Catching the wind to use for power
Feb 24 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Sarah Lemagie Star Tribune,
Minneapolis
When Peter Hark walks outside his house, just watching the blades turn on
his new wind turbine gives him a sense of satisfaction that has little to do
with shrinking his electricity bill.
Hark and his wife, Mary Jo Cristofaro-Hark, expect to generate much of their
own power by harnessing the breeze, but they estimate it could be 25 years
before they recoup the $35,000 it cost to erect the 115-foot turbine and a
set of solar panels on their 10-acre hobby farm in northern Rice County.
"In the long run, we might break even," said Hark, who is among a growing
number of Minnesotans who have invested in "small wind," an industry tag for
turbines rated at less than 100 kilowatts.
For Hark and many other small turbine owners, spinning the blades isn't
primarily about saving money. Instead, customers ranging from dairy farmers
to the School of Environmental Studies in Apple Valley are buying them as a
way to make a hands-on contribution to the environment while spreading the
word about wind power.
"It doesn't necessarily make good economic sense. It makes great
environmental sense," said Clare Palmquist, who installed a wind turbine in
December with her husband, Dean Marshik, on their fifth-generation dairy
farm in Pierz in central Minnesota.
Roughly 7,000 Americans bought small wind systems in 2006, and the industry
has grown by 14 to 25 percent a year since 1990, according to the American
Wind Energy Association. In Minnesota, Wind Turbine Industries, a Prior Lake
manufacturer, has seen annual sales of its 20-kilowatt turbines -- which
generate enough electricity for two or three homes -- go from half a dozen a
decade ago to nearly 50 in 2007.
"Small wind is the major factor in raising public acceptance of renewable
energy," said Ron Stimmel, an advocate with the American Wind Energy
Association. "It's the same statement as having a flagpole in your yard."
Many of the Prior Lake turbines go to farmers in Minnesota and nearby
states, but perhaps a third are exported to destinations such as Northern
Ireland and Italy, Turek said.
And buyers increasingly include rural residents who have at least an acre of
land and ample wind to turn the blades on the turbines, which are much
smaller than the behemoths found on commercial wind farms.
"We're seeing more and more individuals that are interested in buying a
tower and putting up a turbine and making a statement," said Doug Wogstad,
general manager of Winkelman's Environmentally Responsible Construction in
Brainerd.
The company's recent prospective wind turbine customers have even included a
bank in Appleton.
But obstacles remain, notably cost: The 20-kilowatt Prior Lake model, for
example, can run a farmer nearly $75,000, including all expenses, Wogstad
said.
And it can take anywhere from six to 30 years for an owner to recoup the
cost of a turbine, the American Wind Energy Association estimates -- a
formidable challenge when the average U.S. homeowner sells every six years.
Small wind turbines also struggle to produce electricity as cheaply as their
250-foot, 2-megawatt cousins. A commercial wind plant can generate
electricity for less than a nickel a kilowatt-hour, but that price is more
like 10 or 11 cents for small wind, according to the association.
"The small machines have rarely been all that cost-effective unless you're
in a remote location where you can't get the power lines," said Lisa
Daniels, executive director of Minnesota-based Windustry, an advocacy group.
No federal aid for small wind
The high cost of small turbines is partly due to lower production volumes,
but also because small wind is one of the only energy technologies that does
not benefit from federal assistance, said Stimmel.
Wind advocates hope that new turbine designs and increased demand will push
prices down.
They're also pushing for a 30 percent federal investment tax credit to help
buyers offset the cost of the turbines.
Cost, the relatively poor quality of Twin Cities wind and stricter zoning
rules in urban areas mean that it's still far easier for most Minnesotans
interested in wind power to take advantage of a state law that requires
utility companies to give customers the option of buying renewable energy.
But some wind advocates, including Daniels, would like to see that law
revised so that rate payers who check the green energy box on their utility
bills could, for example, put that money toward locally owned wind projects.
An icon for neighbors
And for some Minnesotans, business and geographic factors align enough to
make a turbine realistic.
Palmquist and Marshik, the dairy farmers from Pierz, hope to receive a U.S.
Department of Agriculture grant that would offset part of the turbine's
cost.
In Minnesota, a state law also requires power companies to pay turbine
owners the retail value of any extra electricity their wind turbines produce
for the grid.
