdrx at 7:07 AM on 23 Jul 2005
[ Parent ]

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

I have a website that has some cool info on purchasing alternative energy at a very good price & ultimately getting FREE energy & even selling some of it back to your electric company!
www.getpowerclub.com
Check it out!!!!

by GODSGIRL0313 at 6:48 AM on 25 Jul 2005

Wind Power

I did some research on wind power. It seems in order for it to be productive, the area for the turbines need to have at least 9 mph winds on a daily basis. It won't work if you have 2 mph winds one day and 60 mph winds the next.
Lilly

E. Elaine Dangerfield

by gypsyed at 11:18 AM on 26 Jul 2005

Ahh no, Lily Dangerfield.

Condolences if you are related to Rodney, he was a truly great man, RIP.

Actually that would work quite well, a Jacobs Wind Electric plant lasted in Antarctica for decades. A legendary wind machine designed in the 30s and built in Minnesota.

It regularly endured winds way past 60mph. And the feathering blade design allowed it to generate power in 60mph plus winds.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

by amazingdrx at 12:17 PM on 26 Jul 2005

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