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TechnographWind energy growing as a power source
By Melissa Silverberg
Posted: 5/2/08 Section: News
Bergey Windpower is the nation's oldest manufacturer of residential wind turbines and one of the leading suppliers.
"A lot of people like the environmental savings from a home wind system," Bergey said. "If a homeowner installs a wind system, it is about the same as taking an SUV off the road."
For people to be able to have a residential wind turbine, they need to have at least an acre of land, making these turbines not suitable for suburban homes and densely populated urban ares, Bergey said.
The major roadblock for people wanting to install residential turbines is cost. Powering a house can cost between $12,000 and $55,000, Stimmel said. While there are some individual grants to help people afford them, price is a problem, he added.
"Price is the number one barrier to people installing these turbines," Stimmel said. "They are very expensive, and there is no federal-level subsidy for small wind."
Prices are so high because turbines are such large pieces of equipment and have not yet been widely produced, Bergey said.
In spite of all of this, more people are installing these turbines to help with the alternative energy problem.
"The industry grew about 14 percent last year, and 10,000 small wind turbines were installed in that year alone," Stimmel said. "They are really seamless, and the homeowner doesn't have to do anything."
"A lot of people like the environmental savings from a home wind system," Bergey said. "If a homeowner installs a wind system, it is about the same as taking an SUV off the road."
For people to be able to have a residential wind turbine, they need to have at least an acre of land, making these turbines not suitable for suburban homes and densely populated urban ares, Bergey said.
The major roadblock for people wanting to install residential turbines is cost. Powering a house can cost between $12,000 and $55,000, Stimmel said. While there are some individual grants to help people afford them, price is a problem, he added.
"Price is the number one barrier to people installing these turbines," Stimmel said. "They are very expensive, and there is no federal-level subsidy for small wind."
Prices are so high because turbines are such large pieces of equipment and have not yet been widely produced, Bergey said.
In spite of all of this, more people are installing these turbines to help with the alternative energy problem.
"The industry grew about 14 percent last year, and 10,000 small wind turbines were installed in that year alone," Stimmel said. "They are really seamless, and the homeowner doesn't have to do anything."
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Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 5
Migration Much?
posted 5/03/08 @ 6:06 AM CST
Environmentally friendly? What about the mass of birds being slaughtered by these turbines?
Dennis Quiram
posted 5/05/08 @ 7:51 AM CST
The biggest complaint I have is the amount of energy
these articles say these wind farms produce. This one
may actually put out 100Mwh per hour which is a far
cry from the 396 they say can be produced. (Continued…)
Ryan
posted 10/28/08 @ 3:23 PM CST
Wind energy used to power homes is something that people can definitely expect over the next several years. The Mid-West (of course :)) is definitely the section of the country leading the way with this energy source. (Continued…)
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