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Berkshire Eagle Personal turbines catching wind Monday, July 17, 2006 With four commercial wind farms proposed or under construction in the Berkshires, some local homeowners have started looking into the cost ó and the benefits ó of installing smaller, residential-size wind turbines. "We want to save money, and we don't want to keep using fossil fuels," said Dan Bergeron, who lives on 7 1/2 acres in North Adams. "We believe the future is in alternative energy sources, and we want to do our part." One of the first in the county to purchase a 1-kilowatt wind turbine, Bergeron mounted it on a 40-foot-high tower to see how well the wind would catch it. But because the trees on his property are about 80 feet high, the wind doesn't reach it very well during the summer. So he is about to upgrade to an 80-foot tower. He just needs to get enough friends together to help him hoist the tower. Once that's done, he'll hook his wood-burning boiler and some of his household circuits to the turbine. "We did do our research on this. We didn't do it on a whim," Bergeron said. In researching the wind option, Bergeron found what more people are realizing every day: With energy prices getting higher all the time, and as more of the small wind turbines hit the market, the cost of wind power technology is becoming more affordable. "It is of growing interest for a variety of reasons," said Nancy Nylen, associate director of the Center for Ecological Technology in Pittsfield, "including rising power costs and technological improvements." Plenty to power Users of residential wind energy can use it to power their household needs, charge batteries to power their needs during periods of low wind speeds, and ó when there is an excess of power being generated ó sell it back to the power grid. For most users, wind energy would not be enough to get them totally off the grid. But it could save a homeowner $80 to $100 every month for a smaller, 1.6-kilowatt turbine, or up to $1,000 per month for a 10-kilowatt wind turbine. They would be mounted on towers from 90 to 120 feet high. Those compare with the bigger, 1.5-megawatt turbines on towers 240 to 420 feet high on commercial wind farms. Nylen emphasized that there are several steps a homeowner would have to go through before trying to reap the wind: * Ascertain the average wind speed in the exact location under consideration. Experts recommend an average daily wind speed of at least 11 miles per hour. * Determine the price currently paid per kilowatt hour at the residence in question. * Reduce energy usage as much as possible through insulation and energy-efficient appliances. * Determine what local zoning restrictions there might be, especially height limitations. * Research any rebates and tax incentives that might be available. * Establish what the cost would be for the equipment and installation. Even some local folks opposed to the use of commercial wind farms are not opposed to the use of smaller, residential-size wind turbines. "I think for farm and residential use they can be appropriate in some places," said Eleanor Tillinghast, spokeswoman for Green Berkshires, a group that has opposed every commercial wind farm in the county. "If a structure conforms to the local bylaws and serves a purpose to the homeowner or farm, then they could be very appropriate." She noted that the small turbines have been known to create some mechanical noise, but if they are generating power for private consumption and the neighbors aren't bothered, then there should not be a problem. Mark Howland, president of WindTechCo in eastern Massachusetts, said he has sold 111 small wind turbines since February. He sells them in two sizes ó 1.6 and 10 kilowatts. $9,000 to $45,000 Although the prices for the turbines are not cheap ó about $9,000 for the smaller model and $45,000 for the larger version installed ó there are incentive rebates from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and income tax credits from both the state and federal governments, especially if they are installed along with solar panels, WindTechCo's specialty. The rebates and tax credits can add up to $30,000 for homeowners and $10,000 more for farmers for the large turbine, and about $6,000 for homeowners for the smaller turbine, Howland said. "It's been a fun business for us," he said. "When you turn it on and you see the (electricity) meter start to go backwards, it's exhilarating." Dr. James Manwell, a professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a specialist on wind power technology, was less enthusiastic about the practicality of small wind turbines. "Small wind turbines are good fun, nice to have, but not necessarily very economical unless you live on a hilltop with good wind exposure," he said. "Then they could make a good contribution." He noted that the rebates and tax incentives help to make them more economical, and as they become more available and less expensive, they could even be practical. Making sense in Mass. But practicality depends on one's personal definition according to his or her needs, and apparently Massachusetts residents are increasingly finding small wind turbines more and more practical. According to Mark Bergey, president of the Norman, Okla., wind turbine manufacturing company Bergey Wind Power, Massachusetts is his fastest growing market. Last year, he said, there were two or three turbines sold in the state, while this year they anticipate selling "in the neighborhood of 60" small wind turbines. "We're breaking new ground in community after community," he said. He said the company is recommending mounting the turbines on towers 100 to 120 feet high. Bergey added that the small wind turbines will become "an important part of the mosaic of renewable energy sources we need to move away from fossil fuels." "Now that there is more concern over the impacts of fossil fuels, wind power is gaining greater acceptance," Nylen said. "And while there's not one fix to the problem, we're going to have to have several solutions, and this idea does have appropriate uses." http://www.berkshireeagle.com/headlines/ci_4060989
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