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small wind Success StoriesCase Studies Our Wind Co-op Supports Small Wind in the Pacific Northwest Thanks to “Our Wind Co-op,” a pioneering program developed by Northwest Sustainable Energy for Economic Development (SEED), rural residents of Montana and Washington are now enjoying clean electricity provided by their very own small wind turbines. A technology pioneered and still dominated by US firms, small wind turbines can be the lowest cost source of clean electricity for rural America. Our Wind Co-op is a unique cooperative structure that encourages farmers, ranchers and others living throughout rural regions of the Pacific Northwest with a variety of financial incentives to invest in small wind turbines. In return, participants hook up their small wind turbines to sophisticated monitoring equipment that records wind speed, direction and temperature and correlate these factors to actual power output. By collecting data from several different small wind turbines operating in the field in different climatic regions, Our Wind Co-op hopes to help the wind industry better understand how field conditions impact actual power production.
“It feels great to harvest the wind because it is clean energy. I’m not pumping any carbon into the atmosphere,” exclaimed Jess Alger, who owns 1,200 acres in the Judith Basin near Stanford, Montana. He raises beef cattle and grows organic winter wheat, barley, millet, flax and other grains. “I’m also producing my own power and that’s important. We, as a society, use tremendous amounts of electricity. Most people don’t even realize it,” he added. His disdain for wasting energy was one of the key reasons Alger turned to the wind. So far, he Located in a Class 3 wind site, with wind speeds expected to average 11 mph, the machine faces occasional gusts up to 100 mph. “It was really cranking last night,” enthused Alger during a phone conversation in March 2004. He noted that in his area winter features the most consistent wind. His demand for power is lower during the summer, a season that also features good winds. Alger installed the wind turbine largely himself. “It was quite a challenge,” acknowledged Alger. “I learned an awful lot during the installation. I’m glad I did it, even though I’m only saving $1,000 annually. But that’s a $1,000 that I can now spend elsewhere. And, I have my very own source of electricity.” Clean Power Pioneer Turns to the Wind
He became even more of an expert in November 2003, when he joined the Our Wind Co-op and installed his own small wind turbine. “Now I spend a lot of time helping dealers get into, and stay in, the small wind turbine business,” acknowledged Kennell. He installed his own small wind turbine on Luna Butte near Goldendale, Washington, which is part of the Columbia River Gorge, one of the best wind “I tried to balance aesthetics and power production,” said Kennell. The 10 kW Bergey was placed on an 80-foot tower at the top of a knoll. “Sure, a 100- or 120-foot tower would have dramatically increased electricity production. But it would have been highly visible to the residents that live west of the site.” As installed, the machine is below the nearby ridgeline and is therefore invisible to most neighbors. Kennell acknowledged that noise seemed to be more of a concern than sight. Kennell had to obtain a conditional use permit in order to get the building permit to erect his small wind turbine. A neighbor objected to his small wind turbine based on his experience with older technologies that were somewhat less than quiet. Kennell is happy to report that no complaints have been lodged during the four months that his machine has been in operation. So far, the small wind turbine has been performing well, even though winds have been lower than historical averages. Just as traditional crop yields and quality vary from year to year, wind harvests also can be variable. Unfortunately, according to Kennell’s on-site data collection and long-term records at a nearby airport, wind flows during the winter of 2003-2004 have been 20 percent less than usual. That translates into power production being cut in half from what is typically the case. However, the Gorge’s wind resource usually peaks in the spring and summer, and Kennell is optimistic that his small wind turbine will crank out sufficient amounts of kilowatt-hours by the end of the first year of operation to justify his investment.
“I really like small wind turbine Nelson is not only concerned about the environment. Pocketbook issues played an “I know that come 2010, power bills here Nelson did most of the installation work involved with his 10 kW Bergey machine placed atop a 60-foot guyed tower. (He did hire an electrician to do the wiring and a crane operator to help hoist the nacelle and tower.) “It was really quite fun putting the wind turbine up and then to produce my own power,” he acknowledged. Unfortunately, Nelson failed to thread his guy wires through the turnbuckles on the day of installation due to high winds. “Guess I was naïve,” he said. “It was on my list of things to do, honestly!” When an extreme storm, featuring gusts of up to 120 mph unexpectedly blew through his area just days after the turbine was raised, the tower bent in half. The same storm blew the roof off his barn, swept 69 railroad cars off nearby train tracks, and caused considerable other property damage. Though this setback cost his insurance company $9,000 (he was only responsible for the deductible), the turbine was resurrected in late February and is back to generating substantial amounts of electricity. Nelson’s property is blessed with a wind sites ranging from Class 4 to Class 6 wind sites, among the best wind resource available. Nelson calculated that a combination of grants from the National Center for Appropriate Technology, discounts offered by the turbine manufacturer, and other financial incentives lined up through Northwest SEED will help him to recoup his $23,000 investment within one year! “We have some of the very best wind sites in the nation. But one has to be very careful about siting,” he warned. His advice for others interested in small wind turbines: “Read all of the directions!”
Success Stories Home | Small Wind Home _______________________________________________________________
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“I was into clean energy when nobody even knew what the term meant,” reminisced Ed Kennell, a recently retired plumber who has been interested in renewable energy sources since 1972. 
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