Our 3000 watt Whisper was installed in 1997 and is producing enough power for a small home (400
KWH/Month)
Big Wind Projects (over 100kw) are in a different business class, not covered in this presentation
1979 2005
Source:
Everybody’s Weather, 2005. http://www.everybodysweather.com/Static_Media/Polar_Ice_Cap_Melter/index.htm
• Temperature
– Winter + 6-10 ° F
– Summer +7-16 ° F
– Growing season 3-6 weeks longer
• Precipitation
– Winter +15-40%
– Summer –15%
– Drier soils, more droughts
•
More extreme events
– storms, floods
– Could be 50-100% more frequent than now
• Ice cover decline will continue
• Energy independence
• Save and Make Money
• Reduce vulnerability to volatile utility prices
• Reduce air pollution from fossil electricity sources
Pictured above is a
Skystream 3.7 direct drive wind turbine
Safety
Switch
Cumulative
Production Meter
AC Load Center
Power Processing
Unit (Inverter)
• Proven over 75 years: Oldest Name in USA
• Low Cost ($3 / watt) – High Value
• USDA comfortable with Jacobs (9006 grant)
• Equipment holds value well (50 year life)
• Ease of operation and interconnection
• Low maintenance - $500 per year average
• UL Approved, Documented by Engineers
• Power Company acceptance
• Locally made in Minnesota
• Proven excellent design and components
STEP 1.
a) Hire an expert to visit your site, provide written estimates of resources, itemize costs, options, income and benefits (costs start at $500).
b) Have a detailed site plan drawn up, showing set-backs, buildings, directions and turbine location.
c) Make a decision about which tower height.
Remember, a taller tower reaches greater power.
Photo before editing
STEP 2. Permit a) Contact your local power company about entering a co-generation agreement. They will send you the forms.
b) Hire a consultant to help you complete all permits and save you time with paperwork.
c) You may be eligible for some grant money or low interest loans. Your consultant can help you with this, too.
STEP 3. Construction a) The foundation is critical, so hire an experienced contractor.
b) Follow manufacturers specifications and process for tower and turbine installation.
c) Hire a licensed electrician to connect your turbine to your local power company.
STEP 4. Operations & Maintenance a) Check output, bolts, nuts and power connections.
b) Climb tower, change oil and grease fittings.
c) Every 10 years, change the four main bearings.
Enjoy watching the wind make money for you!
Also, pat yourself on the back for reducing pollution!
• MACRS Depreciation, avg = $25,000
• USDA 9006 Grant = $16,000
• Net Metering, 20 years = $50,000
• Antenna Lease, 20 years = $20,000
• Education Sponsors, 5 yrs = $5,000 ?
• Green Credits (future income = ?
• Production Tax Credit (future) = ?
Income Streams, Tax Benefits and other Funding Possible for a Small
Wind Turbine for Farm or Small Business Use:
1. Net Metering: Your Power Company must pay you the average retail rate
(ARR) for electricity that you sell back to them. In an average wind speed of 13 mph (Class 3 wind), the Jacobs 31-20 will produce about 30,000 kWh per year.
With a 10-cent ARR per kWh, you would receive $3000 per year income.
2.
Income Tax Deduction: Called MACRS Depreciation (Maximum Accelerated
Cost Reduction Schedule): A Wind Turbine installation can be rapidly depreciated (deducted from income taxes) within the first 5 years under the
Federal MACRS program (Minnesota’s version is 6 years). The depreciation can also be spread out over a longer period of time if desired (details see tax advisor).
3. Tower Antenna Leasing: With the growth of wireless phones, Internet and
GPS based technologies, antenna are needed for local customer feeds in certain areas. Once you own a 120’ tower, you can negotiate an arrangement with several suppliers.
Income Streams, Tax Benefits and other Funding Possible for a Small
Wind Turbine for Farm or Small Business Use:
4. Tax Exemptions: Small Wind Turbines (and Solar) are exempt from MN Sales
Tax. They are also exempt from Property Taxes (a $60,000 system increases the value of your property but will cause no tax increase). See www.dsireusa.org
.
