Everything You Ever Wanted to

Know About Wind Power for

Your Farm

DAVID BLECKER PE

SEVENTH GENERATION ENERGY SYSTEMS

Dairy Energy Symposium

43rd Annual Rural Energy Conference
March 2, 2005
 Know Your Goals
What do you want?
Energy bill reduction
Independence?
Envy and respect?
Whats your budget?
Be realistic!

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 Realism??
(this IS wind energy after all)

Starts with education

What can wind
turbines do?
And what they cant
Read, read, read
Home Power, Paul
Gipe, Hugh Piggot
Manufacturers data

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 More On Education
Talk to system
owners
Attend energy fairs
Take a workshop
Learn about your
energy use
Photo credit: Mick Sagrillo

Midwest Renewable Energy Fair: June 17-19, 2005 Custer, WI

www.the-mrea.org

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 Design Goal
Select the turbine that
reflects the best
match between:
Site characteristics
Land use & size
Wind resource
Your energy use
Your capabilities and
budget

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 How Good Are My Winds?
Monitoring not done for most small
and farm-size systems
1% rule
Use existing resources
State wind maps
Physical evidence
Airport data
Professional site assessor
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 Design Goals and Public Policy
With Net Metering
Pick largest turbine you can afford, maintain
and site up to NM capacity or energy limit.
If No Net Metering
Select turbine, based on wind resource, to
meet your annual energy use. On average,
excess power sales will be incidental.

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Three remanufactured Vestas V-15 65kW turbines on 110 ft towers in Hazel Green WI
MarchExpected
2, 2004 annual production = 250,000
Seventh Generation kWh/yr
Energy Systems,or
Inc.85% of customer load 9
 Costs
Fuel is freeequipment
is not
3 year payback and the
Loch Ness monster
Dreams of a level
playing field
High Price but Low Cost
Expect $1,500/kW (mid-
size) to $5,000/kW
(home size)
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 I was trying to save a few $$
Cost-cutting: dont
compromise quality
Do some of your own
work: most installers
happy to provide TA
Dont forget
maintenance!!!
Dont skimp on tower
height
P = d x A x V3

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 Towers
Rule 1: Buy the tallest
tower you can
Rule 2: Buy the tallest
tower you can
Rule 3: Buy the tallest
tower you can
MINIMUM STANDARD:
30 feet higher than any
object within 500 feet
including tree-lines

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 Yes. Size
does matter

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 A Few Words on Maintenance
No such thing as
maintenance free
turbine
DIY or contracted
Maintenance IS
hands on!
all you have to do is
look at it (be very afraid) Know your turbineLove your
turbine
Single biggest factor
in system life
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 Choosing an Installer
Most are small
businesses
Understand this is a
20 year relationship!
(longer than most
marriages)
Internet suppliers are
cheaper but you will
pay over the long run

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 Choosing an Installer
Warranties: Parts only?
Parts and labor?
-equipment warranty usually
reverts to manufacturer
There are still snake oil
salespeople: Beware
bondo rebuilds
References references
references

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 Getting it Built
Interconnection
Standards for safety
and power quality
IEEE929/UL1741
Code compliant
External Lockable
disconnect
Insurance
requirements
See Ohio PUC
website for forms

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 Getting it Built
Permitting
Permissions
Building permit?
Electrical permit?
Town? County?
Neighbors!!!
Site turbine to minimize
their relationship to your
turbine
Get all permits before
buying!!!

No such thing as guerilla wind

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The Flavors of Public Opposition
Noise1
Blade flicker1,2
TV reception1,2 Earth currents
Orphans1 Stray voltage
Birds, bats
Blade throw
Property values
1. Valid zoning issues
Ice shedding
2. Usually not applicable to small wind
Aesthetics
March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.
Kitchen sink 19
 Why do we do this?

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 Resources
African Windpower 1 kW American Wind Energy Association:
www.abundantre.com/ www.awea.org
Bergey Windpower 1 & 10 kW: Midwest Renewable Energy
www.bergey.com Association
Proven Engineering 2.5, 6, 15kW www.the-mrea.org
http://www.almac.co.uk/proven/ Solar Energy International (workshops)
Southwest Windpower: <5kW www.solarenergy.org
http://www.windenergy.com/ Windustry
Wind Turbine Ind (Jacobs) 20kW www.windustry.org
www.windturbine.net Home Power Magazine
Energy Maintenance Service www.homepower.com
35kW and 60kW Paul Gipe: Wind Power for Home and
www.energyms.com Business
Halus Power 90kW P. Gipe: Wind Energy Basics
www.halus.com P. Gipe: Wind Power: Renewable
Energy for Home, Farm, and Business
Piggot: Wind Power Workshop

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 SEVENTH GENERATION
ENERGY SYSTEMS, Inc.
David Blecker, P.E.
7295 East Cate Road
Belleville, WI 53508
608-424-1870
info@seventhGenergy.org

Seventh Generation Energy is a non-profit engineering firm working with communities,

businesses and local governments nationwide to design and implement clean energy
development programs

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