Regardless of the payback, "there's something about it that's very
satisfying and personal" about owning a turbine, said Hark.
He added that perhaps 30 people have stopped by his farm to ask questions
about his 10-kilowatt turbine.
"I also think it's a really good thing for other people to see that we can
do this, that the technology is there," he said.
Sarah Lemagie --952-882-9016
"In the long run, we might break even," said Hark, who is among a growing
number of Minnesotans who have invested in "small wind," an industry tag for
turbines rated at less than 100 kilowatts. For Hark and many other small
turbine owners, spinning the blades isn't primarily about saving money.
Instead, customers ranging from dairy farmers to the School of Environmental
Studies in Apple Valley are buying them as a way to make a hands-on
contribution to the environment while spreading the word about wind power.
"It doesn't necessarily make good economic sense. It makes great
environmental sense," said Clare Palmquist, who installed a wind turbine in
December with her husband, Dean Marshik , on their fifth-generation dairy
farm in Pierz, Minn., in central Minnesota. Roughly 7,000 Americans bought
small wind systems in 2006, and the industry has grown by 14 to 25 percent a
year since 1990, according to the American Wind Energy Association. In
Minnesota, Wind Turbine Industries, a Prior Lake manufacturer, has seen
annual sales of its 20-kilowatt turbines -- which generate enough
electricity for two or three homes -- go from half a dozen a decade ago to
nearly 50 in 2007. "Small wind is the major factor in raising public
acceptance of renewable energy," said Ron Stimmel, an advocate with the
American Wind Energy Association. "It's the same statement as having a
flagpole in your yard." Many of the Prior Lake turbines go to farmers in
Minnesota and nearby states, but perhaps a third are exported to
destinations such as Northern Ireland and Italy, Turek said. And buyers
increasingly include rural residents who have at least an acre of land and
ample wind to turn the blades on the turbines, which are much smaller than
the behemoths found on commercial wind farms. "We're seeing more and more
individuals that are interested in buying a tower and putting up a turbine
and making a statement," said Doug Wogstad , general manager of Winkelman's
Environmentally Responsible Construction in Brainerd. The company's recent
prospective wind turbine customers have even included a bank in Appleton.
But obstacles remain, notably cost: The 20-kilowatt Prior Lake model, for
example, can run a farmer nearly $75,000, including all expenses, Wogstad
said. And it can take anywhere from six to 30 years for an owner to recoup
the cost of a turbine, the American Wind Energy Association estimates -- a
formidable challenge when the average U.S. homeowner sells every six years.
Small wind turbines also struggle to produce electricity as cheaply as their
250-foot, 2-megawatt cousins. A commercial wind plant can generate
electricity for less than a nickel a kilowatt-hour, but that price is more
like 10 or 11 cents for small wind, according to the association. "The small
machines have rarely been all that cost-effective unless you're in a remote
location where you can't get the power lines," said Lisa Daniels, executive
director of Minnesota-based Windustry, an advocacy group. No federal aid for
small wind The high cost of small turbines is partly due to lower production
volumes, but also because small wind is one of the only energy technologies
that does not benefit from federal assistance, said Stimmel. Wind advocates
hope that new turbine designs and increased demand will push prices down.
They're also pushing for a 30 percent federal investment tax credit to help
buyers offset the cost of the turbines. Cost, the relatively poor quality of
Twin Cities wind and stricter zoning rules in urban areas mean that it's
still far easier for most Minnesotans interested in wind power to take
advantage of a state law that requires utility companies to give customers
the option of buying renewable energy. But some wind advocates, including
Daniels, would like to see that law revised so that rate payers who check
the green energy box on their utility bills could, for example, put that
money toward locally owned wind projects. An icon for neighbors And for some
Minnesotans, business and geographic factors align enough to make a turbine
realistic. Palmquist and Marshik, the dairy farmers from Pierz, hope to
receive a United States Department of Agriculture grant that would offset
part of the turbine's cost. In Minnesota, a state law also requires power
companies to pay turbine owners the retail value of any extra electricity
their wind turbines produce for the grid. Regardless of the payback,
"there's something about it that's very satisfying and personal" about
owning a turbine, said Hark. He added that perhaps 30 people have stopped by
his farm to ask questions about his 10-kilowatt turbine. "I also think it's
a really good thing for other people to see that we can do this, that the
technology is there," he said. Sarah Lemagie --952-882-9016 |