Ohio Wind Power Tool Kit
Tool Kit Introduction
Introduction and overview of small wind power systems today.
Ohio Wind Power Case Studies
Fourteen examples of wind power in use in Ohio today.
Siting Your Turbine
Information on wind monitoring and site analysis for your land.
Choosing a Wind Turbine and Tower
How to do a load analysis for your home; comparison of different wind turbines; small turbine case
study; and tower economics.
Choosing a Renewable Energy Installer
Lists of renewable energy installers, articles and fact sheets for what to expect from installers.
Zoning and Permits
Information on how to navigate through the process of getting a wind turbine approved.
Interconnection and Net Metering
Ohio’s net metering law; recent Ohio Supreme Court decision on net metering; utility fact sheets,
sample interconnection agreement.
Economics and Incentives
Does renewable energy pay for itself? What kind of support is out there? Discussion of Ohio
incentives.
Additional Concerns
This section addresses noise from wind turbines, the issue of birds, insuring a turbine, and more.
Wind Power for Farms
Fact sheets on leasing land to wind developers and case studies of farmers who have developed
wind power on their own.
Additional Resources
Books, magazines, videos and websites for more information on wind power.
Green Energy Ohio • 7870 Olentangy River Road Suite 209 • Columbus, OH 43235
Toll-Free: 1-866-GREENOH • www.GreenEnergyOhio.org • geo@GreenEnergyOhio.org
Ohio Wind Power Tool Kit Introduction
You hold in your hands the materials that can give you the tools to bring wind power into your life. In this
toolkit, we have gathered the “best of the best” information available on wind systems in a cohesive and
easy-to-reference format. Our goal was to give you enough information and additional sources so you can
successfully navigate through the decisions and steps to installing a wind turbine on your land.
Our information assumes a certain level of knowledge about renewable energy in general, and how
electricity works. Most of our information is geared to a grid-tied system rather than batteries, as many of
the new renewable energy systems being installed today are tied to the grid. There are, however, several
pieces discussing off-grid applications.
We have pulled together information from various sources and have organized them by topic. In each
section, you will find a Table of Contents which lists all the materials included and their source. We hope
this approach will help you in quickly locating information you need, and following up if necessary.
The first section, Ohio Wind Power Case Studies, has been developed specifically for this conference. This
section describes fourteen wind power installations in Ohio. These installations are both on private
property and in public places. The case studies are complete with pictures, diagrams, and narrative
descriptions of the process of installing the turbine, the power generated, maintenance issues, and overall,
what these wind power pioneers think about living with wind power. We believe these studies reflect the
challenges and the benefits of residential-scale wind power well, and our hope is that they help you
understand better the process and what you can expect.
Amanda Rhoads
Program Manager
Green Energy Ohio
Green Energy Ohio • 7870 Olentangy River Road Suite 209 • Columbus, OH 43235
Toll-Free: 1-866-GREENOH • www.GreenEnergyOhio.org • geo@GreenEnergyOhio.org
In California and beyond, consumers
discover the benefits of generating their own
electricity from the wind and the sun.
NREL PIX 09687
by Paul Gipe
A Southwest Windpower Air 403 micro turbine provides
power for appliances on board this sailboat.
28
SOLAR TODAY
NREL PIX 02795/Jim Green
ind energy is booming. Not since
state. Increasing numbers of adventurous
growth slight. All that changed last year,
the heyday of the American farm
homeowners are taking the costly plunge,
when installers’ phones began ringing and
windmill has wind energy grown at
spurred on by a state program to encourage
haven’t stopped since.
such a dramatic pace. By the end of 2001,
consumers to generate some of their own
Buy-Down Cuts Cost
more than 40,000 medium-size wind turpower using the sun and wind. They plunk
bines were in operation worldwide, mostly
down from $15,000 to $35,000, in hopes of
The legislature entrusted the California
in California, Europe and India. These comcutting rising electricity bills.
