Why Wind?

Is Wind Energy right for YOU?

Check your location Look at state and local wind maps from the Renewable Resource Data Center Relatively small amounts of wind can generate large amounts of power, because the energy that can be generated from a wind turbine is proportional to the cube of the wind speed. For example: An area with an average wind speed of 16 mph will produce nearly 50% more than an area with an average wind speed of 14 miles per hour. If you have enough wind, then perhaps a wind turbine is for you!!!

Check your location (cont’d) If you determine that a wind turbine is a good investment based upon wind speed, then you have to check local, state and federal laws and covenants to see if it is OK for you to install wind turbines on your land. Size is also important. All things being equal, a large wind operation is more economical than a small one. However, at your home you can have one or two single, large wind turbines or you can have one or more small, fast turbines. Any electricity generated can be sold back to your local utility company like PSNH or Unitil.

What are the pro’s? Wind is clean energy. It produces no pollution of any kind and does not damage the earth since there is no resource extraction from the earth. This improves the environment and the overall health of citizens in the area. Wind energy is a perfect solution in areas with very high air and water quality standards since there is no pollution. Wind energy is capable of reducing peak loads in major areas and this reduces additional energy plant costs and possible pollution. There is a federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) for the construction of new wind projects of 1.8 cents/kWh for the first ten years of wind operation. This is intended to make wind power generation competitive with fossil fuel energy generating plants.

How much room do you need? Large wind turbines can have a rotor diameter of up to 71 meters, or over 200 feet. Smaller wind rotors can be around 10 meters, or 30 feet. Scientists are now experimenting with small, roof-mounted wind turbines that individuals can place on their homes and small businesses just like individual solar installations.

How much does it cost? A wind turbine system (or plant) is expensive to build. A 50 MW operation has an initial cost of $65 million. Assuming a 35% (or one third) running capacity, it would generate 150 million kWh and would gross $6 million per year (assuming a power purchase price of $.04 per kWh) With interest, and including operating expenses, the payback period would be about 15 years. After this period, the wind turbine system would continue to generate about $6 million per year in gross revenue. After deducting operating expenses, the profit would be about $3.6 million or 60% of the total.

What are other options? The current option for clean, non-polluting energy is a solar energy installation. Solar panels consume larger amounts of real estate but have a lower profile. All other energy generating sources either damage the earth through resource extraction (coal, natural gas, oil)or they create significant long-term waste (nuclear spent fuel rods). Hydroelectric dams damage river flow and destroy the habitat of species that use the river. FUTURE energy generating ability is being explored in areas as different as hydrogen fuel cells or algae.

Main ideas The initial cost would be $64million dollars to build the wind farm. The money will be paid back in 15 years, with interest!!!

What about New Hampshire? The Average wind speed is 6.7 – 35.1 MPH In the White mountain National Forest there is enough wind to have a working wind farm. Because of our avg. wind speed, (21 MPH) the pay back time for a 50 MW facility would be. . . ~5 Years!

Citations http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/avgwind.html http://www.wind-energy-the-facts.org/fr/part-i-technology/chapter-3-wind/