Agenda - Council - 08/25/2009 - Laserfiche WebLink

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How Are They Used? Tens of thousands of homes, farms, small businesses, schools, and other institutions throughout the country use small wind turbines to lower or eliminate their electricity bills. Uses are diverse and quite similar to those of solar photovoltaic panels. The two technologies are in fact natural complements (wind resources are strongest in the winter and spring while solar resources are strongest in the summer) and are often used together in hybrid systems. Some small wind systems connect to the utility grid while others charge batteries for backup power for remote, stand-alone applications like cabins or even sailboats. Connecting to the electric grid allows a turbine owner to use electricity from the local utility when the wind does not blow, but also allows any surplus electricity - energy produced in excess of consumption, such as when winds are strong and usage is low - to be sent back into the grid and used by a neighbor. But unlike large turbines that power entire cities, small wind systems are used to produce power primarily on-site for a single user. What Can' Neighbors and the Community Expect? After installation, which takes about two to 10 days to complete, life with a turbine in the neighborhood is largely uneventful. Visual assimilation of the new turbine is similar to neighbors becoming accustomed to a new building addition, landscaping project, or the removal of a prominent tree. The best way to assess the impact is to visit an actual installation. With approximately 10,000 turbines sold in the U.S. every year, and in all So states, they are relatively easy to locate. Contact a manufacturer or local installer to see an installation first-hand. (See www.awea.org/smallwind/smsysist.htmi) Responsibilities of Turbine Owners The small wind industry is indeed small, and every installation potentially affects public perception of not only small wind turbines, but of renewable energy as a whole. Each installation is, in essence, an ambassador of the industry. It is in the long-term, self interest of the industry and consumers alike that owners exercise good judgment and courtesy toward their neighbors and community. Doing so often includes informing neighbors, in writing, of a proposed installation and educating them about potential impacts - both real and perceived - of a small wind turbine (see www.awea.org/smallwind/ toolbox2/INSTALL/bu ilding_permits. htmI for a sample letter to neighbors): For fundamental reasons though, topography and the wind itself largely determine precisely where and how high a turbine must'be. installed. Sometimes there is no way to avoid these physical constraints other than to place or elevate the turbine into a more aesthetically sensitive place on a property. But a turbine owner should make a deliberate effort to take all reasonable measures to minimize impacts on neighboring areas. Common Applications On- or Off -Grid... • Single -Family Homes • Businesses • Farms • Institutions • Schools • Government Buildings • Industrial Sites • Military • Communications Systems 0.4 kW turbine on a sailboat "Everybody knows the good things about using renewable energy. I wanted to set an example down here and perhaps encourage others to do the some thing. " - Small -turbine owner Chuck Heide, Somers, WI ,