5. Education, Training, Sponsors: With the current strong interest in Wind
Power, more people want to learn about opportunities. Vo-Tech Schools,
Colleges, High Schools and other Learning Centers may wish to adopt your turbine (class field trips, conduct training programs, conduct research (monitor hook up your turbine to wind and weather sensors then to their school website).
This creates opportunities for businesses to sponsor your project.
6. Grants are available from a few sources including your local power company, state or regional foundations, state government or Federal government. A popular grant for a rural small business is the USDA (9006 Farm Bill Clean
Energy, see www.farmenergy.org
) or contact us for more information.
JACOBS 31-20 TURBINES
ON A 120’ TOWER
INSTALL IN ABOUT
THREE SOLID WEEKS,
INCLUDING EXCAVATION,
STEEL, FORMS,
CONCRETE, TOWER
ASSEMBLY, WIRING,
ELECTRICAL AND TOWER
TIP UP.
CONCRETE MUST CURE
FOR 30 DAYS PRIOR TO
INSTALLATION.
TOWER IS 120’, BASE IS
ABOUT 14’ ON A SIDE,
90’ ft. sq.
• PURPA requires utilities to connect with and purchase power from small wind systems
• Reduce consumption of utility-supplied electricity
• Utility acts as a big
“battery bank”
• Contact individual utility before connecting to its lines
• Must meet electrical codes
• Must stop supplying power to grid during power outages
• Must synchronize with grid
• Must match utility power’s voltage, frequency and quality
LARRY AND CAROL
GLASSMAN WIND
TURBINE INSTALLED
IN OCTOBER 2004.
TAX BENEFITS ARE
THE GLASSMANS
BIGGEST PAYBACK.
THEY SAVED $7500
IN THE FIRST YEAR.
MORE THAN 100
JACOBS TURBINES
ARE RUNNING IN MN
Wind speed increases with height
Small increases in wind speed result in large increases in power
Tall towers often needed for clearance above obstacles
(turbulence)
May require a variance or a special use permit
• City, town, or county ordinances restricting height or requiring minimum setbacks
• Building codes and covenants
• Neighbors’ concerns
(visual impact, noise)
• Potential physical obstacles
(growing trees, planned construction)
Improved designs have made machines much quieter
• Comparable to central
AC unit
• Noise levels fall sharply with distance
1 acre is a good rule-of-thumb minimum property size for a small wind installation capable of powering the whole house
Objections are less likely in a rural setting
• Spinning blades perceived as useful
• Talk to neighbors before seeking permit
HELP IS NEEDED FOR SMALL WIND TURBINE BUSINESS
Future Incentive: Federal Production Tax Credit of 1.9 cents per kwh.
This is another tax deduction to learn about (currently available only for big wind projects, not yet for small wind), based on your meter reading each year. If you produce 30,000 kWhs, you would receive
$570.00 per year credit on your income tax return. See www.dsireusa.org
. Please help get this tax credit or some other tax credit for small wind.
Future Incentive: Green Credits: Carbon Tax is required to be paid by big businesses for air pollution they create. Your wind turbine produces power without pollution, so big businesses can eventually purchase your carbon reduction “credits” to help mitigate their pollution. Current pricing is from 2 to 3 cents per kWh, but no firm markets or laws yet govern this incentive. Please help make this happen.
• Legal and Safety Issues – U.S. DOE Small Wind
System Installation Reference Brief www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo/refbriefs/ja2.html
• AWEA Advice from an Expert www.awea.org/faq/sagrillo
- Trials and Tribulations
- Keeping Hearings Under Control
- Zoning Obstacles
- Perceptions/Local Concerns
Add to Homeowners or Business Policy: Cost range: $4 to $7 per
000
Policy Responses
Eight states prohibit utilities from imposing insurance requirements for qualified systems.