Energy Commission with $54 million to
mercial wind turbines, including those
Once mocked as modern day Don
support the development of so-called
found in California’s giant wind power
Quixotes, the windmillers of the new mil“emerging” renewable energy technologies
plants, produce 20 terawatt-hours (20,000
lennium now appear prescient. Most, such
such as photovoltaic panels and small wind
million kilowatt-hours) of wind-generated
as Jim Davis near San Luis Obispo, have
turbines.
electricity annually.
done their homework. They understand
The program paid up to $3000 per kiloBut the success of medium-size wind
how their solar panels and their wind turwatt (kW) or 50 percent of the installed
turbines is only part of the story. The numbines work together in what experts call a
cost, whichever is less. In the rush to “do
ber of small wind turbines is increasing as
“hybrid” power system. They also recogsomething,” the legislature raised paywell. Today there are more than 50 manunize an attractive deal when they see one,
ments to $4500 per kW in May 2001. The
facturers of small wind turbines worldwide,
and have tapped into California’s solar “buyactual amount varies from one site to the
and they produce more than 100 different
down” program.
next, depending upon the components
models. Altogether, manufacturers in west“We’re in a boom cycle,” says Mike
used.
ern countries have built about 60,000 small
Bergey, principal of Bergey Windpower.
More than 1000 solar systems have
wind turbines during
been installed under the “buythe last two decades.
down” program in the two
And tens of thousands
years the program has been in
more have been manueffect, says California Energy
factured in China for
Commission staffer Sandy
use by nomads on the
Miller, who heads the state
Mongolian steppes.
program. But more than half
The largest number
of those were installed in 2001.
of machines built fall
Quarterly reservations for
into in the micro wind
future installations skyrocketturbine category. These
ed in 2001 compared to the preare wind turbines so
vious two years. Miller is optismall you can carry
mistic that demand will remain
them in your hands.
strong even after the publicity
Though micro turbines
surrounding the state’s power
have been around for
crisis wanes. “More and more
decades for use on sailpeople are looking for alternaboats, they only gained
tive sources of power,” says
prominence in the 1990s
Miller, “and their two main
as their broader potenchoices are photovoltaics and
tial for off-the-grid applismall wind turbines.”
cations on land became This home in the Colorado mountains at 9000 feet near Ward, Colorado, uses a Bergey
Because the funds for
more widely known.
“emerging renewables” were
1500 (1500 W) wind turbine and a 1000 watt photovoltaic array for its electricity needs.
The number of the
drawn from the state’s utility
“We tripled production in 2001,” he says,
more familiar household-size turbines built
deregulation, they only apply to customers
with just a hint of glee in his voice. “We
by companies such as Bergey Windpower
of the deregulated utilities, not those living
were struggling to keep up.”
and Southwest Windpower in the U.S. and
“off-the-grid.” Thus, the program is restrictAs with so much of American culture,
Proven in Scotland, though significant, is far
ed to solar and wind systems that are conCalifornia’s influence is felt well beyond its
smaller. Between them, the two American
nected to the utility’s power lines. This limborders. The once-golden state’s rolling
producers have built more than 4000 small
itation encourages participants to take
blackouts last year sent a shudder across
wind turbines not unlike the windchargers
advantage of California’s new “net meterthe country. Politicians, who had ignored
once used throughout the Great Plains.
ing” law.
energy for two decades, suddenly scramIn general, heavier small wind turbines
bled to at least appear to be doing somehave proven more rugged and dependable
Net Metering
thing.
than lightweight machines. Mick Sagrillo,
The idea is simple. When the sun is
As part of California’s controversial eleca small wind turbine guru in the U.S., is a
shining brightly or the wind is howling and
tric utility restructuring, the state legislature
proponent of what he calls the “heavy metal
the renewable power system produces
created a lucrative subsidy program. In the
school” of small wind turbine design.
more electricity than is needed, the surparlance of post-Reagan free-marketeers,
Heavier, more massive turbines, he says,
plus flows back to the utility company. This
the program was dubbed a “buy-down,”
typically run longer.
surplus is then banked with the utility.
with the stated intent of eventually cutting
No electricity is actually stored with the
As California Goes…
manufacturing costs by increasing volume.
utility—net metering is simply an accountFor almost two years, the program lanCalifornia’s power crisis last year proing system that tracks how much is conguished in the backwaters of the bureauvided fertile ground for a new crop of small
sumed and how much is produced. This
cracy. Sales and installations were modest,
wind turbines seen sprouting across the
March/April 2002
29
Small Wind Systems Boom
Batteries
Most households in the California program operating solar panels alone or a
small wind turbine alone use electronic
inverters that connect directly with the utility’s lines. In contrast, hybrid systems—
those that use a mix of wind and solar—
include batteries. This adds to the cost and
complexity of the installation, but provides
an added benefit—an uninterruptible power
supply.
When Jonathan Herr’s $35,000 hybrid
system produces more power than his family can consume, excess power first
recharges his batteries. Once the batteries are topped up, surplus electricity flows
to PG&E.
