Congress has authorized a 30 percent tax credit, up to $4,000, for the installation of small wind turbines in the next eight years, supplementing wind energy incentives provided by at least 20 states. The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) predicted that the federal credit will stimulate a 40 percent increase in units in 2009.
Small wind turbines are defined as turbines that have a capacity of 100 kilowatts or less, but most of them on the market now have 10 kilowatts or less. They generate electricity for homes, farms and small businesses in breezy areas like the midwestern section of the United States.
Smaller Than Dutch Windmills
The small units are younger cousins to the more attractive and romanticized windmills that have pumped water in Holland for centuries and in Texas for decades. They are midgets compared to the giant turbines that provide industrial power to open areas like Manitoba, Canada.
AWEA estimates that more than 9,000 small turbine units will be sold in the United States in 2008, another record. That will bring the total sold since 2001 to about 44,000, most of them manufactured in the United States.
The association says the small turbine growth has been hampered in the past by a lack of federal incentives similar to those enjoyed by solar energy, their principal competitor in the alternative energy field. Ron Stimmel, AWEA’s small turbine specialist, told TIME Magazine that until the recent tax credit was passed the small wind industry "had zero federal assistance." He expects the new incentive to help the industry grow 40% in 2009, despite the prospects of a troubled economy.
Turbins Not Welcome In Urban Areas
However, although they are short compared to their industrial cousins (some of which are 300 feet tall), small turbine towers are not welcome in most urban and suburban residential areas. AWEA suggests an 80-to-100 foot tower, although some are considerably shorter.
AWEA also recommends at least a one acre property, including a half acre of open space. According to the association, the United States has about 15 million home sites large enough to handle a small turbine, most of them in midwest and northeast rural sections of the nation.
Small turbines are designed and tied in with community energy systems. They provide electricity when the wind is sufficient, switch to the community system when the wind is not strong enough, and sell their electricity to the community system when they produce a surplus.
Commercial Utilities Must Tie In
Since 1978 federal law has required commercial utility companies to connect with and purchase power from small wind systems.
In 2008, AWEA’s website said a small turbine systems typically "can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $22,000 installed, depending upon size, application and service agreements with the manufacturer."
The association says the units are designed to last at least 20 years and their cost can be recouped through energy savings within six to 15 years. The number of years depends upon commercial electricity rates in the area and other factors.
AWEA says a 10-kilowatt unit "mounted on an 80-foot tower should generate an average of 1,000 kilowatt-hours monthly" in areas with Class 2 winds (8 to 18 mph).
Turbines Environmentally Friendly
In addition to the energy savings, the turbines also provide some independence from commercial electric grids, some cushion against rising energy prices and the satisfaction of being environmentally friendly.
The American industry’s Windpower 2009 conference is scheduled May 4-7 in Chicago. It expects to attract 13,000 attendees and nearly 800 exhibitors.
References:
- My Desert.com
- Got Wind? by Bryan Walsh, TIME Magazine, Dec. 1, 2008
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