Winds of change
Rockwell City couple installs on-farm turbineBy DARCY DOUGHERTY MAULSBY, Messenger staff writer
ROCKWELL CITY - Winds of change are driving the renewable energy industry, and they have blown Jim and Gracia Willis straight toward an on-farm wind turbine
The Willis' turbine is the first of its size in Calhoun County.
"We're not doing this for economic reasons as much as we wanted to do something that's environmentally friendly," said Jim Willis, 72, a retired biochemist whose 70-foot-tall turbine can be clearly seen on the east side of the couple's 6-acre farmstead between Lytton and Rockwell City. "It has been fun to learn more about wind power, and we hope it might get other people interested in this renewable energy source."
The Skystream 3.7 turbine from Southwest Windpower, which is based in Flagstaff, Ariz., was installed this month by Luke Haffner, 29, of Lytton, who owns Heartland Wind. Jim Willis estimated that the turbine, which is expected to produce an average of 500 kilowatt-hours per month, will meet 25 to 30 percent of the couple's monthly electricity needs and trim approximately $400 a year from their electric bill.
The turbine, which boasts a maximum output of 2.4 kilowatts, can begin producing power when wind speeds reach 8 miles per hour. Peak power production occurs when the wind reaches 22 to 24 miles per hour, and the turbine will shut itself off if wind speeds reach 60 mph. "The wind maps say our area averages wind speeds of 14 to 16 mph all year long," said Jim Willis.
While a turbine of this size costs approximately $15,900, the sticker price can be misleading, said Haffner, who noted that there are a number of financial incentives, including tax breaks from the federal and state government that can substantially lower the cost of installing a small turbine. These incentives can include a 30 percent federal tax credit and property tax incentives.
"We'll also use an Iowa tax credit of 1.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, which will add up if you figure an average of 500 kilowatt-hours per month," said Jim Willis, a MidAmerican Energy customer who noted that projected payback period for the turbine is 10 years.
'The revolution is now'
While Iowa's large-scale wind farms have attracted widespread attention in recent months, smaller turbines are just starting to dot the countryside. Turbines that are similar in size to the one on the Willis property can be found near Cherokee, at the Gary Guthrie farm near Nevada, and at the Glidden REC.
"The revolution is now," said Haffner, who is earning a wind maintenance technician degree from Des Moines Area Community College in Carroll. "Wind energy offers a way to heal our planet while powering the world."
As the Willises evaluated where to locate their turbine, they decided to place it in their windbreak where it wouldn't disturb any of the couple's extensive flower and vegetable gardens that grace the farmstead. In addition, they opted to locate the tower as close as possible to an electrical pole. "Since I think the turbine is rather sculptural, I also wanted to place it where it could add to the garden, and I could watch it from the house," said Gracia Willis, 71, who noted that she and Jim moved back to her family's farm in 1995 after living in the Milwaukee area for 26 years.
She added that the wind turbine is the couple's gift to each other for their 50th wedding anniversary, which they will celebrate later this summer.
Completing the
right steps
Before the Willises could install their turbine, Mid-American Energy required a feasibility study. The couple also applied to the Calhoun County Zoning Board, since structures taller than 35 feet must receive approval before they can be built. In addition, the Willises worked with Farm Bureau Financial Services, their insurance provider, to purchase the appropriate personal property and liability coverage for the turbine.
The Willises' Skystream 3.7 from Southwest Windpower, which describes itself as the world's leading producer of small wind turbines, is specifically designed for utility-connected use, including homes, businesses and the public sector. The turbine includes five concrete pads that support the tower itself and the guy wires that brace the turbine. The concrete pads measure 3 feet in diameter and are 4 to 5 feet deep. According to Haffner, 60 percent of the initial investment in a small-scale wind turbine goes toward the tower and the foundation, which are projected to last for 50 years or more. The turbine's head unit has an estimated lifespan of 15 to 20 years.
The Willises' turbine, which will need to come down for maintenance every two years, is rated to withstand winds up to 140 miles per hour-the speed of an F3 tornado. In addition, the head unit includes wireless Skyview equipment that allows a personal computer to communicate directly with the Skystream turbine. "This provides real-time data, which will allow remote diagnosis of potential problems," Haffner said.
The Willises said the construction process went smoothly and are pleased with their decision to install a wind turbine on their farmstead.
"To people who think wind turbines are ugly, I say they are prettier than oil derricks," Jim Willis said. "We also think it's patriotic to use less foreign oil and use more renewable energy."
Contact Darcy Dougherty Maulsby at (515) 573-2141 or editor@messengernews.net
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Anderson
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06-22-09 11:04 AM
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P.S. I believe the highway patrol nearly doubled the life of their engines/vehicles with the 10% ethanol blend. Not a bad trade off considering what production of an auto costs, environmentally or economically speaking. No doubt, it burns cleaner, but whether or not it's a sound investment environmentally awaits better analyses than flacks on either side cite.
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Anderson
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06-21-09 8:57 AM
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A bit like "global cooling," " global warming" and now "climate change, eh? If ethanol was a good thing as an additive, and $3.75 corn, why not as an alternative fuel and $7 corn, or so Harkin. Grasley and other of our brilliant political engineers thought - regardless of all the ripple effects such as higher food prices, especially in the Third World.
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thendrickson
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06-20-09 12:37 PM
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Might not have started that way, but when the envirmental benefits got called into question they sure jumped on the "oil replacer" band wagon.
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Anderson
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06-20-09 11:38 AM
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Ethanol wasn't dreamed up as an "alternative" fuel but an "environmentally friendly" one, as was ill-fated BTE. More infalible "science" at work among the politically naive.
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thendrickson
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06-20-09 12:34 AM
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You should look into solar as well, and if you have a small consistent stream on your property, micro-hydro is available and there's always methane potential with livestock. it's time to take the money we're wasting on ethanol and start putting it into real, serious forms of alternative energy sources.
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