Wind Turbines

Though once bedeviled by poor performance and unreliability, wind turbines in the United States have now operated for nearly one billion hours and generated more than 15 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. Today thousands of wind machines, both big and small, work dependably day in, day out. Some small wind turbines have even proven more dependable in remote power systems than the conventional engine generators they were originally designed to supplement.

The cost of a wind power system includes the cost of the wind turbine itself, the tower, and its installation. The total cost of micro turbines can be as little as $500-1,500 or as great as $10,000 depending upon the tower used and its height. Bigger machines are more costly, but can be more cost-effective. Whether wind energy is a good investment at your site depends on a host of factors, including the average wind speed, the installed cost, inflation, utility buy back rates, taxes, and so on.

Site Selection is generally based upon these factors:
- If the average wind is 10 mph or more you may have a great site.
- The site should be well exposed to the wind and free of any obstructions within 200 feet.
- If there are any nearby trees, the turbine must be mounted on a tower at least 20 feet above the tallest tree.

Here’s a quick test on wind power feasibility, assuming you don’t live in a State with a subsidy program and you want to recoup your investment in 15 years or less. Given these conditions, you should consider wind power if:

1) Your electricity costs more than 11 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)

2) Your area has an average wind speed of 11 miles-per-hour (mph) or more, and,

3) You have one (1) acre of property or more.

Prospect Hill and the athletic fields appear to be good candidates for wind towers. This is something that would generate quite a bit of power for the MHC community and allow for students to bring their extra lamps and laptops that previously were unheard of in such numbers before 10 years ago.