Five other states limit required coverage amounts to levels consistent with commercial and residential insurance policies.
Minnesota limit is $300,000
In >20 years, there has never been a small wind system related liability claim
– A Wind Turbine installation can be tax depreciated
(deducted from income taxes) within the first 6 years under the MACRS program (MN version is 6 years).
– The depreciation can also be spread out over a longer period of time, if desired (see your tax advisor for details).
• Net Metering: Local Power Utilities are required to pay small generators (>40kw) for their excess electricity based on the power companies average retail cooperative energy rates (ARCER).
• “ Green Tags” or renewable energy meter credits can be sold to brokers who are buying Carbon Tax exemptions from large corporations.
• Federal Production Credit: A tax credit of 1.9 cents/kwh is based upon meter readings from wind turbine systems (extended until 12-2008).
“Connecting a Small-Scale Renewable Energy
System to an Electric Transmission System” U.S.
Department of Energy Reference Brief (bibliography)
800-DOE-EREC www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo/refbriefs/ja7.html
“Connecting to the Grid”
Interstate Renewable
Energy Council www.irecusa.org
• Minnesota Commerce Department:
Mike Taylor 651 296 6830 www.commerce.state.mn.us
• Wind Resource Atlas of the United States http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/
• Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy www.dsireusa.org
• Larry/Carol Glassman
• Morrison County Fair
• Bob/Sue Meyerson
• John/Patty Persell
• Hunt Utilities Group
• Melody Lane Farm
• Boy’s & Berries Farm
• Prairie Woods ELC
• Tom Clemen Farm
• WATER Foundation
• White Earth Band
• White Bear Racquet and Swim Club
• Walker Animal Hospital
• Ed Gehrke: One
Heart/One Mind
Hunt Utility Group Jacobs Turbine near Pine River, MN
Atwater, MN Jacobs Wind Turbine
Completed on 1-11-06
We believe that by designing and building long-lasting, efficient buildings that generate their own energy, conserve natural resources and reduce pollution that we are creating a good return on investment that is building a new, more sustainable economy
Our motto is
“Conservation Pays!”
Visit the Eco-Domes near Brainerd, MN
WERC is a division of the EcoDomes, LLC © 2005
• Designing environmentally responsible buildings
• Consulting/training on energy/water/building technologies
• Wind Turbine sales, construction, management, service
• Energy Audits, Energy Load Calculations, Building HVAC
Requirements (Energy 10, RET Screen, Energy +)
• Storm Water Landscaping, Septic Systems, Water Audits,
Water Technology Sales
• Construction of Environmentally Responsible Buildings,
Solar Electric, Solar Heating, Geothermal, Bio-Fuels,
Grey Water Systems, Composting Toilets, Pond
Gardening and Native – Permaculture landscaping
HERE’S HOW WE WERC ON
SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT AND PROJECTS
• Environmental Consulting on overall property development
• Analyze/plan property for geothermal, wind or solar potentials
• Design buildings for maximum efficiency and natural beauty
• Install sustainable technologies with trained, certified installers
• Marketing and sales of environmentally responsible properties
• Train and Certify Installers on several technologies
• Help create new jobs and provide significant economic benefits for the communities and participating stakeholders
• Help find and solicit innovative grant funding from state and federal government agencies, foundations and stakeholder organizations
Call 218 764 2321. Browse www.hopshop.net. Visit the Eco-Domes near Brainerd, MN
WERC is a division of the EcoDomes, LLC © 2005
The Eco-Dome Conservation Campus is located near
South Long Lake, SE of Brainerd, MN (5 miles East on Hwy 18 then 5 miles South on CR 23).
Open for Tours M – F, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Awards
Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance
Minnesota Governors Green Building Award
Minnesota Waste Wise
WERC is a Division of The Eco-Domes, LLC.
Visit our facilities at 9121 CR 23, Brainerd, MN. 218 764 2321