Relying on wind

[Dan Moadus]

Let's look at some of the discrepancies in the latest "pasted" article from Dennis.  It says that the turbine's excess power goes into the grid, and on the two days a year when the wind isn't blowing and the turbine isn't producing, the ranch is "pulling power from the grid that it already put into it". Makes it sound like this power was stored somewhere waiting for a windless day, when in fact it isn't.  If every household on the grid got it's power from turbines and put the excess back into the grid, it would be lights out for everyone on the first day the wind doesn't blow, because there is no storage capability.

The other discrepancy is where the article claims a payback of nine or twelve years. Assuming an average monthly electric bill to be about $150 it would take 30 years to pay back the cost of the turbine, and contrary to the article, turbines do not have a life expectancy of 30 to 50 years. More like 20 to 25 years.

I also hope it didn't go unnoticed that we here in Ohio are paying for part of this Wyoming rancher's wind turbine. Nice.

[irishbobcat]

Relying on wind

Relying on wind
•By TOM MAST - Star-Tribune staff writer
Wind power often is viewed as secondary, something that augments traditional sources like natural gas or electricity generated from coal-fired plants.

At Wyoming Renewables of Casper, wind power is primary.

"These are about the biggest turbines that a private entity can get," owner Mike Kenefick said. "It's meant to replace, and not supplement, the ranch house power supply."

Kenefick sells and installs 10-kilowatt Bergey turbines. He said an average American home uses 1,200 to 1,500 kilowatts per month, while the Bergey turbines he sells produce 1,500 to 2,000 kilowatts a month in Wyoming's wind resource. Home turbines frequently are 2.5-kilowatt in size.

Wyoming is among the states that requires "net metering" -- meaning that if a turbine produces more power than a home or business is using, the excess goes into the grid.

"So the two days a year the wind doesn't blow in Wyoming, the turbine isn't producing any power, now you're pulling from the grid power that you already put into the grid," he said.

Kenefick, who is a pilot for the McMurry family, originally got into Wyoming Renewables with Casper businessman Rich Fairservis. Wyoming Renewables engages entities like W.N. McMurry Construction and McMurry Ready Mix to install the turbines.

Kenefick doesn't install turbines at heights under 60 feet. He said height is related to wind speed, which in turn has a dramatic impact on power output.

A recently installed 10-kilowatt turbine cost about $54,000, but with a 30 percent federal tax credit, the net cost was considerably less, he said. The pay-back period is generally considered to be between nine and 12 years. The design operating life is 30 years to 50 years, according to the Bergey Windpower website.

Kenefick said his turbines also can be useful for industrial users, although in such settings they are more apt to be supplemental rather than primary power. But even then, the turbines can influence power rates. This works by reducing electricity amounts bought from power companies and thereby allowing users to fall within lower tier cost brackets. Unlike some goods, when it comes to buying power, "the more you use, the more you pay per kilowatt," he said.

Bergey Windpower of Norman, Okla., bills itself as "the oldest and most experienced manufacturer of residential-sized wind turbines in the world."

The Bergey 10 kW turbine has only three moving parts with no scheduled maintenance necessary. The company says the best candidates for the turbines are commercial and residential properties on at least an acre of land, an electric bill averaging over $150 per month and a wind speed of at least 10 miles per hour, but notes that each project is different and so requires individual evaluation.