Product Pick of the Week - The iPod of wind

Susan Brown never intended to become an environmental activist or a local celebrity for her war against building more coal-burning power plants in her neighborhood. In fact, she was happy as a stay-at-home mom raising her two young children near Dearborn, Mo. But circumstances around 2003 would change all of that.

“I heard they were going to build two coal-burning power plants, and I got scared,” she remembers. “I read how it was especially bad for kids, and I realized they would keep building power plants as long as we demanded so much energy and that we need to reduce our demand.”

For close to four years, she researched energy issues, combining forces with the Concerned Citizens of Platte County to educate the public and achieve her goals. That has included stopping one coal-burning power plant from building in the area and encouraging KCP&L to offset harmful emissions to the environment by adding wind power and energy efficiency to its portfolio. She eventually began working part time for The Energy Savings Store, the largest wind and solar solution company in the area, and is now vice president of business development and marketing for the company.

Reducing energy demand in her own home has been a priority, she says. So this spring she put her money where her mouth is, so to speak, by installing a 45-foot Southwest Wind Power Skystream Turbine in her backyard. “The unit should offset about 30 to 40 percent of our electricity needs,” she says. “And the energy it produces is clean.”

When the wind is blowing, they can use that energy in their home. Then when it’s not, they use their regular electricity as usual. And if it’s very windy and they are not using much electricity, they can sell the extra power back to KCP&L at the retail price in the form of a credit for future electricity.

“At the end of the month, you pay the net amount,” she explains. “The average household uses about 1,000 kilowatts a month. So I should be paying for about 700 kilowatts a month.” Unlike some of the earlier wind turbines on the market that were financially prohibitive for homeowners, the Browns feel this is a solid investment. They expect to get a 7 percent return on their money and maybe more as electricity costs continue to climb.

“This product has really made it viable,” Mrs. Brown says. “They call it the iPod of wind.” Unlike the utility scale turbines, it makes very little noise and is easy to install. “All I know is the finances make sense to me,” says Susan’s husband, Jim. “I’m a degreed electrical engineer and work for a financial institution now. The science seems solid, the financials are solid.”

For anyone wanting to make a similar investment, here are some things Mrs. Brown says you should know:

Start simple:
“I started with the low-hanging fruit,” Mrs. Brown says. First they had an energy audit on their home. Then they sealed all of their ducts and room joists, making the home as tight as possible. Then they invested in a low-cost solar air heater. The wind turbine was the next step.

Cost:
The minimum tower size is 33 feet and costs $17,900, Mrs. Brown says. However, that’s the turnkey price, completely installed. There is also a 30 percent federal tax credit that was not available before. Plus, thanks to new metering regulations, you can sell back extra power you make each day to the utility company in the form of a credit at retail prices.

Location:
The Browns live in an ideal spot for a wind turbine: out of the city on 14 acres that sits high on a hill. And they get wind on a regular basis. You should consult your local municipality for restrictions on how close you can put the turbine to the property line.

Check out your installer and manufacturer:
“It is the wild west,” Mrs. Brown says. “There is no certification for it.”

The American Wind Energy Association is starting to rate turbines, but so far it’s buyer beware, as customers of the Prevailing Power wind turbine company in Shenandoah, Iowa, can testify. They had numerous complaints, according to KPTM in Shenandoah, and eventually went out of business. Mrs. Brown says always check for references and ask where the turbine was manufactured. Prevailing Power turbines were made in China. “China is not a good place to get your turbines or solar panels,” she says. “Frankly, I would look at an American company.”

For more information please contact Trevor Sievert at ts@windfair.net