Should utility power fail, for example during a severe storm, the batteries take over
automatically and power Herr’s home and
office. “We’re the last pole along a ridge and
when power went out a few years ago it took
PG&E nearly two weeks to bring it back,”
says Herr. Today, it’s more likely that Herr’s
power system will take over during rolling
blackouts than during natural disasters. “I
am really glad I did it,” says Herr.
The Davises are too. Shelley feels more
confident about their power supply than
before. “Here in rural areas,” she says,
“there are occasional blackouts.” But since
they installed their hybrid power system,
the Davises are so sure of their electricity
supply that they’ve eliminated the surge
protectors on their computers. “Our power
system acts like a big surge protector, so
we don’t need individual ones anymore,”
she says.
30
Running the Meter
Backwards
Under net metering, the local
utility often permits the use of the
same kilowatt-hour meter used
before the hybrid system was
installed. Feeding electricity back
into the grid through the existing
meter simply runs the meter backwards. Though the utility can
choose to install two new meters,
the principle remains the same.
One meter measures consumption,
the second measures the amount
banked with the utility.
In California the utility balances
the account annually. If there is
any surplus for the year, the excess
is credited to the “electric service
provider,” which under deregulation may not be the same company
as the local utility.
While California permits consumers to bank excess electricity
on the grid, the state doesn’t
require “electric service providers,”
such as Green Mountain Power,
to buy the annual surplus. For
those companies that do, payment
remains meager, often only a frac- Small wind turbines like this grid-connected Bergey 10 kW
tion of the retail price. (In mid- Excel can provide supplemental power for farms and ranch2001, California suspended retail es. Excess power is fed back into the utility grid.
competition and Green Mountain
example, heats entirely with wood and uses
Power pulled out of the state.)
a solar thermal system to heat his hot
A new twist to net metering may corwater. He uses no natural gas or propane.
rect the situation to some degree. Herr
Like Herr, the Davises are committed to
became one of the first in PG&E’s territomaking their solar-generated electricity go
ry to take advantage of the passage of a
as far as possible. The Davises have
law that permits time-of-day metering. The
installed energy-efficient devices throughmove requires Herr to pay PG&E $200 for
out their 1800 square-foot (170 squarethe installation of a new digital kilowattmeter) house. Though more costly than
hour meter. Although the new meter is
conventional light bulbs, the Davises use
expensive, it enables Herr to bank surplus
energy-stingy compact fluorescents wherpower during sunny summer afternoons
ever they need them. They also bought
when electric rates are highest. Then, durhighly efficient appliances such as a new
ing the “off-peak” period, he can draw down
Amana refrigerator.
his account with PG&E using less costly
kilowatt-hours.
Permits and Contracts
Herr says that he pays four times the
Required
price for power during “peak” periods than
California’s buy-down program requires
what he pays at night and during other “offparticipants to obtain all necessary building
peak” times. He expects to use the differpermits as well as a net-metering contract
ence to quickly pay off the fancy digital
with the local utility. Once the paperwork is
meter, and then pay off his hybrid power
in hand, the state pays promptly.
system sooner than he otherwise would
The CEC “has been a dream” to work
have.
with says Herr. “I called them and was able
Conservation Still Matters
to talk with a real person,” he says with a
note of surprise. “I expected a lot of paperHerr and others in California’s buy-down
work, but they required only one form and
program use the power they produce sparI did it myself. I sent in a copy of the couningly. Because the solar panels, wind turty’s final permit inspection, my receipts and
bines, batteries and inverters they use are
the buy-down form and I got my check
costly, even after the state rebate, they
within thirty days.”
make every kilowatt-hour count. Herr, for
SOLAR TODAY
NREL PIX 09634/Warren Gretz
simplifies the electricity exchanges
between the consumer and the electric
company.
When consumption is greater than production, on a cloudy day for example, and
the Davises use more electricity than they
are producing, they draw electricity from
their account with Pacific Gas & Electric
Co. If they have exhausted any surplus previously banked, the Davises pay for electricity as before.
Attorney Tom Starrs, of Kelso Starrs &
Associates, says that 34 states now have
net metering laws on the books and more
are on the way. There is now also bi-partisan support in Congress for a national netmetering bill, says Starrs, a long-time
renewables advocate.
California again upped the ante when, in
a flurry of legislation to address the power
crisis, it raised the cap on the size of netmetered installations from ten kilowatts to
one megawatt. Suddenly, large consumers
could seriously consider installing wind
equipment.
