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!

March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

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

March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

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
March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

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

March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

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
March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

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.

March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

Three remanufactured Vestas V-15 65kW turbines on 110 ft towers in Hazel Green WI
MarchExpected
2, 2004

annual production
= 250,000
kWh/yr
Seventh Generation
Energy
Systems,or
Inc.85% of customer load

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 (midsize) to $5,000/kW

(home size)
March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

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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
March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

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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

March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

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Yes. Size
does matter

March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

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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)

Single biggest factor

in system life
March 2, 2004

Know your turbineLove your

turbine

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

14

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

March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

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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

March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

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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
March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

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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
March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

18

The Flavors of Public Opposition

Noise1
Blade flicker1,2
TV reception1,2
Orphans1

1. Valid zoning issues

2. Usually not applicable to small wind

March 2, 2004
Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

Earth currents
Stray voltage
Birds, bats
Blade throw
Property values
Ice shedding
Aesthetics
Kitchen sink 19

Why do we do this?

March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

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Resources

African Windpower 1 kW
www.abundantre.com/
Bergey Windpower 1 & 10 kW:
www.bergey.com
Proven Engineering 2.5, 6, 15kW
http://www.almac.co.uk/proven/
Southwest Windpower: <5kW
http://www.windenergy.com/
Wind Turbine Ind (Jacobs) 20kW
www.windturbine.net
Energy Maintenance Service
35kW and 60kW
www.energyms.com

Halus Power 90kW

www.halus.com

March 2, 2004

American Wind Energy Association:

www.awea.org
Midwest Renewable Energy
Association
www.the-mrea.org
Solar Energy International (workshops)
www.solarenergy.org
Windustry
www.windustry.org
Home Power Magazine
www.homepower.com
Paul Gipe: Wind Power for Home and
Business
P. Gipe: Wind Energy Basics
P. Gipe: Wind Power: Renewable
Energy for Home, Farm, and Business
Piggot: Wind Power Workshop

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

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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

March 2, 2004

Seventh Generation Energy Systems, Inc.

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