A Mighty Wind

We met with Atlantic Air Power to discuss what kind of wind generator will work for our new home. We had thought we needed wind and solar, but it looks like we'll be able to generate the power we need from a wind generator only! Did you know:

Industry-wide, wind produces energy at 4-8 cents a KW. Solar comes in at 38-42 cents KW.

We're still deciding between a Whisper 500 and the new Skystream, but the Skystream is designed as a whole-house residential system and we're tending toward that if all goes as planned. It means we'll also need to purchase and install a 60' tower, and in our freezing winters, this means a LOT of concrete ...

The Skystream is only 2-3 years old and was originally designed as a way to offset electricity costs for homeowners connected to the grid. But, because it's proved to be so efficient they added the necessary components to make it work for off-grid homes like ours. It also has a computer chip in it so if anything goes wrong, they come to the site and use a computer to "talk" to the wind generator. They can also upgrade the system throughout its lifespan using a computer. This means there's no need to bring the tower down or have to scale the 60' tower. Traditional wind generators need yearly maintenance, but this has a 5-year guarantee and a an expected lifespan of 20-30 years!

We're still researching this particular product, but have been a fan of Southwest Wind Power for a few years now, we're very excited. Skystream has a great site, including locating people using the system near you, I'm going to send a few emails asking how it's working for them. Has anyone else gone off-grid using wind only? Let me know what you use and how it's worked for you?

In a future post, I'll talk about how we got interested in alternative energy and how we had to break through the notion that it can't be done (ever seen "Who Killed the Electric Car"?).

Comments

[Rich]

I'm live near the beach where we have plenty of wind. Do you have an idea of what it might cost to convert to this type of power? I'm paying more than $300 per month for natural gas heat, and I plan to be at this location for some time. I would love to be able to cost justify this. There's a wind farm just thirty miles south in Atlantic City. I think they look really cool on top of the clean energy they promise.

[Dany Petraska]

You're paying $300/mo. for the gas. You'd need to convert to an electric heating system to have wind power power it. There's obviously a cost associated with a new furnace! There are other alternatives to natural gas heat such as solar heat collectors. Here's a quick article from Mother Earth News on a few ideas: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/2006-02-01/Do-It-Yourself-Solar-Heat-Collectors.aspx

When you already have a furnace, electric system, etc. there is a cost in replacing it with something more efficient, and a period of time associated with that before you see any return on your investment. We're lucky that we're building new for that reason.