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small wind Success StoriesCase Studies Rebate Program Prompts Small Wind Near New Jersey Coast
Wall, New Jersey - The New Jersey Clean Energy state rebate program that covers 60 percent of the installation costs of a small wind turbine prompted Cathy Sims to power her home with renewable energy. She was already intrigued by the idea -- her son, Sky, owns a business that promotes clean, alternative energy systems. But the $38,000 rebate check from the state certainly helped make the project worthwhile. “We have some high electricity costs because my husband and I run our small businesses out of our home,” said Cathy Simms. “Since installing a 10 kW Bergey small wind turbine in April 2002, our electricity bill has been reduced quite a bit. Sure, we like to do things that are good for the environment, but there are also economic advantages of going with wind power.” The Simms, live on two and half acres in the township of Wall, about five minutes from the northern New Jersey coast in Class 3 winds. Obtaining a permit for their Bergey machine required creativity. To get around a 45-foot height restriction, the Simms applied for a Federal Communications Commission license available to ham radio operators, which allowed them to build a 60-foot tower. After that, the only county requirement the Simms had to comply with was ensuring that the wind turbine wouldn’t fall onto neighbors’ property. Still, it took local inspectors three months to sign off on the project. The small wind turbine is a good match for the needs of the Simms’ home, which also incorporates a geothermal heating and air conditioning system. The winds are strongest in winter and spring, when fewer hours of daylight bring higher electricity bills. Oddly enough, the small wind turbine seems invisible to neighbors. “The machine is very quiet and very interesting to look at. But most folks who visit don’t even notice it. It is so unique! They just don’t think to look up!” Cathy exclaimed. Sky notes that his mother was fortunate that the Wall township has relatively low permitting fees for small wind turbines – about $200. In other New Jersey towns, the permitting process can be long and expensive. It took 8 months and $4,000 to permit and install one small wind turbine in Bricktown, he says. Many communities in the densely populated state have no code provisions for small wind turbines at all, he says, requiring homeowners to request a variance and notify neighbors within 200 feet of their property. “Only one neighbor has to say no, and the small wind turbine does not go up,” says Sky.
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