©Paul Gipe
with energy efficiency and
solar or wind systems. But
Nishi is a cut above the average. He’s earned a reputation
both for his knowledge and for
his helpfulness. “I understand
the technology,” he says. “I did
my senior thesis at CalPoly
[California State Polytechnic at
San Luis Obispo] on solar energy.”
Whenever Nishi gets an
inquiry about California’s buydown program, he sends off a
package of materials, including
the all-important payment
schedule. First, he requires a
schematic or simple drawing
of the proposed power system.
After the customer has purchased the hardware, he has
them complete a net-metering
contract. After the equipment is
installed,
he
personally
inspects it. Then, and only
then, is the customer allowed
to “throw the switch” and con- The owners of this home near Warner Springs, California, took
nect to PG&E’s grid.
advantage of the state’s buy-down program for renewable ener-
Beyond California
gy equipment to install a Bowjon wind pump and a Whisper 175
wind turbine. The hybrid power system also includes a photovoltaic array.
Interest in small wind systems is also growing outside of
California. Electricity rates have increased
60 percent across the Pacific Northwest in
the wake of California’s crisis. “Montana is
a hot market,” notes Mike Bergey. “The
run-up in prices made them remember how
to spell ‘energy’.”
Small turbine sales are also growing in
the Northeast, says Henry Dupont of
Offshore Services in the state of Rhode
Island. Dupont recently installed a 10 kW
Bergey Excel at New Jersey’s Liberty
State Park, literally across the harbor
from the Statue of Liberty. Interest in
wind energy is so high in the Northeast
that 225 people attended a two-day wind
workshop for Pennsylvania and New
York.
Other indicators of renewed interest
are up as well. Sales of wind energy books
have doubled in the past year says
Chelsea Green, a small New England publisher.
Southwest Windpower’s Dave Calley
has also seen a 20 percent increase in
sales. “Small wind is beginning to break
out of its obscurity,” says Calley. “The
technology is maturing.”
Subsidy Driven
While shortages and price hikes have
Wind expert Mick Sagrillo discusses a Scottish-made caught everyone’s attention, it’s the new
Proven wind turbine at an installation workshop in
subsidy programs that are fueling sales.
Amherst, Wisconsin.
March/April 2002
The Davises had wanted to use wind and
solar power for some time, but the high
costs deterred them. The state’s buy-down
program made it financially attractive for
the first time.
For Jim Davis, investing in a hybrid
power system “was much better than buying a big SUV [Sport Utility Vehicle].” After
a slight pause he adds, “I am just glad I
didn’t put that money in the [stock] market.”
As billions of dollars pour into the coffers of out-of-state power generators from
California consumers, more ratepayers may
find the state’s little-known subsidy program a silver lining to the dark storm that
deregulation has become. They too may
find that a renewable power system makes
sense as a hedge against the uncertain
future of the state’s electricity supply.
Across the country, a new breed of consumer is finding, like Jonathan Herr, that
“Once it’s paid off, it’s free.” ❂
Paul Gipe is the author of Wind Energy Basics
and other books on wind energy. He can be reached
at 208 S. Green St., #5; Tehachapi CA 935611741, (661) 822-9150, FAX (661) 822-8452;
pgipe@igc.org. For more information on
California’s buy-down program, log on to
www.energy.ca.gov/greengrid. The site provides
a list of wind turbines, solar panels and inverters
approved for the rebate.
31
©Paul Gipe
Getting a building permit may be more
troublesome. County building officials are
sometimes bewildered by a request to
install a hybrid power system. San Luis
Obispo County demanded engineering calculations to assure them that Jim Davis’
wind system wouldn’t pose a hazard—calculations that would have cost Davis a
whopping $5000 if the wind turbine manufacturer, Southwest Windpower, hadn’t
faxed him a 11-page document that satisfied
authorities.
Mike Bergey likens permit applications
in some California locales to “medieval torture.” Some projects have taken seven
months for a permit, he says.
Other building officials have gained
hard-won experience and know what they
need to ensure that the solar panels and
electrical system are installed properly.
Herr, for example, didn’t have any problem
in trend-setting Sonoma county. “I got the
building permit over the counter,” he says.
While PG&E didn’t place any obstacles
in Jonathan Herr’s way, they gave their permission for the interconnection “grudgingly,” he says. He laughs about it now.
“They first tried to talk me out of it, saying
that rates were going to go down with
deregulation.”
The Davis’ experience was entirely different. PG&E’s representative in San Luis
Obispo, Greg Nishi, “was an ideal person to
work with,” says Jim. “You asked him a
question and he got right back with an
answer.”
Nishi says each PG&E office should
have a person like himself who works only