Homeowners warming up to wind power

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/27241

Homeowners warming up to wind power

By LEE BOWMAN
Scripps Howard News Service
Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Some like to watch their electric meters run backward. Others plot their savings using sophisticated software programs on a home computer. Still others consider how many pounds of coal or cubic yards of natural gas they didn't consume last month.

The motivations of owners of small wind turbine electrical generators are often both self-serving and altruistic.

"Sure, we like to do things that are good for the environment, but there are also economic advantages of going with wind power," said Cathy Simms, who with her husband installed a 10-kilowatt small wind turbine at their home in Wall Township, N.J. in 2002. "Our electricity bill has been reduced quite a bit."

...

The association reports that sales of small wind systems in the U.S. rose by 62 percent last year, to $17 million, and is expected to continue growing as long as energy prices continue to rise.

...

Like many turbine owners, Rhamy also uses a second alternative energy source - in his case solar cells - to complements the wind. Thanks to a state energy commission rebate and a state tax credit, he figures the system he installed in 2002 will nearly pay for itself sometime in the next year or so.

...

[jpak]

1. I recently saw four new small (1-10 kW) wind turbines in rural Maine

They were unobtrusive and every one of them were operating in light wind conditions...

[pnutbutr]

2. expensive

I've looked at all of the commercial small turbine kits available and they are just way too expensive for me so I started researching on how to build my own. I found a group primarily focused in Colorado that do just that and have started selling homemade parts to build your own as well as providing detailed instructions on building the individual parts on your own if you want to. Everything you need minus the tower comes to about $1500. It peaks at 1000w in 30mph winds and starts producing power in winds as low as 3mph with a 10' rotor. It consists of a homemade alternator, rotor, body and tail that you just need to put together, place on a tower and setup the wiring. That's much better than the $20k-$30k price tag on the commercial ones.

[Nederland]

3. Check out these

Some of the small ones (900w) go for as little as $2350. Doesn't include the tower or grid tie equipment, but a complete system couldn't possible go for more than 5k if you can get the turbine for 3k...

http://www.absak.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/32_93_95

[NNadir]

4. Wow. "Only" $2350," as little as...

There's probably going to be a rush at all the Walmarts in Ukraine, not to mention Zimbabwe:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capita

Of course, prices will be driven up because of all the people living in South Philadelphia who will be installing windmills on their tenements.

In the old days, at least they offered cake with the "let them eat cake." Now all they get is the wind.

Let them eat wind.

[jpak]

5. Wow. The last nuclear plant actually built in the US "only" cost as little as $6.8 billion

n/t